St Barts

St Barts is the Caribbean for people who find the Caribbean too casual. This 25-square-kilometre French territory combines tropical beaches with Parisian boutiques, Caribbean warmth with Michelin-quality dining, and island scale with a concentration of wealth that makes Monaco look democratic.

The villa market here is the most expensive in the Caribbean and arguably the most competitive. Christmas and New Year (the "festive season") sees GBP 30,000-100,000+/week for top properties, and these book 12-18 months ahead. The island's 600-metre runway limits access to turboprops and small jets, which functions as a natural filter on visitor type.

Outside festive season, the value proposition changes significantly. March through May, properties that commanded GBP 40,000/week in December drop to GBP 15,000-20,000. The weather is equally good, the restaurants are open, the beaches are emptier, and the overall experience is arguably better. The repeat visitors - and St Barts has the highest repeat-visit rate of any Caribbean island - know this.

The beaches are genuinely diverse despite the island's tiny size. Saline Beach on the south coast offers wild, natural beauty with a hippy-chic beach bar. St Jean Beach is the people-watching epicentre, split by the Eden Rock hotel. Colombier is accessible only by boat or a steep hike and rewards the effort with total seclusion. Gouverneur is the locals' favourite - south-facing, sheltered, and less crowded than the northern beaches. Each has a distinct character, and experienced visitors develop fierce loyalties to their preferred stretch of sand.

The dining scene elevates St Barts above every other Caribbean destination. Bonito above Gustavia harbour serves Japanese-French fusion with a view that makes even seasoned travellers pause. L'Isola on the harbour's edge offers Italian cooking that would hold up in Milan. Maya's serves authentic Creole cuisine in a beach shack setting that belies the quality. And the beach restaurants - Nikki Beach, Le Tamarin, Shell Beach restaurant - serve lunches that become the centrepiece of each day. Reservations at the top restaurants during festive season should be made before you arrive, ideally at the same time as your villa booking.

The shopping is unexpectedly good. As a duty-free French territory, St Barts has no VAT, making luxury goods genuinely cheaper than in Paris. Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Chopard maintain boutiques in Gustavia. The local boutiques - Lolita Jaca, Ligne St Barth, Poupette St Barth - sell island-specific fashion and beauty products that have become status symbols in their own right.