Saint-Barthélemy (also known as St. Barth) is an island in the Caribbean
and since February 2007 a French local authority that previously
belonged to Guadeloupe.
Over the last few years, the island has
developed into a very expensive, insider tip for tourists in the
Caribbean. The international jet set and many artists are regularly
found there, some of whom even own a villa there. The hotels and
restaurants are correspondingly expensive. Some boutiques sell the
latest and most expensive fashion from Paris.
Towards the end of
the last ice age, when the North American continent was still covered
with a layer of ice two to three kilometers thick, the water level was
30-40 meters lower than it is today. At that time, the present-day
islands of Anguilla, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy formed a single
island with an area of around 4650 km². The water temperature at that
time was 3-5 °C, the air temperature 5-10 °C lower than today. Saint
Barthélemy is one of the oldest islands in the Caribbean. Nuclear
measurements have shown that it is five million years old.
It is
located 30 km southeast of Saint Martin and 230 km northwest of
Guadeloupe. The island is almost 10 km long, slightly boomerang-shaped
and one to four km wide. It is karstified and dry, the highest elevation
in the east is the 281 m high Montage du Vitet. Over 90% of the
population is still European. They live mainly from trade, fishing and
tourism. It is said that the island is more French than France.
Saint Barth has miles of white sandy beaches and small bays. Parts of
the island are privately owned by the Rockefeller and Rothschild
families.
Five family clans dominate public life on the island,
four are from France, the fifth is of Dutch origin.
Gustavia - the main town on the island with 2,500
inhabitants and a marina. It was named after the Swedish King Gustav
III. There are also fashion shops, jewelers, chic bars and many
restaurants. This port town was founded more than 200 years ago. In 1852
a fire raged in the town, destroying almost all the buildings. Here you
will find three forts and a lighthouse on the rocky coast above the town
in the east.
Anse des Cayes, a fishing village north of the airport.
The white sandy beach and many rocks in the sea make swimming and
surfing difficult. Fishing is done there. There is a restaurant.
Colombier is a remote place in the northwest of the island consisting of
a few houses. From there you can reach the lonely, fine, white sandy
beach of the same name after a 30-minute walk. The deeply indented Anse
de Colombier offers a wide sandy beach with shady palm trees. In the
north, the peninsula extends about 250m out into the sea at Pointe à
Colombier. There is now a poultry farm there. In the south, it is
protected by the island of Ile Petit Jean.
Corossol is a small
fishing village northwest of Gustavia, whose houses stretch up the hill.
The beach is just wide enough to accommodate the fishing boats. When
they return with their catch, the whole village stands on the shore. The
bay offers a good view of Gustavia and beautiful sunsets. It is one of
the few original villages where the inhabitants still speak with a
distinct Norman dialect.
Flamands, located on the bay of the same
name in the north of the island, has retained its rural character and is
popular with locals and guests. The 400m wide bay has a fine, wide sandy
beach with some shady trees and palm trees. Visitors will find several
hotels and restaurants there, and water sports are possible. The sea can
be very rough and is only suitable for experienced swimmers.
Marigot
is a small town and is located on the deep bay of the same name on the
northeast coast. The small, sheltered bay with a narrow sandy beach has
shady trees and palm trees. It is a popular anchorage for small sailors.
There is a beach restaurant there.
Mont Jean at Pointe Milou
There are a number of luxury villas on this peninsula on the northeast
coast.
Public
This is an originally preserved village directly
north of Gustavia. From there, this small bay can be reached in 10
minutes. The inner harbor has 35m quays. The Quai Jeanne d'Arc is 80m
long and is where the island's "industrial harbor" is located. The
small, fine sandy beach by the cemetery is also visited by many
residents of Gustavia. There is a restaurant there and water sports are
possible.
Saline
This is a collection of a handful of houses
on the east side of the salt lake in the south of the island. 500 to
800m separate them from a secluded beach. North of Saline you can take a
side road over the 192m high Morne de Lurin mountain through the village
of Lurin and then reach Gustavia from the east. Before you reach Lurin
you can also turn off to the village of Le Gouverneur and then after a
few hundred meters you reach the bay of Anse du Gouverneur.
Grand
Cul-De-Sac
Gustavia
L’Orient
Saint-Jean
This dry, rocky island with several steep hills is largely covered with cacti. It is located halfway between Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. Only a few wild goats live there. The highest elevation is about 103m high. On the southwest side, sailors can find a sheltered bay for anchoring. The place is also popular with divers.
This island was also initially populated by Arawak Indians. In the
middle of the 12th century they were driven out by Carib Indians. The
Indians called the island Ouanalao.
It was probably rediscovered
in 1493 by Columbus, who named it after one of his brothers. However, as
it was karstified, sparsely wooded and promised little profit, the
Spanish were not interested in this piece of land.
For purely
strategic reasons, de Poincy gave the order to occupy Saint Barth. In
1648 Captain Jacques Gante was sent from Saint Kitts with 53 men, some
blacks, goats and poultry. A camp was set up at the Carénage, today's
Gustavia. In 1651 the island was sold to the Order of Malta, of which de
Poincy was chairman. In 1656 it was attacked by Carib Indians, who
killed almost all of the settlers. The few survivors fled back to Saint
Kitts.
In 1660, a second attempt to land was made, mostly by
farmers from Normandy, Brittany and Poitou. After five years, the island
changed hands again, this time it was sold to the Compagnie des Indes
Occidentales.
In 1671, 85 men, 52 women, 96 children, 59 white
contract workers and 46 blacks lived on Saint Barth.
In 1744,
English ships attacked the island. After several days of heavy fighting,
the inhabitants had to surrender. In the following years, the island
became a restless pirate base, with fighting breaking out again and
again. This only changed when Descouderelles became the new French
island commander in 1763.
In 1782, 739 people lived on Saint
Barth.
The majority of them descended from five or six Norman
families, whose children were repeatedly intermarried.
In 1784,
the French King Louis XVI was persuaded by Count de Vergennes to sell
the island of Saint Barth to the Swedish crown in exchange for trading
and port rights in Gothenburg. On March 7, 1785, Louis XVI and the
Swedish King Gustave III signed a corresponding contract in Versailles.
Salmon Mauritz of Rayalin became the new governor of the island. He
renamed the main town, Le Carénage, Gustavia, after King Gustave III,
and declared the port a free trade zone. Between 1795 and 1820, 370 new
houses were built around the port and the population rose to 3,881.
When Sweden abolished slavery in 1847, only 520 slaves were affected
on this island.
The economic boom was destroyed by several
disasters. A great drought was followed by hurricanes, then torrential
rains, and then a large part of the population died of yellow fever. In
1852, for unknown reasons, a fire broke out, destroying the entire
southern part of Gustavia. Further damage was caused by several
earthquakes.
After the end of slavery, the island had become an
expensive nuisance for the Swedish King Oscar II until 1876. Attempts to
sell the island to the USA or Italy failed. The Frenchman Jules Ferry,
who was responsible for French colonial policy at the time, showed more
interest. Since the land was also barren and did not generate any
further income, the Swedes sold it back to France in 1878 for 80,000
gold francs, and on March 16 the Swedish flag was lowered forever.
Salt had been the only export product for decades. Living conditions
could not be improved even by trying to grow other products. This led to
a large wave of emigration. Most of the islanders went to Saint Thomas
in the Virgin Islands. From there, for many it was only a short hop to
the American mainland in Florida, some others made it as far as New
York. Others only went to the sugar cane fields of Saint Kitts during
the harvest season.
In 1945, Rémy de Haenen landed the first
plane on the island. A year later, he set up his own airline base on the
island of Tintamarre, which belongs to Saint Martin. At the same time,
the airport in Saint-Jean was built, which was named after King Gustav
III and initially had a 780m long runway. In 1953, De Haenen bought the
small island in the bay of Saint-Jean, where the first hotel, the "Eden
Rock", was built. He then brought his friends from the jet set to the
island as tourists. Between 1960 and 1975, he was mayor of the island.
In 1984, construction began on a terminal building at the island
airport, and in 1987 Gustavia's port facilities were expanded.
Today, the population still seems to be part of an 18th century
civilisation: Swedish, Norman and Breton sailors, strict and
hardworking.
As good Catholics, the islanders celebrate their carnival 40 days before Easter, directly after Epiphany from Sunday to Ash Wednesday. There are four days of celebrations and eating. The big street parade takes place on “Mardi Gras”. On Ash Wednesday, the carnival king is burned in a big fire on Shell Beach.
Saint Barthélemy Marine Park. This protected area includes a strip of
water at least 500m wide around the island of Ile Fourchue; the waters
between the islands of Ile Fregate and Ile Toc Vers and at least 500m
around the islands; the waters between the islands of Gros Ilets, Les
Baleines and Pain de Sucre as well as the coastal waters in the west of
the island in the area of Anse Gros Jean, Anse de Colombier and Anse
Pascal.
The bays of Anse de Marigot, Grand Cul-de-Sac and Petit
Cul-de-Sac in the east of the island have been given special protection
as breeding areas for fish.
The waters around the island of La
Tortue are a protected zone exclusively for scientific observations: The
following prohibitions apply in these areas: throwing waste into the
sea, anchoring without special permission, fishing of any kind, lobster
fishing, entering or damaging coral reefs, collecting mussels and water
skiing.
Although the island has a relatively dry climate with little
rainfall, you can find many types of tropical plants. Bougainvillea,
frangipani, hibiscus and jasmine bloom in many front gardens, and even
orchids can be found in many places.
The Iguana delicatissima has
been a protected animal species on the island since 1989. When fully
grown, these small lizards can reach a length of 130 cm.
The dry climate and the barren soil prevented the development of a large plantation economy. Landowners, workers and slaves had to do the same work together. Sugar, indigo and tobacco were the main trade goods. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that there were unsuccessful attempts to increase profits through terrace farming and the cultivation of new fruits. In 1843, for example, the cultivation of pineapples failed after a three-year trial period.
Since January 1, 2008, a 5% tax has been levied on hotel stays, otherwise taxes are in force as in France.
Since 2007, following a referendum, the island is no longer part of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, but forms an independent Collectivité territoriale. On January 1, 2012, it left the European Union, but continues to be part of the French Republic. The euro is still legal tender and the island is associated with the European Union as part of the overseas countries and territories.
There are no rivers or lakes on the island. Rainwater is collected in cisterns. There is a small plant that converts salt water into drinking water. Spring water is available for purchase in supermarkets.
The entire island is a free trade zone, so there are no customs restrictions.
French is the official language, but English is also spoken in hotels and restaurants.
Due to the short runway, which is not suitable for larger aircraft,
most people arrive via Sainz Maarten by small plane or by ferry.
By plane
Aérodrome St. Barth Gustav III. (IATA: SBH), also Aérodrome
de Saint Jean, runway 640m long, asphalt, Tel. (0)590 276 541; Director
Tel. (0)590 275 626, Flight information Tel. (0)590 276 541, Tower Tel.
(0)590 276 533, Customs Tel. (0)590 276 356.
The airport has no night
flight facilities and only a few international flight connections. You
can arrive via Raizet Airport, Pointe-A-Pitre (Air Antilles), Puerto
Rico/USA (Tradewind Aviation), via Juliana Airport on SINT MAARTEN
(WinAir and St. Barth Commuter) and Grand Case/St. Martin (St. Barth
Commuter). There are additional flight connections in the high season
from Antigua (Tradewind Aviation and St. Barth Commuter). There is also
a flight connection to Anguilla.
WinAir flies to Sint Maarten
around 12 times a day in the low season, and over 20 times in the high
season.
Airlines
Air Caraibes, Airport, Saint-Jean. Tel.: +590
276 190, Fax: +590 276 703.
Saint Barth Commuter, Airport,
Saint-Jean. Tel.: +590 275 454, Fax: +590 275 458.
WinAir, Airport,
Saint-Jean. Tel.: +590 454 237.
By boat
The fast ferry "The
Edge" runs Tuesday to Saturday between Gustavia, Simpson Bay - SINT
MAARTEN and Gustavia. Departures from Pelican Marina at 9 a.m. One-way
fare US$35, round trip US$50. Reservations in Phillipsburg, Tel. +1
(599) 544-2640.
Great Bay Express Ferry Service, Tel. (0)590 524 506,
runs between Philipsburg - SINT MAARTEN and Gustavia. Tickets can be
purchased in Gustavia from Saint Barth Tours at the Gare Maritime.
Departures from Philipsburg Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday at 7:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. There is no departure at
7:15 a.m. on Tuesday and Sunday.
Departures from Gustavia Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and
6:30 p.m. There is no departure at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday and Sunday.
Voyager I and Voyager II, Tel. (0)590 275 410, Fax (0)590 277 723. Fast
ferry from Marigot - SAINT MARTIN to Gustavia, journey time 40 minutes.
Fare for adults round trip approx. €75, children up to 12 years approx.
€45.
Departures from Marigot Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday at 9:15 am, 12:30 pm, 4 pm and 6:45 pm. Wednesday and Sunday at
9 am, 12:30 pm, 4 pm and 6:45 pm.
Departures from Gustavia Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 am, 10 am,
11:30 am, 2 pm and 5 pm. Sunday at 7:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 2 pm and
5:30 pm.
The asphalt road network is 40 km long. The maximum speed is 45 km/h
and must be strictly observed.
Prices for rental cars: Summer
season from US$35, plus a US$500 deposit, winter season from US$60, plus
a US$500 deposit.
By bus
There is no public bus service on
Saint Barth.
Taxi
There are always several taxis at the
airport in Saint-Jean and at the ferry terminal/port in Gustavia.
Taxi driver
Bruno Beal Taxi, Gustavia. Tel.: +590 (0)690 630 439
(mobile).
Jean-Claude Blanchard, JC Taxi. Tel.: +590 (0)690 490
297 (mobile).
Roman Brin Taxi, Vitet. Tel.: +590 (0)690 591 568
(mobile).
Stephane Brin Taxi, Grand Fond. Tel.: +590 (0)690 351
777 (mobile).
Belmont Gréaux, Answe des Cayes. Tel.: +590 (0)690 355
949 (mobile).
Liliane Taxi. Tel.: +590 (0)690 649 579 (mobile).
Petrol stations
Saint-Jean, Galeries du Commerce. Tel.: (0)590 275
050. Open: Mon - Sat 7:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. + 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
L’Orient. Tel.: (0)590 276 230. Open: Mon - Sat 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.,
closed Thu afternoon + Sun.
Marine diesel
Marina Service, Dock,
Gustavia. Tel.: +590 279 952, +590 279 808.
Public, on the beach.
Open: Mon – Fri 8.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. + 2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m., Sat 8.00
a.m. – 12.00 p.m.
Musée Municipal Saint Barth. Tel.: +590 297 155. The museum is housed
in a renovated stone building from the Swedish period, the Wall House.
You can find pottery and tools from the Indians, copper dishes and tools
from the last centuries, as well as stuffed fish and birds. There is
also information on the island's geology and history. The library is on
the upper floor. Open: Mon 2.30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Tues - Fri 9 a.m. - 12.30
p.m. + 2.30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Sun closed. Price:
Entrance fee: €2.
Inter Ocean Museum, Corossol. Tel.: +590 276 297.
This shell museum with 7000 exhibits is one of two in the world. Open:
every day except public holidays 9am-5pm. Price: entrance fee €3.50.
Horse riding
Le Ranch de Flamand, Anse a Galets. Tel.: (0)590 278
072, Fax: (0)590 277 223. Open: rides at 9am and 3pm. Price: 2 hours,
€31.
Anse des Cayes
Epicerie de la Place. Tel.: (0)590 278 622, Fax:
(0)590 298 622. Grocery. Open: Mon-Sat 8am-12.30pm + 3pm-7pm.
S.
P. Belou. Tel.: (0)590 278 545, Fax: (0)590 279 448. Perfumery.
Colombier
Le Petite Colombe. Tel.: (0)590 279 527, Fax: (0)590 277
230. Bakery, grocery.
Corossol
Dreamtime. Tel.: (0)590 524
616. Souvenirs.
Marie France Création. Mobile: (0)690-313 568.
Boutique.
Flamands
Epicerie Sainte Héléne. Tel.: (0)590 276
458, Fax: (0)590 298 946. Bakery, grocery.
Marigot
Mono Shop.
Tel.: (0)590 276 528, Fax: (0)590 277 105. Grocery, supermarket.
Sable et Paille. Tel.: (0)590 520 720. Cosmetics, perfume.
Saline
Boutique L`Atelier, La Grande Saline. Tel.: (0)590 275 277. Handicrafts.
Jojo Primeurs, Les Petites Salines. Tel.: (0)590 278 001, Fax: (0)590
276 941. Grocery.
L’Atelier, La Grande Saline. Tel.: (0)590 278 909.
Boutique.
Vitolive, Route de Saline. Tel.: (0)590 529 622, Fax:
(0)590 277 590. Grocery. Open: Mon – Sat 10am – 7pm.
An island speciality from the past is “fangui”, a dish made from corn
flour. Coconut bars, “tcheck” and a type of sweet bread called “pône”
also date from this period. It is made from sweet potatoes, pumpkin,
sugar, vanilla and raisins, which are made into a dough with butter and
then baked in the oven.
The recipe for “blaff” dates back to the 17th
century. The Dutch brought this fish recipe to the island.
After
1850, the cuisine was enriched with Asian recipes when, after the
abolition of slavery, Indians came to the island as indentured workers.
“moltani”, a soup based on boiled goat's feet, with spices such as
onion, garlic and saffron, dates from this period.
Restaurants in
Anse des Cayes
Chez Yvon. Tel.: (0)590 298 681, Fax: (0)590 277 473.
Creole.
La Pescadille (ex Chez Ginette). Tel.: (0)590 276 611.
Creole. Open: daily 12pm – 2.30pm + 7pm – 10pm.
Le New Born, On the
beach. Tel.: (0)590 276 511. Creole.
Restaurants in Colombier
Chez Rose. Tel.: (0)590 275 915.
La Petite Colombe. Tel.: (0)590 279
527. Gourmet.
Les Bananiers. Tel.: (0)590 279 348. Creole – medium
prices. Open: Mon – Sat 6pm – 10.30pm.
La Table de Plantation,
Francois Plantation. Tel.: (0)590 298 024, Fax: (0)590 276 126. Open:
Tue – Sun 7pm – 10pm, closed from April 15th to November 15th.
Restaurants in Corossol
Au Régal. Tel.: (0)590 278 526. Creole –
average prices.
La Saintoise. Tel.: (0)590 276 870. Pizza to take
away. Open: daily 6pm – 10pm.
Restaurants in Flamands
Chez
Rolande, main street. Tel.: (0)590 275 142, Fax: (0)590 876 101. Creole
– average prices. Open: Tue – Sun lunchtime.
Restaurants in Mont
Jean at Pointe Milou
Le Ti St-Barth, Pointe Milou. Tel.: (0)590 279
771, Fax: (0)590 297 679. Bar-Be-Que - expensive, evening bar, shows and
dancing. Open: daily 7.30 p.m. - 11 p.m., closed on Sundays in low
season.
Restaurants in Saline
Esprit de Saline, Saline. Tel.:
(0)590 524 610, Fax: (0)590 524 601. Creole - very expensive.
Grain
de Sel, Saline. Tel.: (0)590 524 605. Fast food - medium prices. Open:
Tue - Sun 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. + 7 p.m. - 11.30 p.m.
Le Gommier, La
Grande Saline. Tel.: (0)590 277 057, Fax: (0)590 275 432. Creole.
Le
Pacri, La Grande Saline. Tel.: (0)590 293 563. Italian - expensive.
Le Tamarin, La Grande Saline. Tel.: (0)590 277 212, Fax: (0)590 278 220.
French - expensive. Open: Wed - Mon 12pm - 4pm + 7pm - 10.30pm.
Hotels in Anse des Cayes
Hotel Le Manapany. Tel.: (0)590 276 655,
Fax: (0)590 277 528. 40 rooms and suites in 32 cottages. Restaurant,
piano bar, pool, boutique, fitness room, tennis court, beach, water
sports. Price: Prices in summer: single room €158, double room €230-260,
suite €320-470; in winter: single room €260, double room €440, suite
€630.
O’Kai Beach Residence. Tel.: (0)590 297 519, Fax: (0)590 297
519. 2 cottages with 2 rooms + 1 villa with 2 apartments. Pool, beach.
Price: Prices in summer: Cottage 1-4 people US$3,500, villa for 5-8
people US$10,000 per week; in winter: Cottage 1-4 people US$6,500, villa
for 5-8 people US$15,000 per week.
Hotels in Colombier
Francois Plantation. Tel.: (0)590 298 022, Fax: (0)590 276 126. 12
bungalows and 1 villa, restaurant, bar, pool.
Hotel Le P'tit Morne.
Tel.: (0)590 299 550, Fax: (0)590 278 463. 15 studios, Tel, pool, car
rental. Price: Prices in summer: Studio from €100; in winter: Studio
€163-230.
Hotels in Flamands
Auberge de la Petite Anse, Anse
des Flamands. Tel.: (0)590 276 489, Fax: (0)590 278 309. 16 rooms and
suites. Price: Prices in summer: single room €77, double room €109; in
winter: single room €120, double room €160, suite €180.
Hotel Baie
des Anges, Anse des Flamands. Tel.: (0)590 276 361, Fax: (0)590 278 344.
10 studios. Restaurant La Langouste, Creole, fish - expensive, open:
daily 12:00 - 2:30 p.m. + 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.; the hotel is closed from
September 1st to October 10th, pool. Feature: ★★★. Price: Prices in
summer: studio €100-240; in winter: studio €160-380.
Hotel Taiwana,
Anse des Flamands. Tel.: (0)590 276 501, Fax: (0)590 279 407. 12 suites.
Restaurant Le Taiwana, Creole, French - very expensive, open: daily
12:00 - 15:00, pool. The hotel is closed in September and October.
Price: Prices all year round: suite €950-3,500. Rental prices per suite
for 2 people.
Saint-Barth Isle de France, Anse des Flamands. Tel.:
(0)590 276 181, Fax: (0)590 278 683. 37 rooms, suites, bungalows +
villas. Restaurant La Case de l`Isle, Creole, French - very expensive,
open: daily 7.30 a.m. - 10.30 a.m., 12 p.m. - 2.30 p.m. + 7 p.m. - 9
p.m., bar, pool, boutique, gym, tennis court, wellness center, beach.
Annual holidays August 31 to October 15. Feature: ★★★★★. Price: Prices
in summer: single / double €520-785, suite €1,015, bungalow €680-915,
villa €655; in winter: single / double €780-1,185, suite €1,430,
bungalow €1,050-1,340, villa €1,135. Rental prices include breakfast,
airport transport and taxes.
Hotels in Mont Jean at Pointe Milou
Sofitel Christopher. Tel.: (0)590 276 363, Fax: (0)590 279 292. 41 rooms
+ 2 suites, Point Milou. Le Mango Bar & Bar-Be-Que, French - expensive,
open: daily 12:30 - 17:00, bar 10:30 - 19:00. Le Taino Restaurant,
Lounge & Bar, French - expensive, open: daily 12:00 - 18:00, bar 10:00 -
19:00, closed from August 31 to October 25. Piano bar, pool, car, boat
and yacht charter, boutique, fitness center, conference room, beach,
fishing, surfing, diving, water skiing. Feature: ★★★★. Price: Prices for
overnight stay in summer: single / double €229-395; in winter: single /
double €290-527, suite €646-884.
Hotels in Toiny
Le Toiny.
Tel.: (0)590 278 888, Fax: (0)590 278 930. 15 suites and villas, Anse de
Toiny. Le Gaiac Restaurant, French - very expensive, open: daily for
breakfast, 12.00 - 14.30 + 19.00 - 22.00, Sunday brunch 11.00 - 14.30.
Bar, pool, car rental, boat and yacht charter, boutique, beach, water
sports. The hotel is closed from September 1st to October 23rd. Price:
Prices for overnight stay with breakfast in summer: suite €530-555; in
winter: Suite 1,550-2,600 €.
Crime is completely unknown on this island.
The best time to travel is from November to May. Daytime temperatures are around 30 degrees and nighttime temperatures are 24 degrees. Between June and November it is the rainy season with occasional heavy rainfall or even hurricanes.
There are several telephone booths on the island, most of them in
Gustavia and Saint-Jean. All of them can only be used with phone cards.
These "Telecartes" can be bought at the post offices in Gustavia,
St.-Jean and L'Orient, as well as at the gas station at the airport.
Some telephone booths also allow you to make calls using a credit card.
Since June 22, 2001, the telephone numbers have been changed across
the island. For international calls, you now have to dial "590" twice.
For national calls, the telephone number always consists of 10 digits,
and every local call must now begin with a "0"!