 Activities
Books & Guides
Beaches
Calendar of Events
 Events
Car Rental
Food & Drink 
Dining Reviews
Hotels & Resorts
Hotel News
Special Offers
Reviews
Virtual Tours
Hotel Map
Local Stuff
Maps of St. Barts
Hotel Map
Satellite Map
News
Real Estate
Shopping & Art
Shopping News
Transportation
Travel Forum
Video
Villa Rentals
Wimco Villas
Villa News
Villa Reviews
|
 Welcome to the Saint Barthélemy travel & news blog. On this site you'll find an extensive and up to date guide to the island (links on the left), as well as news from and about St. Barts from Candee Duensing of "St. Barth News Bytes". You can read the articles and leave comments, and you can also ask and answer questions on our St. Bart's forum. Saint Barthélemy is a serene and special island that will remind visitors more of the south of France than the Caribbean. This tiny island has 22 beautiful beaches, as well as some of the finest accommodations (hotels and private villas) and dining in the region. The island is known for the famous faces it attracts every winter as celebrities from around the world flee the cold on this magical tropical paradise.
|
|  |
|
 The second edition of the St. Barth Cata Cup will take place November 20, 21 and 22 on the beach in St Jean. Organized by the Association of Saint-Barth Multihulls and the Nautical Center of Saint-Barth, the race is open to catamarans for sport and has already reached its limit of 35 crews. Three days of regattas and events are planned at La Plage restaurant and on the beach. The boats will depart at 9:30 am on Friday, November 20; at 9:30 am on Saturday, November 21; and at 10:00 on Sunday, November 21.
Saturday's events include a wind-surfing exhibition by the members of CNSB at 3:00 pm and salsa music by the group San Juan-Habana following an 8:00 pm dinner at La Plage. At 2:00 on Sunday, there will be an exhibition of Optimist sailboats by young members of the St Barth Yacht Club, followed by an awards ceremony at 4:00 pm for the wind-surfers and the Optimist sailors.
The three-day event will conclude with an awards ceremony for the Cata Cup racers and music by San Juan-Habana. For more information, visit www.stbarthcatacup.com.
 Villa Kermao This wonderful 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom hillside villa with both indoor and outdoor living exudes charm. Enjoy picturesque views while sitting on the outdoor covered veranda which has steps leading down to the deck and half-moon shaped pool. Three of the bedrooms with ensuite baths are just off of the indoor living and dining areas making this a great house for couples or families. In addition, there is a separate new bungalow with a king bed, ensuite bath, kitchenette and nice view. For those who prefer more privacy, this new bedroom can be selected as the second or third bedroom at the next tier of pricing. (ie: IF USING BUNGALOW AS THE SECOND BEDROOM YOU WILL PAY THE THREE BEDROOM PRICE ETC.) One car is included in value season.
 Le Sereno, a 37-suite luxury hotel on the beach in Grand Cul de Sac, has just added three ultra-luxury villas. Designed by Parisian designer Christian Liaigre, the four-bedroom villas can be shared by several couples or families. Both levels have spacious patios, with a private pool on the top level. The main living area has glass walls that overlook the sea and flows into the dining area and a contemporary kitchen, all of which open onto the pool and deck. For more information, visit their web site at www.lesereno.com.
During Halloween vacation, ASCCO in Lorient is organizing beginning Flamenco lessons for adults, adolescents and children. The classes will take place from October 24 to October 29 with Elisabeth Ruiz, a professor of Flamenco at Toulouse. A dance performance is planned for Friday, October 30 on the quay in Gustavia. For more information or to sign up, call 590 690 61 14 03.
If you've been keeping up with the news, you know that Le Select is celebrating its 60th anniversary November 6-8 this fall. And that Jimmy Buffet and his Coral Reefer band will be giving a free concert on the quay on November 7. Word is that hotels and villas are already pretty well booked. But, the Great Bay Express ferry that runs between St Maarten and St Barth has scheduled a special round-trip voyage for that evening for 80 euros. The boat will leave Philipsburg at 6:30 pm and arrive in St Barth 45 minutes later. It will depart Gustavia at 11:30 pm and arrive in Philipsburg at 12:15 a.m. Also, on Monday, November 9, Marius Stakelborough, the founder and owner of Le Select and the real reason for the big celebration, is inviting everyone to visit a small museum that he started to record the history of his life on the island and how things have changed. And have they ever! From a time of no electricity, no running water, no cars, no TVs, no Hermes and Gucci to a highly developed oasis with a plethora of excellent hotels and restaurants, designer boutiques, mini-Coopers and a harbor full of yachts!
November 6-8, 2009
Le Select celebrates its 60th anniversary
November 20-22, 2009
St Barth Catacup, St Jean beach
January 12-20, 2010
St Barth Music Festival - schedule to come
March 26-28, 2010
St Barth Bucket 2010
 When you're in Gustavia, you can't miss the huge anchor near the end of the harbor. Several months ago, hurricane Omar visited St Barth and the resulting high seas and winds destroyed the boardwalk along the harbor and weakened the stability of the anchor. Now that the replacement of the boardwalk is drawing to a close, the Collectivity will turn its attention to stabilizing this 10-ton anchor.
You may well wonder about the origins and history of this anchor. In 1981, a tugboat was towing a barge from St Thomas to St Barth when the tugboat's rope caught on something at the entry to the harbor. Mr. Romon Beal dived overboard, wearing goggles, and found a great length of rusted chain that was connected to this immense anchor. Apparently, the tugboat somehow latched onto the anchor in St Thomas and had towed it all the way to St Barth. Researching the inscription "Liverpool... Wood... London" with the British Ministry of the Navy, Mr. Beal learned that this model of anchor was used during the years 1700 to 1825 and may have belonged to a man-of-war. How interesting that its final resting place is on the small island of St Barth.
The Soualiga Challenge is a kayak race between St Barth and St Martin that is organized by the Federation of Canoes of the Dutch West Indies. It is part of the Surfski.info World Series, the third event of the Caribbean Ocean Racing Cup 2009 and part of the Caribbean Mini Tour 2009. This year, the kayakers will depart from the port of Gustavia on Sunday, October 4 at 9:15 am. Thirty crews have already registered and represent world-class kayakers from Australia, the United States, Spain, Italy, France, South Africa, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Maarten and St Martin. Benoit Leroux from France will be defending his title from 2008. The channel between St Barth and St Martin is 25 km and normally experiences winds of 15 knots and swells of 1.5 meters. For more information or to register, you can send an email to thebrowns@domaccess.com or call 590 590 87 74 68.
UPDATE: Oops, this event has already taken place...updates about results to come!
Not surprisingly, tourism during the first half of 2009 is down 17.7 % from the first half of 2008, which was down from 2007. As fewer people are traveling and the dollar falls against the euro, we could certainly expect this. However, the high season will be underway soon, and I expect St Barth will be as lively as ever. Especially with the upcoming 60th anniversary celebration of Le Select November 6-8 and a concert by Jimmy Buffet - not to mention live music by several other excellent local bands. Maybe that weekend alone will make up for the decline earlier this year!
 It seems that St Barth is always improving the island's infrastructure. One of the lastest projects is the construction of a hospital for the dependent elderly (EPHAD). The first phase of clearing the land has begun and will continue through December. The construction site is adjacent to the existing Hospital de Bruyn in Gustavia and will be directly connected to the building. Thirty beds will be available, including a few rooms for couples and three or four beds for patients with Alzheimer's. The hospital will also include community services, such as a hairdresser, a kitchen where families can prepare food for holidays and other special occasions and a dining room with projection facilities. The projected cost of the hospital, which is expected to be completed in three years, is 5.5 million euros, 2.1 million which will come from France and the remaining 3.4 million from the Collectivity.
 The Normandie Hotel in Lorient is one of the island's oldest hotels and has been totally renovated. Guest rooms are in two separate buildings that are connected by a large deck of gorgeous Brazilian wood that surrounds the pool area. Amenities include WiFi, flat-screen plasma TVs with French and US channels, telephones, air-conditioning, refrigerators in all rooms and bathrobes. Room prices include a Continental breakfast and complimentary wine in the afternoon. Prices vary depending on the season but range from 90 euros to 165 euros. The hotel is a mere two-minute walk from tranquil and beautiful Lorient beach and is in walking distance of several restaurants, small grocery stores and a wonderful bakery. For more information and to make reservations, visit their web site at http://www.normandiehotelstbarts.com.
 Located in Pointe Milou at the edge of the sea, the 4-star Hotel Christopher will reopen in November 2009. The hotel was closed for a couple of years during which it refurbished its 41 rooms and two restaurants. The hotel offers luxury accommodations at an affordable price. The poolside Mango Bar is open from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm, and the restaurant is open from noon until 2:30 pm. The hotel offers 10 poolside rooms, 24 ocean view rooms, four deluxe ocean view rooms, one ocean view junior suite, one "Aloes" Suite, and one panoramic suite. For more information and to make reservations, visit their web site at www.hotelchristopher.com.
 Several months ago, Veronique Vander Noot, an artist in St Barth, proposed making signs from ceramic tiles for each of the beaches on St Barth to reflect the natural beauty of each beach and to provide information for tourists. The Collectivity accepted the proposal and financed the project. A total of 16 signs are now in place. Each sign portrays the view seen from the beach and also encompasses an element that defines that particular beach.
 Fleur de Lune offers traditional-style cottages and guest rooms in a charming setting about a 10-minute walk from the popular and beautiful beach of Saline. Fleur de Lune has a covered terrace that serves as a common area, providing a dining table for up to 12 guests, a living area, a small library and a home cinema with a plasma screen. Guests are invited to use the fully equipped kitchen to prepare meals, if desired; Creole cuisine is also available. The 15' x 9' swimming pool is located between the cottage and the common area. The "Case" is an independent St Barth bungalow that contains a king-size bed and two single beds, flat-screen TV, DVD player, iPod station, WIFI, a kitchenette, refrigerator, air-conditioning in the bedrooms, hair dryer, bathrobes and beach towels. Cottages and guest rooms start at 110 euros, including breakfast, round-trip transportation from the airport or harbor and daily housekeeping. For more information, visit www.saintbarthgitefleurdelune.com, email them at stbarth.prestigeservices@gmail.com, or call them at 05 90 27 70 57.
 The Wall House, which is a very successful and popular restaurant on La Pointe in Gustavia across the street from the harbor, has undergone a change in ownership. The previous owner, Franck Mathevet, is moving to Montreal in November to spend some time with his son. He has sold his share of the restaurant to his colleague since 2006, Bernard Tatin. M. Tatin has hired a young chef from France, but several of the current chefs and waiters plan on staying also. M. Mathevet has graciously shared his recipes for some of the most popular dishes with M. Tatin. But, M. Mathevet's departure from the island will be brief. He and his wife will be returning in April and plan to open a new business. No indication at the moment as to what that new business will be, but one might logically think that he'll be opening a new restaurant.
|
St. Martin - St. Barts Map by IGN
$19.95
|
