Elite Vacations - Why Do The Rich & Famous Go To St Barths?

Saint Barthelemy - the French-speaking Caribbean island known as St Barts - is renowned the world over as the vacation destination of choice for A-list celebrities, royal families, and super-rich tycoons. While it’s not uncommon to see well-known faces lapping up the sweet sunshine in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, or the Bahamas, St Barts offers something a little different.

Most celebrities look to escape the ever-watching public eye by opting for an ultra-private destination, hence going to the Caribbean’s remote cays and private islands. St Barts, however, is a place to see and be seen, where the world’s glitterati feel comfortable enough to relax, let their hair down, and party like us regular mortals.

St Barts is truly the Caribbean playground for the rich and famous. If you want to get a snapshot of the archetype of travelers who visit, you only have to take a look at the marina in the island’s capital, Gustavia. It’s a hotspot for the world’s largest and most expensive superyachts, with dozens coming into the port every year.

In fact, St Barts is the go-to place for billionaires who want to party. New Year’s Eve in St Barts is one of the most exciting social events in the superyacht calendar, with the waters in Gustavia’s harbor often becoming a showdown of the world’s most impressive vessels. For those who truly love to sail, St Barts is considered to have some of the best sailing conditions on the planet.

So what makes the world’s rich and famous flock to St Barts for a vacation? Simply put, it’s a level of exclusivity not found in many other urban areas. The island is less than ten square miles in total, with a population of just 9,691 inhabitants (from the 2017 census). The pre-Covid statistics show the island receives just 200,000 visitors per year and is considered to be one of the most expensive islands in the Caribbean.

With that said, those who do visit St Barts are often more accustomed to being in the company of famous people and wealthy business owners. It’s this level of exclusivity that has made St Barts the destination of choice for the world’s elite. Seeing famous faces in St Barts is a part of everyday life, it’s not uncommon, and so, there isn’t the kind of star-struck fandom that you find in other parts of the world. Here, everyone is on a similar level and so treat each other with the respectful distance they also wish to be treated with.

Yes, St Barts is celeb-friendly, but that’s not the complete story. It also has everything one could imagine for a dream vacation in the Caribbean. Like many of the other islands in the Caribbean, St Barts has beautiful white-sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise seawater. There are 22 beaches around the island, with many barely hosting anything that looks like mass tourism. In fact, the beaches usually have small numbers of people on them, even during high-season.

Beyond the beaches, St Barts is vastly different from other Caribbean islands. The culture in Gustavia centers around open-air cafes, fine-dining restaurants, and designer boutiques. St Barts has duty-free status, meaning luxury products can be significantly cheaper than their price back home. Here you’ll find Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabbana, and Prada to name a few, among local stores and designers offering unique items.

St Barts hosts some of the most impressive real estate in the Caribbean, with a stunning collection of ultra-luxurious private villas and five-star resorts that are tailored for elite travelers. The island has an impressive number of world-class spas and at night it truly comes to life with beach parties, lively bars, and exclusive nightclubs.

Are you interested in taking a vacation in St Barts? Let me tell you, it would not be a mistake. It’s one of the most stunning and safe places to visit in the world. If you would like more information on St Barts as a tourist destination or to discover the range of luxury villas and resorts on the island, feel free to reach out to EliteLyfe when it’s convenient.