St Barthélemy / Beach bars

As you would expect, the beach bars in St Barths are a little special, not at all the rustic shacks that suit the Caribbean elsewhere. Instead they stylish and hip. Some people dress up to go to them rather than dress down. There may even be lunchtime fashion shows to keep you entertained. Mostly they are actually restaurants, so you can linger over a meal and a couple of bottles of white wine before heading off for more sun drenched inactivity on the sand. Beach bars on St Barths include:

Sand Bar (at Eden Rock), St Jean Beach - Delightful restaurant under canvas cover on St Jean beach right next to the rock. Elegant setting, light but fine fare.

Nikki Beach, St Jean Beach - Incredibly stylish stopover, of Miami Beach and St Tropez fame. White walls, muslin drapes and lots of cushions offset by hefty, low Oriental furniture, giving onto the white sand of St Jean beach.

Do Brasil, Shell Beach - Cool daytime hangout just outside Gustavia.

Plage, St Jean - Set at the heart of St Jean beach a brightly painted bar on a fine stretch of sand. Low-key by the standards of St Barths, waterports, easy music and simple fare.

O'Corail, Grand Cul de Sac - Simple setting on the sand, looking out onto the shallow water and waves breaking on the distant reef of Grand Cul de Sac. Creole food and cocktails.