A mere 8 square mi (21 square km), St. Barths is a hilly island, with many sheltered inlets providing visitors with many opportunities to try out picturesque, quiet beaches. The town of Gustavia wraps itself neatly around a lilliputian harbor lined with impressive yachts and rustic fishing boats. Red-roofed bungalows dot the hillsides. Beaches run the gamut from calm to "surfable," from deserted to packed. The cuisine is tops in the Caribbean, part of the French savoir vivre that prevails throughout the island.
Longtime visitors speak wistfully of the old, quiet St. Barths. Development has quickened the pace of life here, that's true, but the island hasn't yet been overbuilt, and a 1982 ordinance limited new tourist lodgings to 12 rooms. The largest hotel -- the Guanahani -- has fewer than 100 rooms; the island's other rooms are divided among some 40 small hotels and guesthouses. About half the island's visitors stay in private villas. The tiny planes that arrive with regularity still land at the tidy airport only during daylight hours. And although "nightlife" usually means a leisurely dinner and a stargazing walk on the beach, something of a renaissance is under way, and a couple of hot new clubs might give you a reason to pack a pair of dancing shoes.
Christopher Columbus discovered the island -- called "Ouanalao" by its native Carib Indians -- in 1493; he named it for his brother Bartholomé. The first group of French colonists arrived in 1648, drawn by the ideal location on the West Indian Trade Route, but they were wiped out by the Caribs, who dominated the area. Another small group from Normandy and Brittany arrived in 1694. This time the settlers prospered -- with the help of French buccaneers, who took advantage of the island's strategic location and protected harbor. In 1784 the French traded the island to King Gustav III of Sweden in exchange for port rights in Göteborg. The king dubbed the capital Gustavia, laid out and paved streets, built three forts, and turned the community into a prosperous free port. The island thrived as a shipping and commercial center until the 19th century, when earthquakes, fires, and hurricanes brought financial ruin. Many residents fled for newer lands of opportunity, and Oscar II of Sweden decided to return the island to France. After briefly considering selling it to America, the French took possession of Saint-Barthélemy again on August 10, 1877.
Today the island is still a free port and is part of an overseas department of France. Arid, hilly, and rocky, St. Barths was unsuited to sugar production and thus never developed an extensive slave base. Most of the 3,000 current residents are descendants of the tough Norman and Breton settlers of three centuries ago. They are feisty, industrious, and friendly -- but insular. However, you will find many new, young French arrivals, predominantly from northwestern France and Provence, who speak English well. |
