Arrive via Sint Maarten. Your inter-island flight to Gustaf III Airport (SBH) takes roughly 10 minutes. Collect your pre-booked rental car at the airport — do not arrive without one. Check into your hotel or villa. Evening: walk Gustavia’s harbor, have an aperitif at Le Select bar (a St Barts institution since 1949), dinner at Do Brazil on Shell Beach.

Morning swim at Saint Jean Beach — the island’s most social and central beach. Lunch at Eden Rock’s On the Rock restaurant (book ahead). Afternoon: explore Gustavia’s boutiques (Hermès, Cartier, local designers). Sunset drinks at the harbor. Dinner at Le Gaïac at Hotel Le Toiny.

Drive to Gouverneur Beach — arguably the island’s most beautiful — for the morning. Lunch at the simple beachside snack bar. Afternoon: walk over the hill to Saline Beach, where clothing is optional and the salt pond behind the beach is photographically extraordinary. Dinner at Bonito in Gustavia for contemporary cuisine.

The centerpiece of any St Barts week. Your pre-booked boat or catamaran charter departs from Gustavia harbor. Sail to Colombier Beach (no road access — the snorkeling is exceptional), anchor in a secluded bay, swim, have lunch on deck. Return to harbor at sunset. Dinner ashore at La Langouste in Flamands.

Drive to Grand Cul de Sac — the island’s protected lagoon, ideal for kitesurfing, paddleboarding, and calm-water swimming. Lunch at Le Sereno’s beach restaurant. Afternoon: spa treatment if booked in advance. Dinner at Orega in Grand Cul de Sac.

Early morning hike from Petite Anse to Colombier Beach — 30 minutes each way, extraordinary views. Swim at the beach, return by noon. Drive to Flamands Beach for lunch at Cheval Blanc’s Bar’bord (open to non-guests, book ahead). Afternoon at the island’s finest beach. Farewell dinner at La Guerite in Gustavia.

Last morning at your favorite beach or villa pool. Return your rental car to the airport. Inter-island flight to Sint Maarten, then your international connection home.