St. Barth Beaches Near the Cruise Port

Shell Beach; credit David Stanley, Wikimedia Creative Commons license

St. Barth has at least 16 named beaches. All are public and free, but they are rarely crowded. All the better to enjoy their beauty.

St. Barth or St. Barthelemy is a tiny cruise port and exclusive villa vacation destination in the eastern Caribbean near St. Maarten island.

Cruise ships that visit St. Barth are small themselves. Visitors from the major cruise lines usually visit St. Barth for the day on shore excursions from St. Maarten.

St. Maarten visitors should note that nearby Anguilla arguably has more and better beaches than St. Maarten or St. Barth. So they may have other reasons to take a day trip to St. Barth.

Note that topless bathing on St. Barth is not uncommon.

Beaches Near the Cruise Port

The island is one of the few islands in the Caribbean that has a beach within a quick walk from the cruise port. Shell Beach is not surprisingly known for its shells.

The beach is less than half a mile south of Gustatavia past Fort Karl, which means that visitors can see both in the same walk.

The only other beach near the cruise port is Corossol, but it is nearly two miles north of Gustavia. It has brown sand and is known for the fishing boats that take advantage of the sheltering arms of the bay around it.

Other St. Barth Beaches

St. Jean is one of the busiest beaches on St. Barth. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

Other beaches and their features include:

Anse des Cayes - coral rocks and popular with surfers.

Beach in Public - Yes, it really is named Beach in Public. It is part of an industrial zone, but it also is the location of St. Barth’s sailing school, which takes advantage of its calm waters.

Colombier - accessible only by boat or hiking with some of the best views on the island.

Flamands - the largest beach on the island, fine-grain sand and calm waters.

Gouverneur - white sands, tourquise water and a legend that pirates buried their treasure here. Don’t forget to bring a shovel.

Grand Cul de Sac - a shallow lagoon with clear aqua water and the best beach for water sports.

Grand Fon—great for contemplative walks because of the rock formations, which also make it difficult for swimming.

Lorient - a good beach for families because of reefs that provide calm waters.

Marigot - another beach protected by a bay and noteworthy because of its coconut grove.

Petite Anse - protected by a bay and popular with families for its shallow water and soft white sand.

Petit Cul de Sac - a narrow beach ideal for family picnics.

Saline - second largest on the island, but fairly quiet.

St. Jean - one of the busiest on the island, good for windsurfing and snorkeling.

Toiny - another popular surfing spot where swimming is discouraged because of strong currents.