Saint-Barthélemy

St. Barths' runway is just 650 metres long, approached over a hill and ending at a beach, which rules out anything larger than small commuter aircraft and requires pilots to hold a specific certification before airlines let them fly the route. That's why almost no one arrives directly: the standard route is a flight to St. Martin's Princess Juliana or Grand Case airport, then a short connecting hop on Winair, St. Barth Commuter or Tradewind Aviation — or a ferry across the same channel for travellers who'd rather skip the small-plane approach entirely.

As a French overseas collectivity rather than a full department, Saint-Barthélemy sets its own fiscal rules and has chosen not to apply French VAT — which is why Gustavia's harbourfront boutiques can genuinely undercut equivalent stores in mainland France on goods like watches, jewellery and spirits, even though the island's day-to-day cost of living runs high. The practical effect shows up specifically on luxury goods with high tax rates elsewhere; everyday groceries and services don't see the same discount, since most of what's sold locally is imported and priced accordingly.

French law makes the entire coastline public property, so no hotel or villa can fence off a beach for guests only — beach clubs charge for a lounger, an umbrella or table service, not for access to the sand itself, and anyone can walk onto St. Jean or Gouverneur without paying. That rule is also why the island has 22 named beaches rather than a handful of resort-controlled strips: smaller, harder-to-reach coves like Colombier, accessible only by boat or a coastal hike, stayed undeveloped precisely because no single property could claim them.

Hurricane Irma struck St. Barths directly in September 2017, causing severe damage across the island's buildings and infrastructure. The rebuild that followed reinforced construction against existing height and density limits rather than loosening them, which is part of why the island still has no high-rise hotels — building codes here were already strict before Irma and stayed that way afterward. Hurricane season runs June through November, with the highest risk in August-October, which is why most high-season villa bookings and events cluster in the December-April window instead.

The St. Barths Bucket, held each March, is a regatta specifically for large classic and modern sailing superyachts racing each other around the island rather than a general boat show — entry is by invitation through the organising club, and the boats that compete are themselves part of what draws spectator crowds to the harbourfront that week. Gustavia's harbour is small and shallow by superyacht standards, which is why most competing vessels anchor offshore and tender guests in rather than dock directly, and why mooring space is booked out well before the event each year.