INTRODUCTION
St. Barths in World Map
Saint-Barthelemy, also called Saint Bart’s. It is situated in North America in the Caribbean, it was named after Columbo’s brother, Bartolomeo. An overseas collectivity of France since 2007, it was formerly a commune and, together with Saint-Martin, an arrondissement of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. The island is 17.5 km long and 4 km wide, 200 km north of Guadeloupe’s main islands. As of July 2013, the population was 7,298 and it consist of White, Creole, Black and Mestizo. St. Barth is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season, geared towards the high-end, luxury tourist market.
CUISINE
French cuisine, West Indian cuisine, Creole cuisine, Italian cuisine and Asian cuisine are some very commonlly avialable in St. Barthelemy. The island has over 70 restaurants serving many dishes and many of the finest restaurants are located in the hotels.There are also a number of snack restaurants which the French call “les snacks” which include sandwiches, pizzas and salads. West Indian cuisine, steamed vegetables with fresh fish is common. Creole dishes tend to be spicier. The island hosts gastronomic events throughout the year, with dishes such as spring roll of shrimp and bacon, fresh grilled lobster, Chinese noodle salad with coconut milk, and grilled beef fillet etc.
In the early 1990s, the island had two cooking schools: the Saint Barts Cooking School which emphasizes classical French cuisine, and Cooking in Paradise which emphasizes creole cuisine.
HANDICRAFTS
Traditional straw hat
Corossol is noted for its handicrafts; weaving hats and bags from straw basically palm fronds is a low-income economic activity of the indigenous people.
FASHION
Traditional Costume of St. Barths
Kichnottes
The traditional costume which is seen now mostly among older women consists of starched white bonnets called kichnottes.
TOURISM
In the Island Most of the food is imported from the United States or France. Its tourism industry attracts about 200,000 visitors every year which result there as a boom in house building activity catering to the tourists and also to the permanent residents of the island.
St. Barthélemy has about 25 hotels, most with 15 rooms or fewer; the largest has 58 rooms. Hotels are classified in the traditional French manner; 3 Star, 4 Star and 4 Star Luxe. Hotel Le Toiny, the most expensive hotel on the island, has 12 rooms. Most places of accommodation are in the form of private villas, of which there are some 400 available to rent on the island.
The island has total 20 beaches in which the very famous light house is located in its capital Gustavia. There is a statue, Savaku, in St. Jean and a Museum in La Pointe called Musee territorial de St. Barthelemy. There are also many forts from when the island was first colonized from Dutch.
There are also many things to have fun and adventure at St. Barths like kite-surf, play rugby, scuba dive, fish and relax.
HAPPENING EVENTS OF ST. BARTHS
St. Barths have must-attend events and activities throughout the year that one would like to tick off your bucket list. A spectacular jazz event occurs featuring international artists performing in the churches of Gustavia and Lorient. From art weeks to marathons St. Barths events will keep you energized throughout the visit. St. Baths will give a fantastic Mardis Gras parade through the streets of Gustavia – bright colours, music and festive cheer are all to be expected.
Mardis Gras parade of St. Barth
The annual Bucket Regatta attracts crowds from all over St. Barths and the surrounding islands where one can experience some professional sailing, scintillating spills and post-race celebrations throughout the island.
On New Year’s Eve its worthy to join the festivities for possibly one of the best nights of the year on the island. Superyacht parties are commonplace and the rich and famous come out to play. The day starts with a just-for-fun regatta and ends with music, dancing and fireworks at midnight
