Introduction to Gustavia, St. Barthelemy

St Barts' capital, dollhouse-size GUSTAVIA, is an appealing blend of red-roofed villas and heavy-set grey-stone buildings that plays second fiddle to its deep U-shaped harbour, where yacht-watching over a bottle of wine at a waterfront café ranks as the unofficial town sport. A close runner-up for that title is shopping, as dozens of duty-free boutiques line the main drag, Rue de la République.

The town's few historical sights can all be seen in under an hour. The architec-tural highlight, the chunky circa-1800 Swedish Wall House, anchors the west side of the harbour from Place Vanadis, named for the last Swedish military vessel to leave the island after the 1878 French repossession ceremony. The former storehouse now hosts the mundane Musée de St Barthélemy (Mon 2.30–6pm, Tues –Fri 8.30am–12.30pm & 2.30–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm; €2), a modest collection of tools, maps and other oddities. On the south side of the port, the cheerful 1855 St Bartholomew Anglican church, with its sandstone facade topped by a minute wood-shingled belfry, contrasts sharply with the sombre, Hispanic-influenced Notre-Dame de l'Assomption nearby. A short walk west from both churches is Gustavia's small beach, the pinkish seashell-covered Anse du Grand Galet, not surprisingly a boon for beachcombers. At the other end of town, a red-topped lighthouse graces a promontory once home to Fort Gustaf, though scant evidence of its military origins remains save the odd cannon and sentinel; the main attraction today is the magnificent view of Gustavia and surrounding islands.

Information by Rough Guides

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