The Caribbean’s St. Barts is widely known for its yachts and high-luxury partying, but there is a calmer and more affordable side to St. Barts.  But no wonder this destination is so popular with 17 free white sand beaches to choose from, there’s room for the spoiled and the sparse budgeted.

            Looking for an affordable spot to stay might seem hard, but it’s easier than you may think.  Here are a few low-cost spots to rest.  First is Salines Garden Cottages, a mini-resort consisting of five cottages, starting at 80 euros (about $116 at $1.45 to the euro).  All cottages are furnished with four-poster beds, palm-hidden terraces and new bathrooms.  Second are the 10 apartments at Auberge de Terre Nueve.  Rates start at 80 euros and include a rental car.  And third is the Sunset Hotel, with their 10 rooms starting at 73 euros.  Keep in mind though all hotels go up in price (between 15-60 more than the standard price) during the winter.

            In St. Barts your days can be filled with culinary experiences you’ll never forget, and not because their price, but their taste.  You can start off with breakfast at Le Creperie in Gustavia which serves a hearty breakfast including a crab omelet, bacon, fresh orange juice and coffee (14 euros).  And on to lunch, you can relax and enjoy your meal, such as sea bass cubes sautéed with julienned vegetables, at Café Victoire.  and when dinner arrives, treat yourself to a candlelit dinner at the Wall House Restaurant on Gustavia Harbor.

            During the day you can enjoy St. Barts for free on one of their many beaches.  More popular, but still uncrowded, is Saline Beach, where nude sunbathing is allowed.  Less developed is Gouverneur Beach, just east of Saline.  This beach offers great snorkeling and is surrounded by rocky cliffs that are home to wild goats.  And at night you can go to Le Select, one of the island’s few dive bars.  This is a loud pub decorated with bumper stickers and license plates, and where Jimmy Buffet found his inspiration for the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”  Another spot is a local’s favorite, Ti Zouk K’Fe on the far side of Gustavia Harbor, and the commotion often migrates from the courtyard patio onto the waterfront street.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Caribbean, St. Barts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.