Three Days in the St Barths Nature Reserve
Your St Barths Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 Day 1: Get in the reserve
- Day 2 Day 2: The wild north west
- Day 3 Day 3: Salt, lagoon and birds
What to Do in St Barths
Réserve Naturelle Nationale: the five protected sectors
Gros Ilets and Pain de Sucre off Gustavia, Ile Fourchue, Ile Fregate and Toc Vert, and Colombier.
Shell Beach (Anse de Grand Galet) snorkel
Walkable from Gustavia.
Anse de Colombier trail and marine reserve snorkel
Walk in from Flamands or Petite Anse, then snorkel a beach inside the reserve that no road reaches.
Anse des Flamands and Petite Anse turtle nesting beaches
Nesting beaches walked at dawn by the environment agency's volunteers.
Corossol village
A working fishing village, and the last place the latanier straw weaving and the calèche headdress survive.
Grande Saline salt ponds
Free, and the reason the beach behind it is undeveloped.
Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon shore snorkel
Shallow, sheltered lagoon, good for turtles and rays without a boat.
Etang de Grand Cul-de-Sac
The pond behind the lagoon.
Piscines Naturelles de Grand Fond
Natural rock pools on the wild east coast.
Where to Eat in St Barths
La Case St Barth (Cave a Rhum)
10 rue du Roi Oscar II, Gustavia.
Your Day by Day St Barths Itinerary
Day 1: Get in the reserve
The Réserve Naturelle Nationale has protected 1,200 hectares across five marine sectors since 1996. Learn the rules before you swim: no collecting, no touching, no feeding, and no gloves on a dive, so that nobody can pick anything up.
Réserve Naturelle Nationale: the five protected sectors
Gros Ilets and Pain de Sucre off Gustavia, Ile Fourchue, Ile Fregate and Toc Vert, and Colombier. Anchoring is banned outright in the reinforced zones and speed is capped at five knots.
Shell Beach (Anse de Grand Galet) snorkel
Walkable from Gustavia. Free, and the easiest introduction to the water here.
Day 2: The wild north west
Colombier can only be reached on foot or by boat, which is exactly why it is worth the walk.
Anse de Colombier trail and marine reserve snorkel
Walk in from Flamands or Petite Anse, then snorkel a beach inside the reserve that no road reaches.
Anse des Flamands and Petite Anse turtle nesting beaches
Nesting beaches walked at dawn by the environment agency's volunteers. Keep off the dunes and use no lights at night.
Corossol village
A working fishing village, and the last place the latanier straw weaving and the calèche headdress survive. Buy from the maker if you find the work.
Day 3: Salt, lagoon and birds
The east side is quieter and stranger than the beach clubs suggest.
Grande Saline salt ponds
Free, and the reason the beach behind it is undeveloped.
Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon shore snorkel
Shallow, sheltered lagoon, good for turtles and rays without a boat.
Etang de Grand Cul-de-Sac
The pond behind the lagoon. Waders and seabirds, from the bank.
Piscines Naturelles de Grand Fond
Natural rock pools on the wild east coast. Only go in when the sea is calm, and read the conditions honestly.