It\u2019s the only beach on the island you can reach on foot from a harbor, espresso in hand. Shell Beach, literally \u00abthe beach of seashells,\u00bb borders Gustavia on the south side: a cove framed by cliffs, carpeted with millions of seashells carried in by the currents. Both urban and wild, it deserves more than just a quick stop\u2014it\u2019s a destination in its own right.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no fine sand here, but rather a carpet of seashells that crunch underfoot\u2014be sure to wear sandals when you go into the water. Swimming is delightful when the sea is calm, and the rocky ends of the cove offer a lovely impromptu snorkeling<\/a>, just a stone's throw from the outdoor seating areas. The cliffs provide a bit of shade in the late afternoon\u2014a rare commodity on the island's beaches.<\/p>\n Shell Beach boasts the most beautiful urban sunset in St. Barths. In the late afternoon, the cove slowly fills up: swimmers taking their last dip of the day, photographers, and regulars who\u2019ve come to enjoy a drink while gazing out at the horizon. The atmosphere is laid-back\u2014neither a beach club nor a deserted beach\u2014something in between, very Gustavian.<\/p>\n The winning combination: a morning at Visit Gustavia<\/a> \u2014 Fort Karl, the narrow streets, the harbor \u2014, lunch near the beach, a nap and a swim at Shell Beach, then some shopping in the cool of the evening before dinner in town. From Grande Saline, where do we stay? at a lodge or bed-and-breakfast<\/a>, the capital is just ten minutes away: you can treat yourself to a day in the city and return to the tranquility of the valley that very evening.<\/p>\n It\u2019s very tempting to fill your pockets\u2014resist the urge. The shells are what define this place, and taking them in large quantities would deplete them; take pictures, sort through them, and put them back. It\u2019s the same principle as everywhere else on the island: St. Barths\u2019 beauty depends on everyone taking care of it.<\/p>\n Is Shell Beach suitable for children? Yes, when the sea is calm\u2014just make sure they wear sandals to look for shells; when there\u2019s a swell from the south, the breaking waves require caution.<\/p>\n Are there any restaurants on site? Right nearby, yes\u2014it\u2019s one of the few beaches on the island where you can combine lunch and swimming without needing a car.<\/p>\n Is it easy to park there? The easiest option is to park in Gustavia and walk the rest of the way; the beach is a five-minute walk from the harbor.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" C’est la seule plage de l’\u00eele o\u00f9 l’on arrive \u00e0 pied depuis un port, un espresso \u00e0 la main. Shell Beach, litt\u00e9ralement \u00ab la plage aux coquillages \u00bb, borde Gustavia c\u00f4t\u00e9 sud : une crique encadr\u00e9e de falaises, tapiss\u00e9e de millions de coquillages apport\u00e9s par les courants. Urbaine et sauvage \u00e0 la fois, elle m\u00e9rite […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conseils-voyage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20079,"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20016\/revisions\/20079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.st-barth-fleurdelune.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Evening Get-Together<\/h2>\n
Incorporate it into your day<\/h2>\n
The seashells stay on the beach<\/h2>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n