The Ultimate Guide to St. Barths as a Family! Traveling to St. Barths with Kids, Toddlers, and Babies
We decided to do St. Barths for Spring Break last year and it surprised me in the BEST way. Before I actually WENT to St. Barths, I thought I knew what the island would be like – private jets, caviar, twenty thousand dollar lunches, a place you go to be seen, and part of the scene. Chic but a little bit snobby. An island that would be fun, lavish, and wild with friends, but not really a family destination.
But boy was I wrong about this island. We went in April with our two little ones in tow (a three year old and a baby) and it turned out to be one of the best family trips we’ve taken together — even after having traveled to 18 countries as a family, all over the world!
St. Barths was a dream as a family. The beaches were reef protected lagoons you can walk out into, with sea turtles cruising past you, wild tortoises and iguanas on the hillsides everywhere, and restaurants where nobody so much as glanced at us for walking in with a toddler. In fact, there were plenty of chic local families and visiting families as well.
So this is the post I wish had existed when I was planning our spring break. St. Barths with kids.
If you want the full island rundown for every kind of trip, that lives in my Ultimate St. Barths Travel Guide. This one is for the families.
Is St. Barths Good for Kids?
Yes. St. Barths is actually wonderful with kids, and exactly one hotel on the island has a real year round kids club: Rosewood Le Guanahani, ages 4 to 11. Everything else here is turtles, calm water, plane watching and long relaxed lunches. If that’s your family’s idea of a good week, you’ll love it.
Why St. Barths is so good with kids
The island is eight square miles and it feels extraordinarily safe. The water at Grand Cul de Sac is so shallow and calm you can walk out forever and still stand up, and close to twenty sea turtles live in that lagoon. Planes come in low over the sand at St. Jean all day long. Goats, iguanas and tortoises wander the hillside roads for free. And the food is exceptional without anybody being precious about children, which is the part that surprised me most.
The Types of Families Who Would Love St. Barths
You are after a relaxed, exclusive vibe. You have a good budget, and you don’t mind spending for quality. You like good food, good drinks, and good vibes. You want to feel European summer vibes, but in the Caribbean in the winter and springtime. You don’t mind an extra little flight if it means getting to the island of your dreams.
Who Should Book Somewhere Else
I’m not going to sell you an island that’s wrong for your family!
Skip St. Barths if you want a big resort that entertains your kids all day. The largest hotel here has 66 rooms. No water parks or lazy rivers. If that’s the vacation you need, somewhere like Turks and Caicos, Mexico, Hawaii, or Anguilla will serve you better, and I break it down island by island in Which Caribbean Island Is Best For You and my best family resorts in the Caribbean roundup.
Skip it if the budget is tight. Cocktails run 20 to 25 euros in St. Barths. Beach chairs add up. There are smart ways to do this island, and I’ve got a whole section on them below, but it will never be a cheap vacation.
Skip it if you can’t do a connection. There are no direct long haul flights. You’re coming through St. Maarten, or San Juan.
Skip it if you want to arrive and never get in a car. You need a car here. Bopping around is the whole point. It’s what makes it fun!!!
Will My Kids Be Welcome in the Restaurants?
yes!!! more than you’d think.
We brought our kids to Bonito, which was the best dinner of our trip, and it was completely fine. Le Toiny at lunch was lovely with them. Pearl Beach is a casual beach bar where a toddler running around is the least interesting thing happening. We even brought them to Nikki Beach for lunch (just not on a Sunday afternoon – that’s the party day!), Zero judgment anywhere we went, and definitely saw other kids!!!!
Just know that French lunches are long, two hours is normal for a sit down meal, and some kids can do that and some absolutely cannot. It’s nice to be somewhere on the beach so you can run around if you want to! And a few places have rules: Le Ti St Barth is adults only and turns into a full cabaret and DJ night, Bar des Prés in Gustavia won’t seat children under 10 after 7pm, and Nikki Beach on a Sunday second seating is a party rather than a family lunch. Any other day at Nikki is fine with kids!
St. Barths With Kids by Age
Every guide out there writes as though “kids” is one age. A two year old and a fourteen year old need completely different trips. So here’s what St Barths with kids looks like for babies, toddlers, young kids, and older kids.
With a baby, I’d recommend booking a villa for the kitchen and the separate nap room. Just know the Rosewood kids club starts at 4, so you’re looking at babysitting options (which they have!).
With a toddler, which is what we did, the island is incredible. Toddlers love exactly what St. Barths has: shallow water, animals, planes, sand, ice cream. Prioritize Pearl Beach, Grand Cul de Sac, and Gypsea. Make lunch your big meal.
Ages 5 to 12 is the sweet spot. This is where Rosewood Explorers becomes worth booking the hotel for, where snorkeling with the turtles actually lands, where a kid can do the twenty minute hike over to Colombier, and where surf and paddleboard lessons open up!
With teenagers, St. Barths quietly is an incredible destination for teens and nobody talks about it. Surfing at Anse des Cayes or Lorient, kitesurfing in the Grand Cul de Sac lagoon, a catamaran day out to Colombier and Île Fourchue, wandering Gustavia, eating extremely well. Also they love the clout of St Barths, let’s be honest. They’ll want to snap pictures all day, and they’ll be thanking mom and dad when all their friends went to the same all-inclusive again for the 10th year, and they’re the cool ones going to St. Barths.
The Best St. Barths Hotels for Families
There is only one hotel on St. Barths with a year round kids club. Everything after that is a question of vibe, beach and room configurations.
And before the individual write ups, the piece of math that decides this for most families: a three bedroom villa here runs around $2,000 a night. Hotel rooms start around $2,000 a night. Per room. With two kids and a nanny, or with grandparents along, that’s not a close comparison. More on how I’d split it below.
| Hotel | Kids club | Ages | Beach for little kids | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosewood Le Guanahani | Yes, complimentary | 4 to 11 | Excellent, calm lagoon | Families, full stop |
| Le Barthélemy | July and August only | Not published, ask | Excellent, same lagoon | Summer family trips |
| Eden Rock | No club, all ages welcome | All ages | Good, St. Jean bay | The iconic splurge |
| Cheval Blanc St-Barth | Seasonal activities | Ask directly | Beautiful but surf | Couples, strong swimmers |
| Le Sereno | No club, kids menus, sitters | All ages | Excellent, same lagoon | Design lovers with kids |
| Hotel Christopher | No club, children’s pool | All ages | No beach at all | Pool families, better value |
Booking with me at any of the above, you get a complimentary room upgrade if available, $100 resort credits, and free daily breakfast. Just reach out here! It’s at no cost to you! Our Jetset team will make sure the hotel rolls out the red carpet for you. You can also DIY booking through the Jetset Christina Travel Portal here. (Password is always JETSETTERS)
Rosewood Le Guanahani: The Only Real Kids Club on the Island
My top pick for families!!!!
We spent the second half of our trip here and it was the perfect landing after the villa. It’s tucked away on the northeastern edge of the island so it feels remote and calm, and it sits on two beaches, including the Grand Cul de Sac lagoon, which is the single best stretch of water for kids in St. Barths. The pool is huge and family friendly. The kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel gear are complimentary and my kids were obsessed with the kayaks. There’s a quick little hike on property up to a lookout point that we loved doing in the mornings. The whole place was rebuilt in 2021, so it’s all fresh and beautiful.
Rosewood Explorers runs ages 4 to 11, it’s complimentary, and the programming is very St. Barths: turtle tracking, painting ceramics and seashells, scavenger hunts, French lessons. Harrison was obsessed. We talked to several families at the property who come back every single year specifically for it. There’s also babysitting on property with 24 hours notice, which covers date nights and kids too young for the club.
The signature suites go up to three bedrooms. We were upgraded to the Pelican Suite, a two bedroom with a living room, so Harrison had his own room and our daughter had space, and it was ideal for a family!!!
Complimentary Perks for Booking with Jetset Christina at Rosewood Le Guanahani:
- Complimentary one category upgrade upon arrival, based on availability
- €150 resort credit per room or suite, €250 per two bedroom suite, €350 per three bedroom suite
- Welcome note and amenity from the Managing Director
- Daily breakfast for up to two people per bedroom
- Complimentary early check in and late check out, subject to availability
That “per bedroom” is worth reading twice if you’re booking a three bedroom suite for a family!
to book, send me your dates here or feel free to browse & book my advisor-exclusive rates (with the perks above) on our hotel portal here (password JETSETTERS).
Eden Rock St. Barths: Iconic, With Two Things Families Need to Know
Eden Rock is the most famous hotel on the island and it earns it. Perched on a rock formation jutting into St. Jean Bay, signature red, every room and villa individually designed, there’s even a villa with a recording studio in it. It’s very, very cool.
Two things to know before you book with children, both straight from the hotel:
- Children of all ages are warmly welcomed and cribs are available on request. No age restriction.
- There’s no public swimming pool. Many suites and villas have their own private pool or jacuzzi, but if you’re picturing a resort pool where your kids splash while you read, it doesn’t exist here. There’s no dedicated kids club either, though Guest Relations will arrange swimming lessons, surf lessons, bodyboarding, sandcastle building, tennis and painting.
We visited Eden Rock four times without staying there, for coffee, breakfast and drinks after dinner, and I loved it!! Their coffee was my favorite on the island and I still dream about the waffles. Book the day before for the breakfast buffet, or pop in à la carte!
Complimentary Perks for Booking with Jetset Christina at Eden Rock:
- Dedicated VIP airport meet and greet from St. Maarten to St. Barths, plus complimentary airport transfer
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- American breakfast daily for up to two in room guests, served in the restaurant
- Complimentary Eden Rock Beach Set per room, including a branded beach bag and flip flops
- Early check in and late check out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
to book with FREE VIP perks, send me your dates here or feel free to browse & book my advisor-exclusive rates (with the perks above) on our hotel portal here (password JETSETTERS).
Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France: The Grown Up One
Cheval Blanc is the most indulgent hotel on the island and the beach at Flamands is spectacular. Casually elegant, bright white with pops of Caribbean color, sophisticated French beach club energy. It’s more intimate and more romantic than the Rosewood, and it’s where I’d send a couple or honeymooners first.
Would I bring my kids? I wouldn’t mind trying it. They do run children’s activities. Two notes though: Flamands gets real surf, so it isn’t a toddler wading beach, and their kids programming appears to be seasonal rather than a permanent year round club. If a kids club is a dealbreaker for you, ask me and I’ll confirm what’s actually running on your dates before you book anything.
Complimentary Perks for Booking with Jetset Christina at Cheval Blanc St-Barth:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Continental breakfast daily for up to two in room guests, in the restaurant or via room service
- Early check in and late check out, subject to availability
- $100 USD equivalent hotel credit to use during your stay
to book with FREE VIP perks, send me your dates here or feel free to browse & book my advisor-exclusive rates (with the perks above) on our hotel portal here (password JETSETTERS).
The Four Others Worth Knowing About
Le Barthélemy sits on the same Grand Cul de Sac lagoon as the Rosewood, with an infinity pool over the beach and a private serviced beach. It runs a complimentary kids club for guests, but only in July and August. If you’re planning Christmas or spring break assuming there’s a kids club here, that’s a real trap. Ask me and I’ll confirm your dates.
Le Sereno, also on Grand Cul de Sac, welcomes children of all ages, has kids menus at the restaurant and arranges babysitting through the team. Beautiful, calm water, design forward. It’s closed for the season and reopens November 16, 2026.
Hotel Christopher at Pointe Milou has an outdoor pool plus a dedicated children’s pool and babysitting, at a friendlier price point. The catch matters for families: Pointe Milou has no beach. It’s volcanic cliffs. You’ll drive to every beach day. Sunset drinks there are gorgeous though, we did exactly that.
to book with FREE VIP perks, send me your dates here or feel free to browse & book my advisor-exclusive rates (with the perks above) on our hotel portal here (password JETSETTERS).
Villa or Hotel in St. Barths With Kids?
Every villa company on the internet will tell you villa. Every hotel will tell you hotel. I book both, and I’ve done both on the same trip with my own kids, so here’s the truth.
When a Villa Wins
We started at Villa La Route du Rhum, a three bedroom on the hillside above St. Jean with the most ridiculous pool view on the island.
The math. Around $2,000 a night for three bedrooms versus $2,000 a night per hotel room. That third bedroom meant my husband and I had our baby girl with us, Harrison had his own room, and our nanny had her own space downstairs, all for the price of one hotel room.
Breakfast at home. With small kids this isn’t a small thing. Grocery shop, make eggs, let everyone wake up slowly, then go out for the day. It changes the rhythm of the whole trip.
Exploring. A villa trip is a more DIY trip. You rent a car, you drive around, you grocery shop, you explore the island! We loved it. It felt like exploring rather than fly and flopping.
When a Hotel Wins
Service!!!! Your villa has a manager, and that’s definitely not the same as a hotel concierge who helps with everything. There’s just nothing like a five star hotel bed, which a villa can’t compete with. And if your kid is 4 to 11, Rosewood Explorers kids club is amazing!
What we did: Both
We did villa for the first half and hotel for the second and it was the best of both worlds. Half the trip cooking and exploring in the heart of St. Jean, half the trip fully taken care of with a kids club and a lagoon. I set clients up this way a lot!
The Best St. Barths Beaches for Kids
Not every famous St. Barths beach works with children, and the guides that rank them by beauty are doing parents a disservice. Here they are ranked by how well they work with kids.
1. Grand Cul de Sac: The Calmest Water on the Island
If you take one thing from this post, take this. Grand Cul de Sac is the beach every family with young children needs to know about. A coral reef barrier protects the bay, so the water is calm, shallow and crystal clear for an absurd distance. You walk out and out and still stand.
And the turtles. Close to twenty green sea turtles live in this lagoon, feeding on the seagrass in three to ten feet of water. Snorkeling beside them in water you can stand up in is one of the great travel memories of my life, and my kids will never forget it.
2. Pearl Beach at St. Jean: The Planes on the beach!
Pearl Beach is the beach club on the Pelican end of St. Jean bay, and it was our single favorite day of the entire trip. Much more casual than the other clubs. A relaxed beach bar, about fifty euros for a chair, unpretentious and fun.
And the planes come in dramatically low right over the sand on approach to the runway. Harrison was transfixed. Every time. For hours. Don’t sleep on Pearl Beach.
The wider St. Jean beach, split down the middle by Eden Rock, has reef sheltered sections that are fine for kids and the best concentration of beach clubs on the island.
3. Lorient: Where the Local Families Go
Reef protected, calm to moderate surf, central, and the beach the island’s own families use. It gets small at high tide, so time it. It also doubles as a surf beach, which makes it a nice one to grow into with older kids.
4. Shell Beach: Five Minutes From Gustavia
Covered in tiny shells rather than sand (manage expectations, they’re little), calm water, easy swimming, five minutes on foot from the center of Gustavia. Perfect if you’re combining a beach hour with shopping or lunch. Shellona is right there and was one of my favorite meals on the island, though it skews adult, so think long lunch rather than toddler afternoon.
5. Colombier: The Adventure One, For Bigger Kids
Reachable only by a twenty to thirty minute hike or by boat. No road, no facilities, no shade beyond a palm grove. The snorkeling is the best on the island and the turtles here are the most reliable sighting anywhere in St. Barths. A fantastic day with a seven year old and an impossible one with a two year old. Bring water and food!
The Beaches I’d Skip With Little Kids
- Anse de Toiny. Strong rip currents, not recommended for swimming at all. It’s a surf break. Go look at it, do lunch at Le Toiny’s beach club, which is lovely with kids and has turtles right by shore, but don’t put a small child in that water.
- Anse des Cayes. Surf break. Great for lessons, wrong for wading.
- Flamands. Beautiful and sweeping, with consistent wave action and real surf at times. Fine for confident swimmers and body surfers, and no place for a toddler.
- Anse de Grande Saline and Gouverneur. Stunning, but undeveloped with no facilities and no shade, and both are common topless spots. Beautiful morning stops, not full family beach days.
Where to Eat in St. Barths With Kids
The food scene here is one of the best in the Caribbean, and you don’t have to give it up because you brought children.
Bonito was the best dinner of our trip and we brought the kids. Harbor views, exceptional food, a see and be seen room where the food actually matches the setting. It handled a toddler beautifully.
L’Esprit is an open air garden with candles and palm trees, and it would be magical with little ones at an early seating. Get the duck spring rolls.
Gypsea Beach on Pelican Beach is barefoot luxury, eating in the sand, tropical fusion and BBQ, a rum bar for you. For them: water sports, paddleboarding, ice cream, an adorable turtle nursery, and friendly goats and iguanas that wander right through the property. Easily the most kid friendly of the beach clubs.
Deli Food deserves its own line. It’s essentially Uber Eats for St. Barths, delivering from restaurants all over the island straight to your villa, hotel or even the beach, plus groceries and wine. We ordered pizza to the villa terrace one night after a long sun soaked day and it was one of my favorite nights of the trip.
Monoprix Organic was one of our first stops and the quality was outstanding. French cheeses, charcuterie, wine, fresh bread, shockingly good grocery store sushi. Building a sunset cheese board on the terrace while the kids swim is peak St. Barths.
And where to leave them home: Le Ti St Barth (adults only, cabaret and DJs) and Bar des Prés (no under 10s after 7pm). Both are worth a sitter.
Things to Do in St. Barths With Kids Beyond the Beach
Rent a Moke for a day. If you have bigger kids, a little open air beach buggy, delivered right to your villa or hotel, is such a fun way to see the island. Not practical with car seats and little ones, but if you have a sitter for an afternoon it’s a blast. We did it and loved it.
Take a catamaran day trip. Full days run roughly 9am to 5pm out to Île Fourchue and Colombier, with snorkel gear, paddleboards and life jackets in all sizes. The move for kids who swim well.
Book surf or kitesurf lessons for older kids. Tropicsurf runs out of Manapany at Anse des Cayes. Kitesurfing happens in the Grand Cul de Sac lagoon with certified schools. Minimum ages vary by operator, so confirm before you commit.
Go looking for animals. Iguanas, wild goats, tortoises, pelicans, all roaming free. Drive the hillside roads with your eyes open. It’s a free safari and it was one of Harrison’s favorite parts of the whole week.
Getting to St. Barths With Kids: Flight or Ferry?
Let me save you from my own mistake. Take the flight!!!
I was nervous about the tiny planes with little ones, so we took the boat. It was about an hour, it was rough, and even on a decent day it was nauseating. After a long travel day from the US, the last thing you want is a choppy crossing before your vacation has started. I’d fly next time without hesitation!
There are no direct long haul flights to St. Barths and there never will be. The runway is 2,119 feet. Nothing bigger than a small turboprop lands here.
Your two best routes with kids:
Via St. Maarten (SXM). Winair flies SXM to St. Barths in about 15 minutes on a Twin Otter. St. Barth Commuter runs the same route on a nine seat Cessna Grand Caravan. Fastest, most frequency.
Via San Juan (SJU) on Tradewind. This is the one I’d recommend most. Tradewind runs a scheduled semi private service on a Pilatus PC-12: pressurized, air conditioned, two pilots, eight forward facing seats, San Juan to St. Barths direct in about 55 minutes. San Juan has plenty of direct US flights, and the real prize is that you clear US customs in Puerto Rico on the way home, which makes the travel day dramatically easier with tired kids.
Four things to keep in mind!
- There are no flights after dusk. The airport has no runway lighting. If your US flight lands late into SXM or SJU, you’re not getting to St. Barths that night.
- Baggage limits are tight and real. Tradewind allows 50 pounds total per seated guest, including carry ons and personal items. St. Barth Commuter allows 23kg checked plus 12kg cabin on scheduled flights. A family of four hits that faster than you’d think.
- Infants generally fly on a lap. St. Barth Commuter carries infants 0 to 24 months on a guardian’s lap with an extra 10kg allowance for stroller and baby gear, and one adult can’t travel with two babies. Policies vary by operator, so confirm yours when you book, or let me handle it.
- The landing is famously dramatic. Short runway, steep approach over the Col de la Tourmente. But nothing to be scared of! People find it thrilling rather than frightening, and if your kid already loves watching the planes come in at Pearl Beach, they’ll think it’s the best part of the trip.
My air team can help find the smart routings, and is on call 24/7 if anything goes sideways on the day. With small children and a connection this tight, that’s worth a lot! Reach out here!
Getting Around: Cars, Car Seats and Gear
You need a rental car. There’s no Uber, no Lyft and no bus. Taxis exist, but there are only two official stands (the airport and Gustavia), they aren’t metered, and availability is VERY hit or miss (mostly miss). Arrange them through your hotel or villa manager, a day ahead, and mostly for nights when you’re drinking.
Rent the smallest car that fits your family. The roads are narrow, steep and winding and they demand your full attention. This is not the island for a big SUV. Automatics are widely available.
On car seats: this is the question parents ask online constantly and never get a straight answer to. Here’s mine, from our trip: our rental car came with car seats. We used TopLoc. Confirm the seat type and direction in writing before you land rather than assuming, and if you’re traveling with an infant, bring or rent an infant seat rather than hoping.
Rent your baby gear on island. We used Saint Barth Provider and it was one of the smartest things we did. Cribs, a pool slide, beach equipment, all waiting for us. Flying in on nine seat aircraft with strict weight limits is not the trip to be hauling a pack and play across the Caribbean.
Is St. Barths stroller friendly? Partly. Gustavia and the flat stretches of St. Jean are fine. Hillside villas, beach paths and the Colombier hike are not. A carrier will serve you better most days.
Babysitting and Childcare in St. Barths
Yes, it exists, and you should use it for at least one dinner!!
Rosewood Le Guanahani arranges sitters with 24 hours notice. Le Sereno arranges them through the team. Hotel Christopher offers babysitting. Eden Rock’s Guest Relations team arranges private children’s activities including swimming and surf lessons.
There are also independent sitters on the island who’ll come to your hotel, villa or boat with toys and games, and who can transport children with proper car seats. If you book with me I’ll get you vetted names and lock in the nights before you arrive, because the good ones go fast in high season.
Best Time to Visit St. Barths With Kids
High season is mid December through mid April. Dry, warm, breezy, gorgeous, busiest, most expensive.
Christmas and New Year is a different sport entirely. Roughly December 20 to January 5 is peak demand, and you should expect fourteen night minimum stays at many villas and rates well above standard high season. The best villas for those weeks go nine to twelve months out!!!
My pick for families: November, or late April into May. We went in early April and it was perfect. Not crowded at all, and parking was easy everywhere, which is not something you can say in February. November is the other sweet spot: the island has reopened, hurricane peak has passed, festive pricing hasn’t kicked in, and the Gourmet Festival is on.
Two windows to avoid. September into early October, when most hotels close at the end of August and reopen mid October and the island genuinely shuts down, independent restaurants included. And the Bucket Regatta in March (March 17 to 21, 2027) plus Les Voiles in April, both spectacular to watch from shore with kids and both brutal for accommodation, with long minimum stays
What a St. Barths Family Trip Actually Costs
Hotel rooms start around $2,000 a night. Cocktails run 20 to 25 euros, wine 15 to 20. Beach chairs at a club are around 50 euros at the casual end and considerably more at the showy ones. A 5% tourist tax applies to accommodation.
Here’s how we kept it sane with kids:
- The villa did the heaviest lifting. Three bedrooms at roughly $2,000 a night versus two or three hotel rooms is not a close comparison for a family. A few nights in a villa left budget for us to splurge on a hotel for a few nights.
- Grocery shop and eat breakfast at home. Monoprix Organic, cheese board at sunset, one of the best parts of the trip.
- Deli Food delivery for the nights everyone’s fried from sun and salt.
- Lunch over dinner. Some of the very best meals here are at lunch and the menus are more approachable.
- Mix your beach clubs. One splurge day at Shellona or Nikki, one relaxed day at Pearl Beach.
- Pop into the icons instead of staying at them. We had breakfast and coffee at Eden Rock three times and rosé at Cheval Blanc without booking a night at either. You get the full experience without the full bill.
What to Pack for St. Barths With Kids
Reef safe sunscreen (you’re swimming in a nature reserve), Kenny Flowers kids swimwear of course (and matching swimsuits for the whole family!) rash guards, hats that stay on in the Grand Cul de Sac wind, water shoes for Shell Beach, kid sized snorkel masks if you have them, and a carrier rather than a stroller for most days. The rest is in my ultimate tropical beach vacation packing guide.
wearing her favorite girls dress
St. Barths With Kids: FAQs
Is St. Barths kid friendly? Yes. It’s small, safe, and has calm reef protected beaches, sea turtles in shallow water and animals roaming everywhere. It isn’t a big resort island with structured programming. One hotel, Rosewood Le Guanahani, has a real kids club, for ages 4 to 11.
Which hotel in St. Barths has a kids club? Rosewood Le Guanahani runs Rosewood Explorers for ages 4 to 11, complimentary for guests, with turtle tracking, crafts, scavenger hunts and French lessons. Le Barthélemy runs a kids club in July and August only.
Does Eden Rock have a pool or a kids club? Eden Rock has no public swimming pool (several suites and villas have private ones) and no dedicated kids club, though children of all ages are welcome and the team arranges private lessons and activities.
How do you get to St. Barths with kids? There are no direct long haul flights. You connect via St. Maarten (15 minutes on a Twin Otter), San Juan (about 55 minutes on Tradewind’s semi private Pilatus, and you clear US customs in Puerto Rico on the way home), Antigua or Guadeloupe.
Should we take the ferry to St. Barths with kids? I wouldn’t. We did, and it took about an hour and was rough enough to be nauseating on a decent day. Fly.
Is the flight into St. Barths scary with children? The approach is steep and the runway is short, and it’s one of the most talked about landings in the Caribbean. Most people find it exhilarating, and kids who love the plane watching at Pearl Beach usually think it’s the highlight of the trip.
Do you need a car in St. Barths? Yes. No Uber, no Lyft, no bus, and taxis are limited to two stands and need arranging ahead. Rent the smallest automatic you can.
Can you get car seats in St. Barths? Our rental came with them (we used TopLoc). Confirm seat type and direction in writing with the agency before you arrive, and consider bringing your own infant seat.
Which beach in St. Barths is best for young kids? Grand Cul de Sac. A reef barrier keeps it shallow and calm for an enormous distance, and close to twenty sea turtles live in the lagoon.
Are there topless beaches in St. Barths? Yes. It’s a French island and topless sunbathing is common and unremarkable. It’s most prevalent at Anse de Grande Saline and Gouverneur, and full nudity is tolerated at Saline. Grand Cul de Sac, St. Jean, Lorient and Shell Beach are the most conservative.
Are St. Barths restaurants kid friendly? Far more than you’d expect. We took our kids to Bonito, Le Toiny, Pearl Beach and Gypsea with zero issue. Le Ti St Barth is adults only and Bar des Prés won’t seat children under 10 after 7pm.
Is there babysitting in St. Barths? Yes. Rosewood Le Guanahani arranges it with 24 hours notice, Le Sereno and Hotel Christopher offer it, and there are independent credentialed sitters who come to your villa or hotel. Book ahead in high season.
How many days do you need in St. Barths with kids? A week, and I’d split it: villa for the first half, hotel for the second. Note that high season often carries a seven night minimum and festive weeks can require fourteen.
Do you need a passport for St. Barths? Yes. US and Canadian citizens need a valid passport (six months validity is advised) and a return or onward ticket. No visa for stays under 90 days. You need it for the ferry too.
What’s the best time to visit St. Barths with kids? November, or late April into May. Both give you good weather, far smaller crowds and better pricing than peak. Avoid September into early October, when most hotels close for the season.
Have you taken your kids to St. Barths, or are you thinking about it? Tell me in the comments which part you’re stuck on, I answer every one!
Ready to Plan Your St. Barths Family Trip?
That’s what I’m here for! And if this is your first time booking with a travel advisor, you should know that hotel (or villa) bookings are always free! you pay the hotel’s own best available rate. But you get VIP perks! at no cost to you.
At the Rosewood specifically, booking through me means a €350 resort credit on a three bedroom suite and daily breakfast for two people per bedroom, which for a family is breakfast for six, every single morning, at no cost to you! That’s the shape of it at most luxury hotels in the world: complimentary breakfast daily, a resort credit of $100 or more, complimentary room upgrades when available, VIP recognition on property, and early check in and late check out when available.
Fill out this inquiry form here and I’ll help you plan your trip, or you can go directly to my travel portal and see my exclusive travel advisor rates and book yourself with all of my perks included! The password is always JETSETTERS (save this page to your bookmarks for future trips!)
And if you want the full island guide for every kind of trip, not just family ones, it’s all here in my Ultimate St. Barths Travel Guide.
What to wear as a family in St. Barths
Chic matching family outfits for vacation of course
