The French-Caribbean Island of Saint Barthelemy is known for its high-season madness of yacht-hopping, crowds and beaches bursting with girls in bikinis and stilettos.  And 25-year-old native New Yorker, Aura Arslanian, has been going to the island every year since she was 18 months old.  Arslanian has since embraced the glitz of the tourists while still partying like an islander.

In the New Year, Arslanian is moving to the island for a few months to work as a chef at Maya’s, one of the most famous restaurants in the Caribbean, around for more than 30 years.  “It’s clean French Creole food.  Maya doesn’t do any deep-frying.  It’s very simple and modern yet tropical.  She does a great chicken coco curry and has the best Planters punch and Pina Coladas.” 

Of St. Barts, she says: “It’s still one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.  I like it any time of the year, but I prefer it in the summer when it’s [full of] locals and people who have been going there their entire life. The New Year’s Eve yacht-hopping is really tacky but fun.  Last year Paul Allen had the biggest yacht.  I also like the house parties of the islanders, which New Yorkers only come to if I invite them. There are a lot of great old houses.  Or we’ll set up speakers on the beach.”  Although Saint Barts has changed significantly over the years, there are still no Club Meds, big commercial resorts or Starbucks.  “It hasn’t become Ibiza,” Arslanian says, “and it’s safer than most islands so you can walk around half-naked.” 

Considering Arslanian’s intimacy with Saint Barts, we asked her to disclose her favorite spots: 

Le Select - “In town, where everyone goes after the beach to have beers and burgers.” 

Le Feeling - “A great disco to dance that’s run by a strange vampire family that you never see during the day.  It’s the place where all your regrets come the next day.”

Le Tamarin - “You feel like you’re in Bali, the food is great, and it’s been there forever.  It’s also near two of the best beaches: Saline and Govenors.”

Le Yacht Club – “Great place to people watch.  There’s a traditional yacht club and a disco.”

Grand Fond Beach – “Best beach to look at the sky from the ocean.  It’s very windy and rocky."

Shell Beach – “It’s the best place to look at the sunset.” 

Beach Flamands – “My favorite beach because the waves are more rough and you can body surf.”

Washing Machine – “It’s a secret cove.  You have to climb up a cliff to get to it.  The waves are huge and can be dangerous.  It’s not for people who aren’t good swimmers.”

Sabine –“Sabine makes her own linen, silks and lingerie.”

Black Swan – “Next to Sabine.  Where you get all the flip-flops, bikinis and sunscreen.  They have low-end to La Perla.” 

Saint Barts Store – “They make all the Saint Barts hats, bags and T-shirts.”

Shell Beach – “Where we go after partying, usually around 6am, to smoke a joint, dance to raga music and make out with a cute surfer.”

St. Jean Beach – “It’s the best place to make out.  The beach is lit up at night.  It’s where Eden Rock Hotel is and they leave beds out on the beach at night.  Amazing place for looking at the sky, moon and stars.”

Hotels – “Eden Rock in St. Jean Town, or the Isle De France, on Flammond Beach, the most chi-chi hotel on the island.”

~Sara Costello

Go There:

Mayas Restaurant, 05 90 27 75 73, mayasrestaurant@wanadoo.fr

Le Select, Gustavia, 05 90 27 86 87.  Be sure to say hello to the owner, the unofficial mayor of St. Barts. 

Le Feeling, Lurin, 05 90 52 84 09.  Don’t miss the midnight Cabaret show. 

Le Tamarin, Saline, 05 90 27 72 12 & 05 90 27 28 20

Le Yacht Club, Rue Jeanne d’Arc, Gustavia, 06 90 49 23 33

Beach Flamands st-barths.com

Washing Machine Beach, follow the 20-minute hike around the shoreline along Grand Fond.

Black Swan, Le Carré d’Or, Gustavia, 05 90 27 65 16

Saint Barts Store sbhjournal.com/

Grand Fond Beach gotostbarths.com

Shell Beach st-barths.com

Eden Rock Hotel edenrockhotel.com

Isle De France Hotel isle-de-france.com