Visit St. Barths by yacht

Johan Maier

St. Barths is an exclusive yet easily accessible sailing destination with clear rules, limited port facilities and plenty to see and do on land. This guide shows you how to anchor safely, clear customs correctly and what’s really worth seeing once you’re there. It’s the perfect compact overview for your stopover in Gustavia.

Anchorage:
Before reaching Gustavia, you must report in on Channel 12. There is a large buoyed entrance where anchoring is prohibited. To the south-east of the entrance is a buoy field where many boats lie close together and some also anchor.
If it is too crowded there and there is no swell from the south-east, you can also anchor just outside the area. Take care not to go too shallow – there is a reef with poor holding just beyond. A safe anchorage is at a water depth of around 8 m on sand, where the anchor holds reliably.

Clearance:
Check-in and check-out take place at the Capitainerie in Gustavia. You can moor directly with the dinghy. The dinghy dock on the right-hand side of the harbour (after the superyachts) is intended for longer stays, but is often full. Alternatively, there is a larger dinghy dock on the right-hand or southern side of the harbour.
Clearance is carried out on site at a computer and must be entered manually. Online registration is not possible for charter boats, as login details (e.g. from DYC) are missing. Private boats can register in advance via “Port de Gustavia Clearance”.
The staff are friendly, but the process can take a while. If possible, use a computer with a QWERTY keyboard, not a French layout. For stays of up to 48 hours, you can sometimes clear out again straight after clearing in.
Four days in St. Barths cost around €121 for a 45-foot catamaran with 9 people.

Infrastructure:
There is no traditional supermarket right in the harbour, just two very expensive gourmet mini-markets. For larger shopping trips, we recommend the AMC Supermarket on the hill or the Super U near the airport – best reached by taxi.
There are toilets at the Capitainerie, but practically no showers.
You can do your laundry at the Green Laundrette: around €10 per wash plus €7 for drying. It works reliably, and detergent is dispensed automatically.

Taxi / Car / Scooter:
Transport on the island is expensive. Car hire, scooters and taxis are all quite pricey. Scooters are usually only hired with high deposits (approx. €1000–1200), and there are mixed experiences regarding refunds.
Taxis are not always reliably on time. Alternatively, there are also water taxis or RIBs that can take you to Nikki Beach, for example.

Restaurants & Bars:
A good bar tip is Le Select – relaxed, unpretentious and centrally located.
For a restaurant, Le Repaire is recommended: very good food, mid-range prices for the island; booking is advisable.

Shopping:
St. Barths is clearly geared towards luxury. Almost all the well-known luxury boutiques are here, whilst more affordable shopping is scarce. Nevertheless, it’s fun to stroll through the shopping streets in Gustavia – the atmosphere is lively and well worth a visit.
Spare parts and boat accessories can also be found in Gustavia.

Airfield & Lighthouse:
From the harbour, you can take a lovely short walk to the lighthouse and on to the airfield – ideal before dinner. It’s best to walk past the lighthouse up the road to the viewing platform. From there, the small propeller planes fly very close overhead as they come in to land.

Alternatively, you can position yourself near the roundabout and watch the planes fly directly overhead.
On the way back, it’s worth stopping for a sundowner at the lighthouse with a view over Gustavia. It’s best to bring your own drinks. There are tortoises in the area – watch your step.

Nikki Beach:
You can also visit Nikki Beach if you like. It’s a very well-known, stylish and well-designed spot, though it’s also quite pricey – both for transport and for food and drinks.

I hope this helps with your planning and I wish you lots of fun in St. Barths.