Anguilla or St. Barths?

We're stopping in St. Maarten for the second time this summer, and I'm thinking of taking a daytrip to either Anguilla or St. Barths -continuing on my quest to visit every single Caribbean island possible.... which one would you recommend for beauty/picturesqueness - not going to snorkel but might hit the beach, lunch, shopping....Thanks in advance for any input!

Anguilla is closer, so the ferry ride is pretty quick and the channel between the islands is pretty calm. We've never been; others say it is nice, but not much to do there other than go to the beaches. We have been to St. Barth's. The ride over from St. Maarten is rougher (can't actually vouch for this as our cruise stopped at St. Barth's itself, again going by what others say) and will drop you off in Gustavia. You can see some pretty impressive yachts in the harbor and there is plenty of shopping there, too. It will be expensive. Within walking distance there are the ruins of Fort Karl overlooking the town and Shell Beach, which you can also walk to. We did a cab tour around the whole island which was around €70 (about $80) for four of us, if that gives you an idea of costs.

We're stopping in St. Maarten for the second time this summer, and I'm thinking of taking a daytrip to either Anguilla or St. Barths -continuing on my quest to visit every single Caribbean island possible.... which one would you recommend for beauty/picturesqueness - not going to snorkel but might hit the beach, lunch, shopping....Thanks in advance for any input!

If your ship is offering an excursion to St. Bart's then by all means purchase it and enjoy this beautiful little island. If not then your only real option would be Anguilla. Taxi to Marigot and then ferry over to Anguilla. The beaches are beautiful for sure. Wouldn't be something that I would do while on a cruise stop to St. Maarten but it can be done quite easily.

Keep in mind that st. Bart's closes up in the afternoon like in Europe, so majority of shops were closed when we went...plus it was the worst ferry ride over...so rough..I was si ck the entire time both ways...

Keep in mind that you must have a passport to go to either island from St. Martin. That said, there is more to see on St. Barths, but shopping there is obscenely pricey - better to do it in Phillipsburg.

Keep in mind that st. Bart's closes up in the afternoon like in Europe, so majority of shops were closed when we went...plus it was the worst ferry ride over...so rough..I was si ck the entire time both ways...

That pretty much confirms what I've heard about the rough ride. So glad our cruise stopped in St. Barth's itself. We only had to deal with the mass confusion of tendering to shore!

We stopped at St. Baths three times on Maasdam and loved each visit. Be sure to take a tour if you go. There are lovely places for lunch and very enjoyable shopping.

If your ship is offering an excursion to St. Bart's then by all means purchase it and enjoy this beautiful little island. If not then your only real option would be Anguilla. Taxi to Marigot and then ferry over to Anguilla. The beaches are beautiful for sure. Wouldn't be something that I would do while on a cruise stop to St. Maarten but it can be done quite easily.

karysa has it right about St. Barths. If your ship offers the excursion, then go for it, but not if just on your own, as you may very well miss the ship.

I posted this back in January.

Day trips to St. Barths usually just don't work for cruisers.

 

I'm aware of three ferries, but your 8-5 port time just doesn't work for any of them.

 

The Great Bay Express says 45 minutes from Great Bay, and The Voyager claims 30 minutes from Oyster Pond, but for both the only return that would work would be basically just stay on the boat and ride it back.

 

The Edge, from Simpson Bay, says 45 minutes and has a return that just might almost work, but check in for the trip to St. Barths is at 8:00.

 

Any of these would cost you about $80 - $90 per person, plus significant port fees.

 

Most flights are from Grand Case, airport code SFG. I didn't easily come across flight schedules, but prices were about €140 per person. I'm pretty sure there are also departure fees.

gary