Anse des Cayes, St. Barths: The Bay Between the Airport and the Hills

Why Go

Anse des Cayes is a compact bay on the north coast just west of the airport, tucked into a fold of hillside and almost entirely residential. The beach is small, rocky at the edges and picks up swell, so it is more use to surfers and bodyboarders than to sunbathers. What makes the district worth knowing is what sits behind it: a cluster of bakeries, food shops and small restaurants that villa guests across this end of the island rely on, and a location minutes from both Gustavia and Saint-Jean without being in either.

The Experience

The bay is enclosed by headlands with houses stepping up the slopes on both sides, and the sand is a short crescent rather than a stretch. Because it faces north it takes winter swell, and on those days there are boards in the water; on calm summer days it is a quiet local swim with almost nobody on it. There is no beach club, no vendor and no shade beyond what the trees give. Inland the ground rises quickly toward Colombier and the interior, and the roads through here are the steep, narrow, hairpinned sort that St. Barths specialises in. Corossol, the old fishing village where straw weaving survives, is a couple of minutes west along the coast and worth folding into the same outing. The district is also a useful corrective to how St. Barths is usually described. Between the airport and the hills there is a working pocket of bakeries, shops and family restaurants that has nothing to do with yachts, and a great many of the people who make the island run live in exactly this kind of fold in the landscape.

What to Try

Eat and shop, because that is what this pocket does best. La Petite Colombe is the bakery people drive to, Chef's Market covers the provisions and La Cave du Port Franc the wine; Sella, Le Régal, Nyama and Restaurant les Bananiers are the local tables, and Mixolab is the newer end. Lily Blue Caraïbes Dive Center runs the diving, which on St. Barths means the offshore islets and the reserve rather than a wall — good, quiet and rarely crowded. Sailin'Soun covers the sailing. Swim or surf depending on the season. Then walk or drive the two minutes to Corossol, where the Inter Oceans Museum holds a large shell collection and the village still makes latanier straw work, which is the last living traditional craft on the island.

Insider Tip

Come for the bakery and stay for Corossol. La Petite Colombe is the sort of place villa guests plan a morning around, and the fishing village two minutes west is the one part of St. Barths that has nothing to do with yachts or luxury — boats pulled up on a stony beach, older women still weaving latanier, and a small museum of shells. Fifteen minutes there will give you a truer picture of the island than a week in Gustavia.

The Practical Stuff

Anse des Cayes is about five minutes from the airport at Saint-Jean and ten from Gustavia, on the north coast. Roads in and out are steep, narrow and hairpinned; a small car or a scooter is the sensible choice, and driving is on the right. Parking is informal along the residential streets and limited, since the bay is small. The beach is public with access between properties, and there are no lifeguards on St. Barths. Shops keep French hours with a genuine lunchtime closure. The euro is the currency and French the everyday language, with English widely spoken. The island is in the hurricane belt, roughly June to November, and this north-facing coast picks up winter swell.

Common Questions

Is Anse des Cayes good for swimming?

On calm days, yes, though the beach is small and rocky at the edges. It faces north and takes winter swell, which is when the surfers and bodyboarders arrive instead.

What is at Corossol?

An old fishing village two minutes west, where boats are pulled up on a stony beach and latanier straw weaving survives — the last living traditional craft on the island — plus a museum with a large shell collection.

Where is the best bakery on St. Barths?

The one in this pocket is what villa guests across the western end of the island drive to. Bakeries and food shops here serve a wide area, which is the main practical reason to know the district.

How far is it from the airport?

About five minutes from Saint-Jean, and ten from Gustavia. The roads in and out are steep and hairpinned even by local standards.

Can you dive from here?

Yes. Diving on St. Barths means the offshore islets and the nature reserve rather than a wall, and an operation based in this bay runs it — quiet and rarely crowded.

Where do you park?

Informally on the residential streets, and space is limited because the bay is small. Arriving outside the middle of the day is the simplest approach.

Pair It With

Corossol Guide — The fishing village and the straw weaving, two minutes west.
La Petite Colombe Bakery Colombier Guide — The bakery worth planning a morning around.
Lily Blue Caraïbes Dive Center Guide — The islets and the reserve, quietly.