Gustavia

The Swedish heritage of St. Barts is felt in the capital of Gustavia. The first colonists were the French, who arrived in 1645, but later sold the land to the Knights of Malta. France bought the island back from Sweden in 1878, and today it is considered part of the Dependency of Guadeloupe, an Overseas Department of France. St. Barts has long been considered a playground of the rich and famous and is known for its beaches, gourmet dining and designer shopping.

The following Shore Excursions are available for this port on this cruise, and may be reserved beginning 180 days before the cruise begins.

St. Barts Island Overview
Tour Code: STB-407
Duration: 1 1/4 hours
Retail Value: $79.00
Price: Free

Explore the historic sites and scenic beauty of St. Barts during this brief, but picturesque orientation drive through the island.

Depart the pier for the drive through St. Barts. Your first stop will be at Le Col de la Tourmente, which overlooks St. Jean Beach, the island's most popular beach, and the airport. From here, you will continue on to Salines. At one time, St. Barts exported salt throughout the Caribbean from this industrial area. You will then drive through Petite Salines, the only place on the island where the ocean is not visible, before proceeding to Grand Fonds. From here, you will take in breathtaking views and photo opportunities overlooking the green valley and raging ocean breaking on the shoreline. It is very windy here, and the landscape is vastly different from the rest of the island. Only a few years ago, Grand Fond was the cattle center of St. Barts, and home to numerous cows, goats and sheep.

Next, you will drive along the coast and pass by the oceanfront house that once belonged to the famous Russian dancer, Rudolf Nureyev. You will then Pass Petit-Cul de Sac, the small salt pond, and Grand Cul de Sac. This scenic locale features a large lagoon, many hotels and resorts, and hosts the 24-hour windsurfing regatta held in August each year. Your drive will continue to Marigot, famous for its wine shop, La Cave, which stocks more than 300,000 bottles of wine. From here, you will pass the flower-filled cemeteries of L'Orient, La Vigie and Coupe Gorge en route to St. Jean. You will then take the road to Corossol, and climb one last hill before returning to Gustavia.

Depending on traffic conditions, your taxi will either stop in the parking lot next to the pier, or in town at the main taxi station.

Please note: This is not a guided tour; it is an orientation drive of the island. The mini-bus taxi drivers speak varying degrees of English with a heavy French-West Indian accent.

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Terms & Conditions:

Free Unlimited Shore Excursions are for full fare guests only, capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions (indicated by the above) and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance. Therefore no refunds will be given within 36 hours of tour departure for cancellations or no-shows. Please pay special attention to scheduling and tour lengths when booking your shore excursions. In many cases, it is not possible to participate in more than one tour per day in a given port. Tours operate rain or shine. Tours require minimum participation levels to operate so please sign up as early as possible. Tours may be cancelled if minimum participation levels are not met. Prices, Itineraries and General Information shore excursion prices are subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases or currency fluctuations. Please consult the Destination Services Desk onboard for information. During local or national holidays, access to certain facilities (such as museums or archaeological sites) may be limited or denied. In such instances, adjustments will be made to minimize inconvenience to guests. Some tours have limited availability. Tours are generally available for reserving 180 days prior to the beginning of a cruise. Please sign up early to avoid disappointment. Regent Seven Seas Cruises reserves the right to require guests to complete a liability waiver for select shore excursions. For more information, please visit the Destination Services Desk onboard.