St. Barts Car Rental | Le-Select Cheeseburger in Paradise | Shell Beach

What a way and what a destination to spend the last full day of this Classic Caribbean Windstar Cruise: Fabulous St. Barts as we Americans refer to is. As I have described - each morning was a site to behold with our first glance of sail boats anchored in the vicinity and the occasional cruise ships nearby. But clearly the best was saved for last. I could not contain the smile I had when I witnessed all the neighboring yachts basking in the sparkling blue Caribbean waters. Truly St. Barts is the glamour capital of the Caribbean and is the home for rich and/or famous. If you want an example, Google Chopi Chopi yacht.

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The skies are glorious and the waters are reflecting the sun's glow. After another fabulous breakfast on deck at the Veranda we are off to explore. We have reserved a rental car so we can explore St. Barts in depth at our leisure making sure we don't miss anything on our long To-Do List.

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For those of you who relish shopping - there is none better than Rue de la Republique, the main street along the harbor in St Barts. Bvlgari, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada and dozens more high end shops line the streets on both sides of Gustavia harbor.

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With map in hand we are off to experience St Barts. Flamands, Colombier, one beautiful beach after another, and a stop to overlook the airport runway. The shortest runway in the Caribbean sits between a mountain drop and the Saint Jean Bay. Prepare to get buzzed as the private aircraft barely clear the road before dropping quickly on to the runway.

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We thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic eastern end of the island with one Cul-de-Sac bay next to another near Marigot. Popular restaurants line the beach while expensive homes perch on the side of cliffs delivering spectacular views of the mighty Atlantic Ocean.

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No self-respecting Jimmy Buffett fan would visit St. Barts without gazing at Autour du Rocher, what's left of it, above the village of Lorient. Well, certainly I did. What a history. And the same goes for Le-Select, where Cheeseburgers in Paradise and Heineken were consumed in mass quantity.

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By all means explore the harbor by foot. Wonderful ambiance, amazing shops, and restaurants that rival those in France. You can certainly take advantage of the world-class cuisine since the Wind Surf anchors until 10 PM. And while you are exploring stroll over to Shell Beach. It's a bit of a hike and somewhat uphill. But behold, a beach entirely covered in millions of shells. I kid you not. Shell Beach, by the way, is a great locale for sunsets.

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As for excursions start with something on the water if you can pull yourself away from Gustavia. The rugged, scenic coastline and spectacular private homes along the coast make for wonderful viewing objects for any type of sailing. Snorkeling is excellent and the Semi-sub gives you a terrific look beneath the surface. There are also diving excursions and a sunset sail. Or explore the island via a private driver or on your own as we did, it's easy.

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Back onboard the Wind Surf we admired the gorgeous views of St. Barts, the neighboring yachts, enjoyed the final Sail Away ritual and marveled at one final Caribbean sunset from the deck. We enjoyed our final delicious dinner in AmphorA and even asked for some Escargot from Stella Bistro, which our server graciously complied with.

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DRINK OF THE DAY: Mojitos Madness
A variety of Mojitos are available.

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