St Barts
A small French island with a very short runway.
Country
France (Caribbean)
Best Months
December, January, February, March, April
Best For
Couples, Groups, Entertaining, New Year celebrations
St Barts is a French overseas collectivity of about 25 square kilometres, which is small enough to drive around in an afternoon and does most of its business in French and euros.
The character is French rather than Caribbean: bakeries, boutiques and a food culture that is closer to the Mediterranean than to the rest of the region. Beaches are small, numerous and mostly uncrowded outside the festive weeks.
Getting there is the friction. The runway at Gustaf III is famously short, aircraft are small, and most people connect through St Martin. That filter is a large part of why the island feels the way it does.
St Barts
Highlights
French in language, food and habit
Small beaches, and a lot of them
Arrival is by light aircraft or ferry from St Martin
Driveable end to end in an afternoon
Late spring is quiet and still dry
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Things to do in St Barts
Prices, durations and ratings are Viator's, shown as Viator published them on 2026-08-25. They change. Booking goes to Viator, not to us, and we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Getting There
St Barts has no direct long-haul flights. Access is via St Maarten (SXM), a 10-minute puddle-jumper flight or 45-minute ferry. St Maarten receives direct flights from New York (JFK), Miami, Paris, and Amsterdam. Private jet passengers typically clear customs in St Maarten and transfer by small aircraft. The short runway (650m) is famous and limits aircraft to turboprops and specific small jet types.
Insider Tip
Book the connecting flight before anything else. The island's capacity is limited by the runway, not by the beds.
FAQ
St Barts questions
How do you get to St Barts?
By light aircraft into Gustaf III, whose runway is famously short, or by ferry from St Martin. Most people connect through St Martin. That filter is a large part of why the island feels the way it does.
Is St Barts French or Caribbean?
Legally French, and culturally more French than most of the region: the language, the bakeries, the food and the shops all point back to France. The setting is Caribbean and the habits are not.
How big is St Barts?
About 25 square kilometres, which is small enough to drive around in an afternoon. The beaches are numerous and small rather than long, which is why the island absorbs people better than its size suggests.