Ezralite12

Has anyone ever heard of Point de Marin beach in St. Barts? Chairs, umbrellas, food, changing rooms? Thanks

I've heard of (but not been to) a similarly named beach on Martinique, but I don't know of one in St. Barts.

We took the bus to Maho. $2 per person. Easy to do.:)

Thank you! I will be traveling alone and was concerned about the cost of a taxi round trip. $2 for a bus is music to my ears. :)

Has anyone done a self guided walking tour? Maybe to the light house, then back across the bridge and toward town? Is it safe during the day light hours? Worth doing? :confused:

I did exactly this last week (Tuesday, 2/23). I am 32/F, went alone, and had no problems at all, save one. I am decidedly overweight, a trait which is found attractive to many men in many islands/Caribbean ports. I am a magnet for unwanted attention of that nature, particularly in the form of advances and lewd comments. This held true for me in Belize City.

As you make your way out of the gates to the right towards the lighthouse, there are a number of locals selling their wares (jewelry, wood carvings, t-shirts and the like). They can be a bit pushy, but the second or third, "No, thank you," worked just fine. After reaching the lighthouse, I walked back through the entrance to the Radisson and weaved my way through a few streets. There really isn't much of interest in the area, though the Taiwan embassy (which looked abandonded), the Red Cross center and a school were interesting finds. It is pretty isolated out that way, especially along the water near and past the lighthouse.

I made it back to the port gates and headed towards the bridge. There are a few shops and restaurants out that way. There are quite a few tour operators in that vicinity, and just like the locals I mentioned above, they were also be a bit pushy.

Across the bridge are many shops and services. Nothing I would say is of "don't miss" quality, but sufficient to kill some time. Brodie's is a good general store if you need to pick up anything - you can see the back side of it when your tender docks at the port.

The taxi drivers are almost as persistent as those in Ocho Rios. For those easily intimidated, it may feel threatening. I am somewhat of an intrepid traveler, and I never felt unsafe (by comparison, there were times in Ocho Rios where I felt uncomfortable). No one ever touched me or seemed menacing. And aside from the tour operators/taxi drivers, I found everyone else to be very kind and welcoming. For instance, I stopped in one pharmacy to pick up some band aids, and the cashier told me my mascara had smeared and offered me a paper towel to clean up.

If you do this self-guided tour, I would be mindful of the time you go. I got a late start and found that a number of shops closed for lunch between 12 and 1:30, about the time I did most of my exploring. Although I was alone, I would obviously recommend that anyone bring a buddy along for the trip. I also second the recommendation that you bring sturdy, comfortable shoes (I wore open toe Tevas and had no problems).

Have fun!