How to Plan a Romantic Honeymoon in St. Barths

St. Barts is known as one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world. A French island in the Caribbean, it offers breathtaking scenery, luxurious resorts, incredible food, and a “jet set” atmosphere due to its popularity with celebrities and wealthy travelers. St. Barts (or St. Barths) is short for St. Barthélemy, the full name of this gorgeous romantic spot in the Lesser Antilles.

If you’re interested in planning a St. Barts honeymoon, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll give you a full guide to St. Barts honeymoons, including top honeymoon resorts in St. Barts, when to go, what to do—and where to eat! Read on to learn all you need to know about honeymoons in St. Barths.

Top honeymoon resorts in St. Barts

Eden Rock St. Barths  

An elegant, unique hotel, Eden Rock St. Barths has long been a celebrity favorite and is considered the best hotel in St. Barths (some would say the best hotel in the Caribbean). This iconic resort was the first hotel to open on the island and was fully renovated in 2019. Ultra-luxurious private villas include the Rockstar Villa, which features a recording studio! There are plenty of other options for honeymooners who aren’t famous musicians, from oceanview guest rooms to cottages, all with private verandas and stylish furnishings.

Eden Rock is set along one of the best beaches on St. Barths, St. Jean Beach, with its pristine white sand and gorgeous calm waters. Complimentary equipment is provided for kayaking and paddleboarding. There’s a fabulous spa onsite as well as a fitness center, and guests here get complimentary VIP airport or port transfers.

Honeymooners will love leisurely breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at the resort’s restaurant, Sand Bar. Don’t let the open-air beachfront setting fool you—this is no seafood shack. The chef here is the world-famous Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The resort also offers several bars, as well as 24-hour room service.

Le Sereno

Nestled along the stunning white sands and turquoise waters of Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach, Le Sereno is a chic intimate resort offering 39 suites and 3 villas. This is one of the most popular honeymoon hotels on St. Barts, offering a quiet romantic elegance.

Room décor is clean, fresh, and sophisticated, and each suite offers a private veranda with beautiful water views. Some have their own gardens, some have private plunge pools, and some feature outdoor soaking tubs.

Indulge at the onsite Spa Le Sereno, lounge on the breathtaking beach or by the waterfront infinity-edge pool, and enjoy complimentary snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking. You can also rent kite surfing equipment or book a scuba diving excursion.

Named one of the world’s best waterfront restaurants by CNN, Sereno Al Mare has the perfect romantic ambiance for honeymoon dining. Literally, just steps from the water, this completely open-air restaurant offers contemporary Italian cuisine that incorporates fresh local seafood. It also features a bar and plenty of comfy seating to lounge while you sip your cocktail and gaze at the view.

Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa

This luxury resort is also located directly on Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach and is a newer hotel, having opened in 2016. Amenities include a waterfront infinity-edge pool, watersports, a full-service spa, a fitness center, yoga classes, and excellent service (the hotel calls it “couture hospitality”).

Rooms and suites at Le Barthélemy offer views of the ocean, gardens, or the lake and mountain behind the resort from private balconies and terraces; some offer walkout beach access, and some have private plunge pools.

The elegant Aux Amis restaurant and Aux Amis Plage open-air beachfront restaurant feature French-Mediterranean fusion cuisine. There’s also a rooftop bar with incredible views and live music on the weekends. During the summer here, guests can choose half-board or full-board meal plans.

Le Toiny

There are only 22 suites at this romantic retreat tucked away in the hills on the eastern side of St. Barts, and all of them are spacious and plush. You can gaze out at gorgeous views of the Atlantic from your private heated pool—every suite has one—or your terrace. If you’re looking for privacy and luxury, this is the perfect hotel for your St. Barts honeymoon.

Le Toiny is a Relais & Chateaux property, so you know you’ll feel pampered here. When you want to hang out on the beach, the hotel’s private beach club on Toiny Bay offers hammocks and shaded lounge chairs along a serene stretch of sand studded with palm trees, a pool, and a restaurant for lunch. At dinner, enjoy gourmet cuisine at the elegant Le Toiny Restaurant.

Amenities include spa services, wellness classes, a surf shack offering lessons, watersports, and area excursions.

How do you get to St. Barths?

You can either fly into St. Barths on a private charter or on a connecting flight from a larger island like nearby St. Maarten. You can also fly to a neighboring island and take a ferry. The airport on St. Barths is small, so the planes are as well; if this makes you nervous, then the ferry is your best bet.

Where to eat in St. Barts

The cuisine here is amazing, due to the strong French influence blending with the fresh flavors of the Caribbean and other areas. You will dine like royalty on your St. Barts honeymoon pretty much wherever you go, from upscale gourmet French bistros to Creole cafés to West Indian restaurants to Asian fusion hot spots to fresh seafood to tempting bakeries.

There are more than 70 restaurants on this small island, so foodies will have a great time perusing their options. Here are some of the top romantic restaurants in St. Barts.

Nestled in a tropical garden, Le Tamarin offers delicious French dishes in a magical atmosphere.

Aux Amis, at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, serves French-Mediterranean fusion in an elegant setting, either indoors or on the al fresco deck.

For a unique fusion, try Bonito, which combines French and Latin cuisine. This laidback but luxurious restaurant was previously a private beach house; set up on a hillside in Gustavia, it has open-air dining with views of the Caribbean and a house DJ contributing to the mellow ambiance.

Also in Gustavia is Black Ginger, a sophisticated Thai restaurant that offers delicious food in a romantic setting, including an outdoor courtyard.

In the northern beach town of St. Jean, The Sand Bar is an elegant open-air restaurant nestled right on the beach, at the Eden Rock St. Barths resort. You’ll swoon over the postcard-perfect views and mouthwatering breakfast, lunch, or dinner options (the chef here is the world-famous Jean Georges Vongerichten).

Rivyera features French-Mediterranean cuisine that evokes the Cote d’Azur at the Christopher Hotel in the northeastern neighborhood of Pointe Milou. Gourmet dishes, many featuring fresh seafood, are complemented by stunning water views.

Also in Pointe Milou, Le Ti is a popular restaurant and nightclub that offers delicious food and a sultry setting, including a burlesque show, later in the evening.

When to visit St. Barts

The dry season on St. Barthélemy is the winter and early spring, from December to April. Weather is warm, skies are clear, and the waters are calm. Many people say this is the best time to visit St. Barts, so it is also peak tourist season—especially the months of December and January. This means prices will be higher, but it also means that everything is open and lively.

The dry season is called “Lent” by the locals. It offers lows in the mid-70s and highs in the mid-80s. Interestingly, locals call the period from May to November “the Wintering” although it has higher temperatures. These months also see more rain—especially August through November—but it generally only happens in the afternoon, and only on about half of the days in the month. The water stays warm during this time.

The months of July and August are when the weather is warmest. This is also a busy time on St. Barts since many visitors come from Europe and these months are when they take long vacations.

For honeymooners wondering, “is St. Barts in the hurricane zone?” the answer is yes. Hurricane season in St. Barts is from August to October. However, it is rare for a tropical storm or hurricane to hit the island—but if you plan your honeymoon in St. Barts during this time, you’ll certainly want to get travel insurance.

This is the least popular time to visit St. Barts (August to November) so some places may be closed during these months, but prices drop and the island is quiet, so it could be the perfect time to honeymoon in St. Barts.

If you’re looking for a deal on your St. Barths honeymoon but want to visit in the spring or early summer, try the months of March, April, May, and June. The weather is lovely and prices are not as high as during the winter.

Things to do in St. Barts

If you want to lounge on the perfect tropical beach during your honeymoon, St. Barths has plenty of idyllic white sand beaches to choose from, each one jaw-droppingly gorgeous. A few of the best beaches on St. Barts are Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach, with calm reef-protected water making it perfect for water sports and snorkeling; St. Jean Beach, with calm, crystal clear aquamarine water popular with windsurfers and snorkelers; and Flamands Beach, a secluded stretch of long, wide sugar white sand on the northwest tip of the island that has waves good for body surfing and boogie boarding.

When you’ve had enough sun and sand, stroll around Gustavia, the capital city. Set around the harbor on the Bay of Gustavia, the town offers high-end shopping and delicious French restaurants. Be sure to visit Fort Karl, a 17^th-century Swedish fort, and enjoy the great views it offers of the island.

There’s a lovely little beach at the base of the fort, Shell Beach; come here for a shopping break, to seek some shells, or for beautiful sunset views. Shellona restaurant offers yummy Greek dishes if you get hungry.

Nikki Beach Club is the place to party during the day. At night, check out hot spots such as the Bonito Bar, Bagatelle, La Cantina, Casa Club, and Le Ti for refreshing cocktails and dancing the night away (if you’re not invited to one of the celebrity parties on the yachts in the harbor).

If you like to snorkel or scuba dive, St. Barts offers 22 dive sites and plenty of vibrant marine life to check out. You can also book a catamaran or sailboat cruise to explore the waters around the island or enjoy the sunset.

If you were wondering, “is St. Barths good for honeymoons?” before you read this article, we hope we’ve answered that question, and any others you might have had about this magical Caribbean island. If not, let us know your questions about St. Barts honeymoons in the comments!