St Barths Off-Season: Why This Island Paradise Entices Year-Round

Once it gets colder in the Northern Hemisphere many people hatch an escape plan to the Caribbean and St. Barthélemy (St. Barths) is one of the most luxurious and popular destinations to jet off to. From late November through the end of April the island is overflowing with visitors, and hotels and restaurants are fully booked. You have to plan ahead for pretty much everything if you want to get a spot, and pay the premium prices that come with the high season. If you’re looking for a more relaxed yet still sophisticated experience the off season may be calling your name and will allow you to enjoy this beautiful island to the fullest.

Where to Stay

Le Toiny embodies island elegance the moment you walk through its doors and see the magnificent view of the ocean from its hillside location. Located in the eastern part of the island, the property sits on rugged terrain that overlooks a quiet sliver of beach perfect for relaxation. “Because of our pristine Caribbean location, Le Toiny offers even more seclusion and privacy than other parts of the island,” says Damien Bastiat general manager of Le Toiny. “Also, the fact that we have 15 acres of land entices hikers and nature lovers to stay with us.”

You can start your morning with a hike (the sunrise is particularly stunning here) and then spend the day relaxing by the ocean, the hotel pool, or inside one of their 22 suites which all happen to have a plunge pool, as well. The suites here are sprawling, larger than many apartments in New York City, and also offer equally vast outdoor spaces. So much space and luxury doesn’t come cheap during the high season but the prices are more reasonable during the off season.

Aside from the beautiful rooms and striking landscape, Le Toiny has an outstanding food and beverage program which perfectly marries Caribbean and French flavors. For lunch enjoy a toes-in-the-sand dining experience on the beach eating curried crab with watermelon and avocado, or mahi mahi with courgette puree and coconut rice while gazing into the blue waters of Anse Toiny beach. Dinner will be poolside beneath the moon and stars; there you’ll need to try their Le Toiny signature truffle rissoni which is frankly life-changing.

Le Toiny is a short drive from popular restaurants and bars on the island, however expect more traffic once the high seasons hits.

Getting to St Barths

There’s no more stylish way to get to St Barths than flying Tradewind, a regional private airline which flies direct from Anguilla, Antigua, San Juan and St. Thomas to St Barths. At the airport you’ll wait to board your plane in a private lounge offering refreshments and first-class check-in service. “We identified an opportunity to create a much better island connection experience with our modern aircraft, private lounges and private travel standard of service,” says David Zipkin, founder of Tradewind Aviation. Aviation enthusiasts will love boarding one of Tradewinds’ Pilatus PC-12 aircrafts which seats just eight people for an ultra-exclusive arrival. Landing in St. Barths is one of the most scenic airplane descents on the planet; you’ll see the ocean lined with yachts, red-roofed buildings and the rolling green hills of the island. Tradewind operates year-round and in the off-season slightly less, however you may also be more likely to nab a seat than in the high season when all seats are often sold out.

What to Do

St Barths has a party island reputation and this also carries over into the off season, places such as Petite Plage or Nikki Beach are sceney and spots where you can dance, on a table even, if you’re feeling spicy. The island is also filled with great beachside restaurants such as Gyp Sea or Shellona where you can dine on seafood with a DJ as the day turns into night. When you visit St Barths you also have to spend at least a half day on a boat cruising from beach to beach. Gouverneur, Saline and Colombier are particularly gorgeous beaches to swim and snorkel. From the boat is also when you can really revel in the island’s natural beauty.

St Barths offers the perfect blend of nature and luxury travel — a place where you can unplug but also indulge depending on your mood. And in the off-season, you can enjoy all of those things with significantly less people and likely at a lower cost.