St. Barts: Party Over Here! Caribbean Travel

My flight ended up uneventful. I deplaned, and what I saw took my breath away. The terminal at the Juliana Airport looked like an oversized Hansel and Gretal cottage, painted mint green with white trim, complete with a back drop of picturesque mountains. It only took that moment, and I knew what my friend had meant... I fell instantly in love with St. Barts.

I grabbed my bags and headed to my rental car. The cars on the island are small to fit on the windy and narrow two lane roads. Maneuvering on these roads is an adventure in itself. There are other options for rent such as motorcycles and mopeds, and two seated cars called Smarts, which are an efficient way to get around the island.

If you like partying, the two-week period starting just before Christmas through the New Year is the busiest and best time for partying in St. Barts. The climate hovers around 80 degrees and the whole island turns into one big party. The island attracts mega moguls and celebrities during this time, converging on private airplanes and yachts, helping to sell out the island.

There are only so many accommodations an eight mile island can develop, and space is limited. Hotels increase their prices ten fold. An average two star accommodation can run upwards of $500 to $700 per night and a two week minimum stay is required. Whether you choose to stay two days, ten days or the whole two weeks... you pay for two weeks. No exceptions.

There is an alternative to these over priced hotels. There are more than 200 villas available from agencies such as Sibarth, and the Marla Agency. If you are planning to travel during this peak time, then booking the villa of choice the January before is highly suggested. A modest two bedroom villa, can rent anywhere from $8,000 to $12,000 per week, again with that minimum required two week booking.