TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin St Barths by air

We decided to give St Barths another try this time by air.

This time by air using St Barth Commuter outof Grand Case. The flight over was smooth and you fly right over orient Beach and Club Orient. We could see they raked some seaweed this morning to create a wide entry path into the water. The flight takes about 10 minutes and the landing is neat and smooth. Great pilot.

We rented from Sixt and car was ready on arrival. The roads on SBH are steep, really steep and narrow. We used WAZE ap to navigate. Dont think we would have found anything looking at a map.

To start, we went to Saline Beach. As you approach there is a trapped water basin that really stinks but we kept going and arrived at a parking lot with a handful of cars. You have to walk up a steep path with rocks. Not handicap accessible for sure. The fitbit had the heart rates up high. At the peak you reach sand and then downhill to the beach. The beach is beautiful blue and the sand is very fine. There were only a few people at either end and no one in the middle where the path brings you to the beach. We flipped a coin and went left may e 75 yards and laid down our towels.

Its hot. The sand blows the fine sand evry once in awhile and it is not pleasant. It would be nice to have chairs and an unbrella and drinks.

We stripped down but were the only ones. We got in the water to wash off the sand and the water is nice and clear. You can see through the waves as the crest. But it was hot and sandy and so we headed out.

We went to JoJoBurger and they did not have food yet so we had a water and a Carib for 10E. Still hungry we left and headed for Grand and Petit Cul de Sacs. We found em but didnt look like any great place to park amd settle on a beach so drove through Marigot and then headed for GouvenorsnBeach. Steep roads descending to and there was valet parking only so we flipped around and left.

This time we ended at Shell Beach. Valet parking again so we took it. 15E or $18 for the day. They had a restaurant but were booked for the day. Many empty beach chairs but they were booked for the day. Money talks. So we plopped on the shelly beach for 45 min to an hour. Several yachts must of bought up all the chairs. No breeze. Hot. A few topless here.

Got back in the car and headed to St Jean Beach. We took the valet again from Park and Chill (run the parking show everywhere on island possibly) for same price and went to newly reopened Nikki Beach Restaurant and Bar. This place was really hoppin with ultrachic people and a fashion show. 2 entres and 4 Carona ser us back an even 100E.

Walked a few minutes and sat in Eden Rock beach chairs for 100E. Killed the rest of our time.

Put some gas in the car and took her back to the airport.


If I go back I would fly over for sure from Grand Case and take a cab to Eden Rock or Nikki Beach and park it. Just too much tourist stress,narrow steep roads that were fun to survive once, and people working hard to look good but didnt look very relaxed on their vacation.

The valet parking guys were great.

That looked to be an expensive and not to relaxing day trip. Hope you had fun.

Wow, sorry, it cost 100E just to sit in chairs at Eden Rock? I haven't been to St. Barths in a while, but I don't think I'm in a hurry to go back, at those prices.. Hope you enjoyed it..

Thanks for all of your recent posts and updates! Someday I’d like to experience the landing at St. Barths! But dang, those are some expensive prices for parking and everything (!) in general! My son and I did a day trip, by ferry from Simpson Beach and the whole day I think I spent maybe €120 total, plus the $ferry fare which was something like $130 rt for adult and child. The whole motive was to go to the airport to see the landings at SBH. Ferry departed in the morning, arrived, took a taxi to the airport, hung out there for about 2 hours talking to pilots and had a good chicken curry believe it or not at the airport restaurant. Afterwards we walked down from the airport to the beach (maybe 10-15 minutes), St. Jean, which was gorgeous, passing the small cemetery and found ourselves at La Plage (Pearl Beach). Loved it there and had some delicious fish, enjoyed the music, lack of pretentious people , swam and lounged for a few hours and got a taxi back for the ferry mid afternoon. We had a fabulous day. This was in 2015. Next time by small plane, but we really enjoyed the ferry ride too. It was a bit rough but we were having a blast.

St. Barts is a side trip if you want to see how the elite live and vacation. We spent a week there years before Irma and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. There were many Inexpensive places to dine and shop. The locals were very friendly and we felt very safe. I have a few friends that have been to St. Barts after Irma and said the island has almost tripled in cost. (thus, the chair and umbrella at St. Jeans for $100.) St.Barts is not looking for tourism, they have their very own rich clientele. They don't need to rebuild with tourism money. That's why SXM airport is filled with personal Lear jets who have parked there to go to St. Barts for the holiday. Such is life and to live like that must be okay. It's way beyond our range but you can do it, there are still moderate housing and restaurants. Hey, you can say " I've been to St. Barts!"

Sand, water, beer and sand.
Why do I need to do it there.

Well done, Pirate, and thanks for writing about your trip. I have a few comments/suggestions if you decide to do it again.

Sixt is OK to rent from, and you got an excellent price, but they do charge an additional fee if you want more than one driver.

That trapped water basin at Saline is the old Salt Flat operation. Yes, at times the water does get stagnant. As you know, there are no services of any type on the beach. That's unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

Too bad that you were too early for food at Jojo Burger. They have a decent burger, the 5th most affordable burger/fries on the island at €11 according to a friend. (Le Select is the most affordable at €8.50.)

The two good and affordable beachfront restaurants in Grand Cul de Sac, O'Corail and Gloriette, were wiped out by Irma. The only food there now is from 5-star hotels.

Valet Parking at Gouverneur? Wow, I've never seen that, nor do I ever want to!

On St Jean, at the other end from Nikki Beach and next to the airport runway, there's a free parking lot. Pearl Beach Hotel (formerly Tom Beach), is diagonally across the street. Their restaurant is also a party scene at times, but less so than Nikki Beach, and their chairs, and the adjacent water sports operation's chairs, are less than half of what Eden Rock charges. I'm actually surprised that you could get chairs at ER. From what I've heard, they're restricting their beachfront popup restaurant facilities to their Eden Rock Villa clients.

It's a maybe 10-minute walk from the airport to Pearl Beach, or a short taxi ride. Either works. If you choose, you can pick up some pricey takeout items from Maya's To Go on your way by, or maybe pick up some affordable cold beverages at the Airport Superette.

Again, thanks for the report.

SBH used to be our regular vacation destination and learning the road system definitely took some time. I really liked the island back in the day when mini-motes(SP?) were the norm on the roads. Very laid back feeling. Obviously that has changed for the worse.

Wow very real pricey. We still have to make a trip one of these days. Never visited as yet.

Pete,

Sounds great We are on SXM for 9 days and the thought of the ferry to St Barts scares me as if someone get's sea sick it'll screw the day up.

Thank you again for all the details.

The flight is literally 10 minutes, great view, and the scary landing is not scary at all. They a tually said grand case landing can be trickier as the wind blows between the two “mountains” on either side of the runway.

I wouldnt go by boat unless 3-5 foot seas. Ive done almost 12 feet and it sucks and is dangerous.

Watched a few pilots do a go around on that tight runway .Sat on the beach one afternoon ,and lots of planes.Went over on a catamaran once,and once on a friends charter.First thing i noticed was how clean the island was.Might be a little on the pricey side,but well worth it.

It's a LOT cheaper in the summer.

The last time we visited St. Barth's a white wine spritzer and a diet coke cost us $24 USD at the Nikki Beach Bar. Lunch -- nothing fancy -- was another $72. The taxi ride from the cruise port in Gustavia to St. Jean Beach was about a half mile in either direction, and cost $35 each way. I rarely complain about prices, but it's foolish to to spend money like this on St. Barth's when SXM offers so much more without the sickening ferry ride (especially going over) or the harrowing landing at their tiny airport. I'm not criticizing St. Barth's in any way, and if those with ample funds want to pay those kinds of prices let them. I suppose it's worth a one time look for those that are curious, but I'm quite sure we won't be going back any time soon.

What's kind of funny is when I talk to the locals in St. Martin about St. Barth's they smile and say "well, that's the French controlling prices over there so why don't you just stay here with us." And, when I would talk to the locals on St. Barth's they quickly try to point out the crime rate on St. Martin and say "you should come and stay here with us where it is safe!"