St. Barts Yacht Charters

St. Barts hosts the Caribbean's largest gathering of superyachts every winter.

The eight-square-mile French overseas territory fills to capacity during its peak season. The two busiest weeks are New Year's and the St Barths Bucket Regatta in early March.

All the yachts converge in Gustavia, the island's only deep-water harbor.

Unlike other destinations that build for growth once they become popular, St. Barts has stayed small on purpose. Hotel inventory has been below 500 rooms for decades.

The airport accepts only small turboprops, and there is no cruise terminal at all.

Thus, a St. Barts yacht charter is the best way for guests to experience the island. The yacht lets you reach beaches with no road access.

It also serves as a private residence on the water, even in the weeks when the island has no rooms left to book.

A typical morning is spent at anchor on the leeward coast - Colombier, Gouverneur, or Saline. In the evenings, the yacht moves to Gustavia, where the harbor stays lit through dinner in season.

Many itineraries extend beyond St. Barts itself. St Martin lies fifteen miles west, and Anguilla is a short sail further on.

Key Highlights

• French-flag character: Saint-Barthélemy is a French overseas collectivity, with French restaurants, French boutiques, and euros accepted alongside dollars across the island.

• Gustavia harbor: The only deep-water port on the island is lined with duty-free boutiques along Rue de la République and waterfront restaurants that book months ahead in season.

• The leeward coast: Colombier, Gouverneur, Saline, and Flamands sit within short sailing distance of each other, with Colombier reachable only by yacht or by a forty-minute hike from Flamands.

• Two weeks booked a year ahead: New Year's in Gustavia and the March Bucket Regatta are both committed nine to twelve months ahead by returning guests.

Why Charter a Yacht in St. Barts

A St. Barts yacht charter offers two experiences that most Caribbean destinations cannot offer together. One is the seclusion of private leeward anchorages.

The other is the social density of a working European port town.

The leeward coast holds the quietest beaches on the island. Anse de Colombier is the most photographed anchorage in St. Barts. It sits on the northwestern tip and has no road access. Its remote location keeps day-trip crowds out and the water clear year-round.

Gouverneur and Saline, two secluded beaches along the southern coast, attract villa guests in the afternoon but remain peaceful for those arriving by yacht throughout the morning.

By evening, most charters move to Gustavia. The harbor comes alive after dark, with French restaurants and designer boutiques lining Rue de la République and Rue du Général de Gaulle. During high season, restaurant reservations are often booked weeks in advance.

Top Anchorages and Beaches in St. Barts

Nearly every named anchorage and swimming beach in St. Barts lines the leeward coast.

Anse de Colombier is the most popular stop. The bay has no road access, which is why it’s the quietest anchorage on the island.

Gouverneur and Saline sit on the southern coast. Both beaches are unspoiledand protected from construction by zoning. A footpath from a parking area inland leads to each one.

Flamands is the longest stretch of beach on St. Barts, with Cheval Blanc and Taïwana at its eastern end. The bay is perfect for a lunch stop or a longer afternoon swim. Guests can also ask to be dropped ashore for the hotel's beach service.

Shell Beach sits a short walk from the Gustavia harbor and works best as a sunset stop, with Shellona at one end for a longer cocktail hour.

St Jean is the busier beach on the island. It’s lined with restaurants and a small commercial center, which suits guests who want an afternoon ashore between anchorages.

Gustavia: Harbor, Shopping, and Dining

Gustavia is the capital, the only town of any size on St. Barts, and the operating center of the charter fleet.

Despite its size, the island is home to an extensive collection of luxury boutiques.Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Chopard have duty-free boutiques along Rue de la République and Rue du Général de Gaulle, and the French houses extend through most of the harbor-side streets.

Dining ranges from long-standing rooms like Bonito and Bagatelle to L'Isola for Italian and Orega for Japanese-French. Reservations are highly recommended for peak season.

Things to Do on a St. Barts Yacht Charter

A week in St. Barts balances time spent in the water and ashore. Days include a combination of swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and jet skiing, with afternoons or evenings spent in Gustavia for dining and shopping.

Reef sites at Pain de Sucre and the Gros Îlets draw divers throughout the high season, as the water stays calm through most of the year and visibility runs forty to sixty feet.

Two uninhabited islets within a short sailing distance of St. Barts also make natural day stops. Tintemarre lies about six miles north of Gustavia. It falls within the St Martin nature reserve and has a single long beach with clear shallow water, which is perfect for snorkeling and paddleboarding.

Île Fourchue, closer to the St. Barts side, is a single horseshoe-shaped bay protected from the trade winds, with snorkeling around the rocky points at either end and an anchorage that stays quiet because yachting is the only way to reach it.

Day Trips to St Martin and Anguilla

A week in St. Barts often extends across the surrounding islands of St. Martin and Anguilla.

The charters often start at St Martin, where guests arrive and leave through Princess Juliana International Airport. The route then runs north to Anguilla for the leeward beaches at Shoal Bay and Rendezvous Bay.

From there, it heads back through French St. Martin and Grand Case for the restaurant scene. The final leg moves through Tintemarre and Île Fourchue before reaching St. Barts and the anchorage at Anse de Colombier.

Luxury Charter Yachts Available in St. Barts

Ritzy Yachts’ St. Barts fleet covers the full range of crewed charter yachts. The right fit depends on the size of the group, the budget, and the kind of week guests want.

A catamaran is a natural choice for a first charter in the region. They are the most common yacht type in St. Barts outside of peak superyacht weeks because they’re large enough to host the group comfortably, but shallow enough for the leeward anchorages.

They are between 50 and 80 feet, with two hulls that give more cabin separation than a monohull of the same length. Catamarans also have wide decks that hold the group comfortably.

How to Get to St. Barts

Most St. Barts charters start in St Martin. Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) handles long-haul flights from the US East Coast, Europe, and most major hubs. It is the entry point for nearly every St. Barts charter week.

Guests have two options from SXM. They can board the yacht directly at Simpson Bay and sail the fifteen miles to St. Barts as the first leg of the trip, or take a short connecting flight on a small turboprop to Gustavia airport.

The runway at Gustavia is short and steeply angled, and only specific aircraft and certified pilots fly it. Most charters skip the connection and sail across instead.

Crossing from St Martin to Gustavia takes three to four hours under sail, and less under a motorized yacht.

What's Included in a St. Barts Yacht Charter

Every charter with Ritzy Yachts includes the yacht and the professional crew (captain, chef, and additional crew depending on yacht size).

It also includes the use of the yacht's standard equipment and a personalized itinerary planned with your broker. What varies between charters is whether food, drink, and operating costs come bundled into the rate or settled separately through an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA).

The APA covers operating costs ahead of the charter. It is typically 25 to 30 percent of the base rate, and guests pay it to the captain before departure.

At the end of the charter, the captain reviews the expenses against the APA. Any unused balance is returned, and any extra is settled then. Crew gratuity in the Caribbean is customary at 15 to 20 percent of the charter rate.

St. Barts Yacht Charter Prices

St. Barts charter prices vary by yacht size, age, season, and inclusion type.

A 50-foot all-inclusive catamaran in shoulder season has a different rate from a 150-foot motor yacht in New Year's week. When comparing yachts, consider the weekly rate, the APA (where applicable), and the customary 15 to 20 percent gratuity.

Our yacht brokers prepare a complimentary, tailored proposal based on your group size, preferred travel dates, itinerary, and charter preferences. St. Barts yacht charters require a minimum one-week booking.

Best Time to Charter a Yacht in St. Barts

The Caribbean charter season runs from December through July. December through April is the peak season, and May through July is the shoulder season. St. Barts follows the same window, with two events standing out.

• New Year's week: The harbor at Gustavia fills with superyachts, the island stages its fireworks display, and the restaurants run at full capacity. The yachts that come during this week book by the spring of the prior year, and the rates reflect demand.

• The St Barths Bucket Regatta: This event runs over three days in early March. Many of the same yachts from New Year's return for the racing and shoreside events. Demand matches New Year's, with rates and lead times to match.

• Shoulder season - May through July - is a quieter window with the same weather. Restaurants stay open, but fleets thin out, and the rates relax. Hurricane season formally begins in June, but storm activity in the Eastern Caribbean before August is uncommon.

St. Barts closes for hurricane season from August through November. Most yachts move to other charter grounds for repairs or work. Guests planning later in the year can look to alternative destinations such as the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the Grenadines, or Belize. Each runs on a different seasonal window.

How to Book Your St. Barts Yacht Charter with Ritzy Yachts

Share your vision. Tell us about your ideal charter, including your preferred destination, travel dates, group size, and the type of experience you're looking for.

Review your curated options. Based on your requirements, we'll present a tailored selection of yachts and destinations, along with expert recommendations from our charter team.

Select your yacht. Once you've found the right fit, we'll guide you through the charter agreement and place the yacht on hold while arrangements are finalized.

Confirm your charter. Your charter is secured upon signing the agreement and submitting the initial deposit.

Personalize every detail. Before departure, we'll coordinate your preferences, including dining requests, beverages, activities, special occasions, and itinerary considerations to ensure a seamless experience onboard.

Your broker will be your point of contact from inquiry through to the end of the trip.

Get in touch when you're ready to start a conversation.

Ready to Charter a Yacht in St. Barts? Plan Your Charter with Ritzy Yachts

Speak with one of our brokers at Ritzy Yachts to begin planning your St. Barts yacht charter.

We will match the yacht, the crew, and the itinerary to your group and your dates, and remain your point of contact through to the end of the week.