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Taking a walking tour is one of the best things to do in St. Barts if you’re visiting for a day, and you’ll enjoy gorgeous Caribbean views!
The Caribbean island of St. Barts is well known for being a celebrity destination and luxury playground for the rich and famous. There are many amazing things to do in St Barts, from sightseeing to spas to snorkeling.
Even if you’re not one of the ultra-rich, take heart! You can enjoy the million-dollar views just by spending a few hours walking around Gustavia.
The first port of call on our fantastic eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the Crystal Symphony was St. Barts. This cruise covered a lot of great islands, each with their own personality. We loved the French flair of St. Barts and the stunning natural attractions of Dominica.
We were happily surprised with how many things there were to see on our ad-hoc St Barts walking tour. And you can fit them all into 3-4 hours — perfect for a cruise port visit!
Wondering what to do in St Barts for a day? Well, follow me for some great sightseeing in St Barts. Lace up your shoes and let’s go!
Best Things to do in St. Barts
Like many Caribbean islands, St. Barts has changed hands several times over the years.
The nutshell version: France colonized St. Barts, then traded it to Sweden (Gustavia is named for King Gustav III of Sweden), and then later bought it back. It is now an Overseas Collectivity of France (as is neighboring island Saint Martin).
As Francophiles, we really enjoyed overhearing French being spoken as we explored St. Barts.
You’ll find various historical and interpretive signs around Gustavia, written side by side in French, Swedish, and English.
Check out the fun sculpture garden
As you follow along the water’s edge towards the end of the peninsula, you will find the Hôtel de la Collectivité. The Hôtel de la Collectivité is a large building facing the sailboat-filled harbor. Emblazoned across the front of the building are the words “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”.
Here we stumbled across a whimsical statue garden in front of the Hôtel de la Collectivité – -who knew? You’ll want to stop here and take a good look at these quirky statues.
My favorite: the ostrich-as-biplane. Look at that cute aviator’s helmet! Runner up: the triceratops archaeologist, uncovering a Flintstones-style vehicle on the dig.
Continuing on past the Hôtel de la Collectivité, you reach the end of the peninsula and view all the sailboats and yachts in the harbor. Turn around to see the island’s welcome sign: ‘Bienvenue a Saint Barthélemy’.
Bonus: You can find a nice set of public restrooms between the Hôtel de la Collectivité and the Welcome sign. You have to take advantage of those when you’re on a do-it-yourself tour!
Enjoy the million-dollar views from Fort Karl
As you head to the next stop on your walking tour, you will immediately notice that the roads are very steep on St. Barts. Personally, it makes me glad to not be trying to drive on such a steep incline.
Fort Karl itself isn’t the attraction here (as it no longer remains) – it’s the views. (You’ll always find a great viewpoint at a fort site. That’s why they built the fort there – they could see incoming invaders early and protect the island.)
At the end of Rue Victor Schoelcher, you’ll find a set of stairs heading up the hill to the site of the fort. The stairs themselves are worth a look as they contain a lot of inlaid materials—shells, coral, glass, pottery—so they have a mosaic-like quality. (Note: these pretty inclusions can make the stairs a bit slippery after a rain shower.)
As you’re climbing, pause for a moment and turn around to enjoy the view (and catch your breath). There are greens from the foliage and distant hills, blues from the sea and sky, and varying shades of red from the local roof tiles.
Once you get to the top of the stairs, you have an excellent panoramic view of the sea and surrounding islands. There is an interpretive display at ground level that maps out the nearby islands so that you can identify what you are seeing. I was surprised at how close our various port islands were to each other.
Don’t forget to walk to the other side of the site to get a fantastic view overlooking Shell Beach.
Visit Shell Beach
In my opinion, no visit to a Caribbean island is complete without a walk on a beach! So, head back down that set of stairs, hang a right, and it’s just a brief walk to Shell Beach.
Shell Beach is a pretty small beach, but you can still get your toes in the ocean. As the name implies, it is made up of vast quantities of shells. But as you walk along the shoreline, you’ll notice that the beach changes from shell to sand (which is much more comfortable to walk on).
It’s not my style, but you can participate in topless sunbathing on the beaches of St. Barts. Apparently, I was too busy watching where I was walking to notice, but my spouse saw some topless sunbathers at the end of the beach. (Some kind of male radar at work?)
See the stunning views from the Gustavia Lighthouse
To get to the final stop on this scenic walking tour, you need to work your way back through the town. If you like, you can chart a course past one of the churches for an extra check-mark for Gustavia sights. Our path took us past the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.
The weather had changed from intermittent downpours to bright sunshine over the course of our explorations. (Always pack for variable weather — mini umbrellas for rain, and hats and sunscreen for sun. )
Just like with forts, lighthouses double as great viewpoints (that’s their job – to see and be seen). The Gustavia lighthouse shares its location with the remains of Fort Gustav. You can explore the site and view the ruins of the fort. Some cannons remain as a remembrance of its military past.
After climbing up the path towards the lighthouse, we were happy to discover some conveniently placed benches. The refreshing breezes cooled us off while we enjoyed the gorgeous views.
Looking out to sea, you have fantastic views of the sunlight sparkling off the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, with sailboats and yachts (and one yellow submarine) dotting the waters. Turn the other direction, and you have equally stunning views of Gustavia, the harbor, and all the places you’ve been on this walking tour!
St. Barts FAQ
The Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy is commonly called St. Barts or St. Barths.
The official language in St. Barts is French. However English is very widely spoken due to the English-speaking tourists.
The official currency in St. Barts is the euro. The US Dollar is widely accepted in St. Barts.
It’s easy to explore the port city of Gustavia to see many of the highlights of St. Barts. Taking a walking tour is one of the best things to do on St. Barts. What a gorgeous island!
I hope I’ve inspired you to lace up your shoes and explore this beautiful port!
You may also enjoy these posts on my favorite winter cruise port destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean:
- The Best Cabo San Lucas Tours
- Best Cabo San Lucas Camel Ride Review
- Best Things to Do in Puerto Vallarta: A Fun DIY Walking Tour
- 38 Fun and Easy Things to Do in Mazatlán
- Top Things to Do in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 7 Best Dominica Tours and Shore Excursions
Lisa Garrett
Lisa Garrett is the founder of Waves and Cobblestones. She has taken 21 cruises ranging from a multi-generational Caribbean cruise to solo Alaska cruises to fabulous Mediterranean cruises.
She lived in Ireland for 4 months and has taken over a half-dozen multi-city vacations in Europe (primarily relying on train and public transit). Lisa helps people plan amazing vacations to Europe and popular cruise destinations.
Learn more about Lisa!