St. Barth: The Recap

Mrs. RCS and I recently took a trip to St. Barth for our annual Sans-Kid Vacation Celebration.  We are absolutely blessed that there was an opening at Camp Grandparents for that long weekend so we could get away.  We were scheduled to go down last year but ended up postponing to May ’23 due to scheduling.

Getting there is pretty easy.  You book a flight to St. Martin (SXM), then head over to St. Barth.  Two options here: either book a puddle jumper to SBH, or take the ferry.  We got the best of both worlds: we flew over to St. Barth, which included the famous nose-down descent to the SBH runway, and took the ferry back. Both were fine, but in the future, we agreed we’d take the boat both ways.  It’s a 45-minute ride vs. a 15-minute flight, but the scenery is much better.

Renting a car on the island is an absolute must.  We rented a Moke, which was perfect.  Working with the rental company, they met us at the airport and handed us the keys.  There isn’t a lot like we have here in America, it’s very hands-on.  We threw our bags in the back and headed to our vacation home.

We stayed at a very special place that I’m not allowed to disclose.

In terms of places to stay, I’d recommend finding a place with a pool.  Whether it’s a resort, a house, or an Airbnb, a pool is a must.

Food: Our place had a small kitchen, so we stocked it with the necessities for our 5-day stay (including a lot of wine and a case of Heineken…and a TON of water).  Mrs. RCS did a great job of getting dinner reservations every night.  We hit all the good spots: Bagatelle, La Petite Plage, and Bonito.  All were fantastic, but Bonito stood out with the best food (and view!).  Breakfast generally consisted of a quick drive down the hill for coffee and some sort of French bakery concoction, followed by a lazy hour or so by the pool.  Lunches were great: we did a burger at Le Select – the original ‘cheeseburger in paradise’, JoJos, and a bakery for insanely good baguettes.

St. Barth practices a siesta, where most of the towns shut down from one to four PM.  Eden Rock and Nikky Beach are lively during the afternoons…we stopped by but didn’t partake.  We opted for the ‘tired parents recharge trip’ option.

We did a lot of exploring, using the scattered beaches as points of interest.  There are only a few beaches on the island, and none are expansive.  They are all small, secluded, beautiful, and very European.  Nudity/extremely small swimsuits are everywhere, but it’s not that big of a deal. Our favorite beach was Gouverneur.  It is a slice of perfection.

Our afternoons generally consisted of naps, lounging by the pool, or reading.  Our dinner reservations were around seven each night, so we’d be ready to leave by about five, with the intent to get a drink(s) before dinner.  Our favorite was Villa Marie, a resort near our place.  Their bar and living room were perfect – we’d each have a drink and play backgammon.  We did this a couple of nights…our own little date before the date.

After dinner we would walk around the harbor, taking in the yachts and looking for gelato.  Afterward, we’d head home and share a bottle of wine at our place to wind down the night.  Overall, the vacation and the location were perfect.  We will go back, as a couple, with another couple (sans kids), or with kids.  We found plenty of places that would be good for any variety of trips.  I loved it down there.

Some general St. Barth observations:

• Generally speaking, St. Barth has a very laissez-faire attitude. No side eyes.  Everyone goes at their own pace, does their own thing, and generally leaves everyone alone.
• Lounging is the official pastime of the island.
• French is the preferred language on the island.  You’ll survive with English, but it’s not a bad idea to brush up on some walking around French.
• The servers/waiters/etc. prefer cash tips.  Pack accordingly.  Additionally, the servers and service employees are all extremely friendly and extremely good-looking.
• The bars and restaurants provide heavy pours.  Tip accordingly.
• In terms of lunch and dinner, there are two seatings for each: early and late.  Early = tame, Late = the opposite.
• In terms of driving, the roads are easy to navigate.  Driving at night can get a little dicey, but just be careful and be aware.  Taxis are tough to find, so keep that in mind.
• Everyone smokes.  No one cares.

Women’s Style (from Mrs. RCS):

• European style.  Dresses, flowy skirts, etc.  Casual chic – especially for the early seatings.  Party dresses for the later dinner seatings.
• No jeans.  Instead, opt for linen pants.
• Very little jewelry
• Very skimpy/thong swimsuits are the norm.  Big bottoms actually stick out.
• It’s always breezy, so the beachy/wavy hair pulled up was a go-to.

Men’s Style:

• A tailored, European vibe.  No OTR Vineyard Vines/logos/etc and croakies.  This ain’t Seaside.
• Dressy casual.  Nothing over the top.  No socks and no sports coats.
• Guys aren’t flashy.  G-Shocks/Swatches are the norms (vs. Rolex/APs)
• No jeans
• Solids, not stripes
• Short shorts.
• Not a lot of flip-flops. Drivers, loafers, etc. are the footwear norm.
• Sunglasses everywhere.

That should cover most of it.  Here is the photo dump with some details:

Our ride:

One of the bakeries we’d frequent for breakfast.  Everything is good.  Literally everything.

Gouverneur Beach, our favorite.  It featured a nice parking lot and easy access.  Plenty of secluded spots to lounge and enjoy the views.  There are no chairs/etc, so bring a towel and a bottle of wine/water.

Jojo’s had a great burger.  Highly recommend for lunch.

Villa Marie was a great find.  This would be a great place to come back as a couple or to bring the kiddos.  We utilized the bar and their living room for a couple of pre-date dates.  The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating.

Driving around the island…

Me trying to convince Mrs. RCS that we should skip our fancy dinner reservations and head to Le Select for Planter’s Punch and live reggae music.  I lost, but we did head back for lunch the next day.

Mrs. RCS at Maison Pelican.  Probably the coolest store in our hemisphere.  Dedicated post forthcoming.

Eden Rock.

Prints from St. Barths Art Prints:

…and exhale.