A little piece of France in the Caribbean, St Barts combines the best of St Tropez with life in the tropics. The moment you land on the island (and that landing!) you know you’ve found a truly special place. While the love we have for this petite slice of paradise is endless, here are our top 7 reasons for booking a stay in St Barts today.

1. It’s Hard to Get To

St Barts started out as a haven for the likes of David Rockefeller, and the island still has an exclusive feel, with a notable absence of big resorts. Cruise liners can’t dock here, and casinos cannot be built. So while the island has all the benefits of the Caribbean – duty free shopping, endless sunshine – it has few of the drawbacks. Add the fact that the only ways to reach St Barts are via boat, or 10-seater twin-engine prop plane (or private jet of course), even in high season the place doesn’t feel overcrowded.

2. Incredible Beaches

At St Barts’ Saline Beach the water is as clear as a swimming pool. In the middle of the day it’s refreshing, and come evening you can still feel the heat of the day somehow contained within the waves. Surrounded by rocky outcrops on each side and protected by sand dunes, it’s a Caribbean twist on the wild and beautiful beaches of New England. St Jean beach is glitzy and stylish and extremely beautiful – the turquoise water shimmers in the heat haze like a dream. And then there’s Colombier, which is only accessible via a 20 minute hike (or by boat), where Christopher Columbus first landed in 1493. Pristine and with great snorkeling – everything from neon fish to turtles and nurse sharks – Columbus clearly thought it was worth a look, and you will too.

3 . A Glorious Low Season

Everyone knows that St Barts is a celebrity haven over the holidays, with Roman Abramovich regularly flying in acts to perform at his New Year’s Eve parties, and celebrities from Kate Moss and Beyoncé to Jack Nicholson hanging out at Nikki Beach. But once the winter rush has died down, the island takes on a much more local flavor. Head to the beach on a Saturday and you may well find a kid’s birthday party in full swing, or surfers heading out to catch the waves. Reservations are easy at top-name restaurants, and you’re just as likely to be seated next to a group of locals in T-shirts as David Letterman.

4. Unexpected Views

Yes, the roads are narrow in St Barts, with scooters and jeeps jostling for space on the steep hills, but the uneven terrain has benefits too. First off, it keeps the cars on a more human scale – you wont find Hummers or Escalades here – and second, the roads’ twists and turns give way to reveal staggering views over the headlands to the yachts playing in the bays below. At sunset when the sky turns gold against the clouds it’s even more spectacular.

5. The Wine

Wherever you go on the island you’re reminded of France – the road signs are the same, municipal buildings have the same washed-out peach hue – and the wine lists are no exception. Yes, food can be pricey here, but where else in the Caribbean can you find an excellent Chablis (served with a generous pour) for $10? The same goes for the grocery stores – where you can pick up very decent Champagne for under fifty bucks.

6. Lunch at Eden Rock

A trip to St Barts can be as glitzy as you make it. Even if you’re idea of luxury is more barefoot thanBalenciaga, a lingering lunch at the perfectly chic Eden Rockhotel is a must. The cocktails are just right and the menu light and delicious (the watermelon goat cheese salad is to die for), but the star attraction is the view, as you sit on the shaded veranda overlooking the white sand and turquoise waters of St Jean beach (see point #2!) with the planes coming in to land at impossibly steep angles. After lunch you can stretch out on the hotel’s sun loungers (for a fee), or simply walk a few feet down the beach and lie in the sand for a post-prandial nap.

7. A Private Villa in Paradise

With no big hotels on the island, many visitors to St Barts choose to rent one of the numerous private villas for their stay. There’s something quite special about waking up to a view of the ocean and your own private pool, starting the day with a dip before feasting on fresh pastries from La Petit Colombe with a good strong coffee on your sun-drenched deck.