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Although this exotic Caribbean island in the French West Indies is much quieter during the summer, it's romantic all year round. Plus, on St. Barts you feel as though time stands still. How to describe an island where airplane-watching is the most popular spectator sport? It really is quite marvelous to observe aircraft as they seem to drop out of the sky and make a three-point landing on the short runway. This is the same plane you'll arrive aboard from St. Maarten, a mere 10-minute flight but guaranteed to be a hand-holder. Although you can cover this 9.6-square-mile island in a half day by car (the Moke - a prehistoric ancestor of the Jeep - is the best rental choice), the more you drive, the more you discover, including glorious sunsets and pristinely white sandy beaches. You can stay at a hotel, but if you plan on remaining for at least a week (and you should), it makes more sense to rent your own villa with a private pool and spectacular views of the ocean, the sunset, or both. Weekly rates range from $2,250 to $4,200, including daily-except-Sundays maid service. Two of the most romantic hotels on the island are the 12-room Francois Plantation ($300 to $350 per room, depending on the view) and the Eden Roc, St. Barts' oldest but recently renovated hotel ($350 to $500 per room). Even if you don't stay at either, you'll want to experience their restaurants for dinner. The same holds true for the Hostellerie Trois Forces, where owner/chef/island astrologist Hubert Delamotte lovingly prepares the meals (including profiterolles shaped like graceful swans and arranged in a bowl rather than a plate so that they appear to be floating in a pond). For reservations, call WIMCO, the U.S. branch of the largest rental agency on the island: 800-932-3222. (WIMCO can also arrange car rentals.) |
