St. Barts Things To Do

Tiptoe gracefully around Gustavia’s perfect harbor for views of the water and the fishing dinghies that bob like toy boats alongside leviathan yachts. The waterfront decks of the dozens of restaurants here offer wonderful vantage points for people- and yacht-watching.

On the far “La Pointe” side of the Gustavia harbor, a beautifully restored Swedish stone building houses these two museums.  The various displays range from photos to costumes to artifacts, all of which depict island history from the indigenous Arawak indians through to the colonial tugs-of-war between the Swedes and the French.

While some original fortification artifacts remain at this 17^th-century fort, easily recognizable by the red-and-white lighthouse added in 1961, most people come for the stellar harbor views. An orientation table identifies the highlights of Gustavia and the neighboring islands.

There’s fine snorkeling west of the Eden Rock promontory on Baie de St-Jean – strap on some goggles and a mouthpiece and head out to see Elkhorn coral, barrel sponges, sea fans, angelfish, and (obviously) lobster.

Grand Cul de Sac, with its shallow, calm waters and plentiful water-sports concessions is one of the best places on the island for windsurfing.

Ingenú Magras, the president of the acclaimed French organization, the National Society for Rescue at Sea, has his hobby-obsession on display here.  An incredible collection of more than 9,000 seashells (1,600 species from the Caribbean basin), as well as sand samples from around the globe, have been painstakingly amassed.