Best Five Beach Destination on St. Barths

For a small island, St. Barths has a wide variety of beaches, all of which are open to the public and all of which are lined with beautiful white sand. Here you'll find the typical Caribbean resort beaches with their hotels, restaurants and watersports centers, but also some hidden strands inhabited mostly by locals -- or nobody at all. St. Barths also is one of the Caribbean's most popular destinations for topless and nude sunbathing, so even if you're not prepared to show it all, be prepared to see it all.

Shell Beach

Shell Beach is unique on St. Barths because it's the only major beach located "in town," in this case in the heart of the capital city of Gustavia. The beach has calm waters and is a welcome respite after a day spent in the shops and boutiques in town. For a little adventure, there's the opportunity to do some cliff-diving, and the Do Brazil restaurant -- co-owned by tennis legend Yannick Noah -- offers reasonably priced (for St. Barths, anyway) lunch, dinner, and cocktails by the sea.

St Jean Beach

This is the most popular beach in St. Barths, thanks to its convenient location and plethora of beachfront hotels, restaurants, and other activities. Like all of St. Barths' beaches it has white sand, and the calm waters make for good snorkeling. The Eden Rock resort, built on a rocky prominence, splits the beach in two. Lay back and watch the occasional plane take off and land at the island's nearby airport.

Flamands Beach

IF you like to bodysurf or boogie-board, Flamands Beach is a great choice because of its rolling (but rarely hazardous) surf. The Hotel Ile de France and La Langouste restaurant are located on Flamands, which is one of the largest beaches on St. Barths and offers plenty of shady palm trees.

Gouveneur Beach

The beach at Gouveneur Bay has brilliant cobalt waters that are ideal for snorkeling or swimming, a fine stretch of white sand, and relatively few visitors. The beach has great views of Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Kitts, and is another popular spot for nude sunbathing.

Saline Beach

The path leading to Saline Beach is short but can be a bit tricky; however, it is well worthwhile especially if you enjoy nude sunbathing (head to the left of the path for the unofficial naturist section of the beach). There's no services or shade on the beach, however, so even if you leave your swimsuit at home be sure to bring your own food, drinks, umbrellas and chairs. Windier and a bit rougher than some other St. Barths beaches, so be careful if you swim on this unprotected beach.