In a way, the fashions of St. Barts define the island. There are the long-skirted dresses and starched white bonnets worn by the tradition-bound women of Corossol and the ultra-chic resortwear of the jet-set tourists. There is the St. Barts on which people live – the proud, proper and hard-working – and the St. Barts on which people vacation – the chic and well-to-do.
Sightseeing on petite St. Barts happens three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner times. In the morning, pick up fresh-baked croissants in the capital of Gustavia. At noon, bring a picnic basket and a bottle of wine to one of the island's lovely strands of beach. St. Jean Beach, with its two golden arcs, is a favorite for water-sports enthusiasts. At Anse des Cayes and Anse de Lorient you can watch the fishermen haul in the catch of the day. After dining on roasted duck, escargot or spiny lobster in the evening, stop by Le Select or Bar de l'Oubli for a tropical drink, a game of dominoes and a chance to see those who have come for the same.
HISTORY
Although Columbus noticed St. Barts in 1493, it was French colonists from St. Kitts in the south who colonized it a century and a half later. When the Spanish began to show an interest in the island, the Order of Malta took over and the Spanish backed off. For a short while, the Caribs inhabited St. Barts, but even they left in search of more promising lands. In the late 1600s, a second group of Huguenots arrived to try to establish a foothold. The British were next, with a brief occupation in the mid-1700s. In 1784, St. Barts hung the Swedish flag (the only island in the Caribbean to ever do so). At the close of the 19th century, St. Barths was returned to France. In 1946, it was made a dependency of Guadeloupe, a French region.
DON'T MISS
– Visiting traditional villages Columbier and Corossol, where the women dress as they did in centuries past
– Buying haute couture fashions duty-free
– Picnicking on French wine and cheese to watch the sunset at Public Beach
