A real Saint-Barth spirit
The spirit of Saint-Barth is everywhere... On t-shirts, thanks to island designers like Pati de St-Barth, on paintings like those by artist Les Petits Carreaux, in fragrances by Ligne St-Barth. An island that inspires, that breathes new ideas and instills a resolutely positive attitude. What's the island's secret? Achieving the perfect blend of prestige and simplicity is an art in itself! Here, more than anywhere else, extremely luxurious hotels such as the Christopher Hotel, Eden Rock, Le Sereno... blend with more humble residences, not devoid of charm, such as Les Sucriers Cottageor the family-friendly Hôtel Les Ondines sur la Plage in Grand-Cul-de Sac. The spirit of Saint-Barth means being sociable, taking your time, showing solidarity and opening up to others. A tolerance that has become a true philosophy of life. The beaches are all public and maintained by the local green services and volunteers from associations such as Island Nature pX and theSt Barth Essentiel association . It's a real pleasure to enjoy the peace and quiet of beaches free of advertising hoardings!
A not always idyllic reality!
At first glance, you might think that living in the tropics is a daydream every day of the year... But it hasn't always been easy for the native inhabitants to survive on such a small, arid, waterless and inaccessible island! Living in Saint-Barth means being aware that paradise comes at a price. Living on a small territory, accepting to speak fluent English, benefiting from a minimal healthcare service (only one small hospital: the De Bruyn Hospital with just 20 beds), planning for young people to move abroad if they want to continue their studies: only one secondary school with a capacity of 400 young people and a total of five schools welcoming a total of 1,258 pupils enrolled in 2019 in the various private and public structures.
Fragile point: housing
Population growth poses housing challenges, and many people (especially seasonal workers) are forced to live in shared accommodation and move house several times a year. The passage of Irma in 2017 and reconstruction have also accentuated the phenomenon. A housing crisis that we don't suspect in the face of a large tourist accommodation offer made up of around 70% villas and 30% hotels that can accommodate 270,000 visitors a year. Social housing does not exist on the island. Since 2019, the local authority's social service has been combating over-occupancy and no longer hesitates to condemn landlords offering unsanitary accommodation.
