St Barts Villas

Enjoy Top Cultural Events and Affordable Luxury in St Barts This Summer

GUSTAVIA, ST. BARTS--(Marketwire - Jul 26, 2011) - Travelers looking for a glamorous last-minute getaway should look no further than the trendy island of St Barts in the French West Indies. Arguably the most sought after destination in the Caribbean, St Barts welcomes visitors with a combination of surprisingly affordable luxury and a jam-packed cultural calendar over the next couple of months and beyond.

The first annual "St Barth Summer Festival" is taking place this July and August, featuring a variety of cultural events in open air and stunning natural settings across the island.

The festival was created in order to promote visitation to St Barts in the summer months, when the island offers stylish hotel rooms and magnificent villas at affordable rates, as well as empty beaches and easy access to the destination's best restaurants.

One of the hottest events is the "St Barth Summer Sessions," a ten day music event from August 5 to 15, 2011, organized with the support of the Berklee College of Music in Boston and staged in collaboration with many of the island's superb hotels and restaurants. It is followed by the SB JAM Festival of Caribbean music (August 18 to 20, 2011), both featuring a variety of internationally acclaimed DJ's and musicians.

Also not to be missed by those looking for some retail therapy is the "St Barth Shopping Festival" (August 8 to 20, 2011) where renowned brands, hot designers, and local creations are offered at unbeatable prices.

Other events taking place in St Barts this summer include:

St Barth Tennis Open (August 2 to 14, 2011), the island's largest tennis tournament.

Clé2Soul (July 25 to 31, 2011), a group playing the best rhythm 'n' blues music from the 60s till today, from Aretha Franklin, to Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Alicia Keys, at different restaurants around the island.

About St Barts

St Barts is one of the world's most glamorous destinations and a frequent getaway for both the rich and famous, and well-heeled travelers, offering style and sophistication in a friendly and laid back environment. Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and put on the map for high-end tourism by the Rockefellers in the late 1950s, St Barts remains distinctly French in feel and has charmed countless visitors with its innate beauty, unique character and authentic charm. This casual but chic hideaway offers watersports, wining and dining in the island's superb restaurants, shopping in Gustavia's trendy boutiques, and a variety of fantastic cultural events throughout the year.

Delight in Gorgeous Peaceful St Barts Villas

This island’s arid tropical climate and rugged terrain historically made it unsuitable for agricultural purposes. While other French West Indies islands saw early growth and development of plantations this one knew mostly poverty and dense times. Since the early 1970′s, however, it has come into its own. It is immediately a well loved tourist destination and second house for the wealthy, who delight in its beauty and the silent privacy and solitude St Barts villas offers.

Christopher Columbus named this place for his brother Barthelemay in 1496. It is part of the Leeward Islands and is located about 160 miles (250 km) East of Puerto Rico in the Northeast Caribbean. Neighboring islands comprehend St. Martin, Antigua, and St Kitts.

This volcanic island with an area of 8 square miles (21 sq km)st is surrounded by pristine beaches and coral reefs. Its highest elevation is 938 feet (286 m). Temperatures stay in the 72 to 86 degree (22 – 30 C) year encircling. December through May are the dry season with June through November being more humid.

Native peoples colonized the island a couple times however had difficulty sustaining themselves agriculturally. It became a French colony in 1648. It experienced prosperity after it was transferred to Sweden in 1784 and became a duty autonomous of charge port. The Swedes were responsible for much of the original development and gave the capital Gustavia its designation. In 1852 much of that development was ruined by earthquake, and later fire. In 1878 the island was sold back to France.

While the official language is French, English is also spoken most everywhere, exceptionally the hotels and restaurants. The 8,800 inhabitants are mostly European descendants of original settlers and newer settlers from North America.

About 200,000 tourists visit each year, with about 70,000 of those staying in one of the 25 small hotels or 400 rental villas, and the remaining 130,000 being passengers on luxury boats. The natural harbor at Gustavia, and the surrounding waters are a yacht haven. Scuba diving, wind surfing, and surfing are well loved activities. Duty autonomous of charge, upscale retail makes shopping a fun and money saving familiarity.

More than 70 restaurants feature West Indian, Creole, Italian, and Asian cuisine. Entertainment includes music of various Caribbean varieties. Private tours, poolside massages at your villa, and yoga instruction are all available. There are twenty-two public beaches. The warm coastal waters stay at a temperature range of 68 to 74 degrees (20 – 23 degrees C).

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