Day Trips from St Barts: Anguilla and the Neighbouring Islands

One of the quiet pleasures of St Barts is that it sits in good company. Several islands lie within a boat ride, each with a completely different character, which makes a day trip a tempting addition to a week here. The forums debate it constantly: is it worth leaving paradise for the day, and if so, for where? This guide runs through the realistic options, how you get to them, and the one thing people forget to pack.

The neighbours, and what each is for

Think of the surrounding islands as a menu of moods, and pick by what your day is missing.

Anguilla is the classic day trip, and the one most people mean when they ask. It is flat, quiet and British, with some of the longest, whitest beaches in the Caribbean and a reputation for barefoot beach restaurants. If St Barth is hills and harbours, Anguilla is sand and space. St Martin, the larger island next door, is the closest of all and the most varied: shopping, a wider range of prices, and the airport hub most visitors already pass through. Saba and Statia, the small Dutch islands to the west, are for divers and hikers who want dramatic, untouristed scenery. St Kitts and Barbuda round out the reach for the more ambitious.

Getting there is by boat

For a day, the sea is the way. There are no flights worth the hassle for a single day out, so day trips run by boat: either a private charter you book for your group, or a shared boat trip on a set route. A private boat gives you your own schedule, your own pace and a direct crossing; a shared trip is easier on the budget. Either way, the crossing is part of the fun, and half the reason to go.

The practical planning is the same as any boat day here: book ahead in the busy season, watch the sea state, and start early to make the most of the light. You can look at options for the crossing and private boat transfers from St Barth, or a guided island-hopping day that strings a few stops together.

Or just stay on the water here

Here is the honest counter-argument the forums always raise, and it is a fair one. You came to St Barth. For many visitors the best “day trip” is not to another island at all, but a boat day around St Barth’s own coast: lunch at anchor off a quiet bay, snorkeling over the reef, and the little cays and beaches you cannot reach by road. It scratches the same itch, the sea, a boat, a change of scene, without a border crossing or a long transit. Our boat trips guide covers that option in full.

The nice thing is you do not have to choose in advance. Base yourself well, ideally in a villa with room to come and go, and you can decide day by day: a big crossing to Anguilla one day, a lazy loop of St Barth’s bays the next. If a villa base appeals, you can browse the villas and build the week around the water.

The bottom line

A day trip from St Barts is a genuine treat, and Anguilla in particular rewards the crossing with beaches unlike anything on St Barth. Go by boat, carry your passport, book ahead, and be honest about whether you want another island or simply another day on the water. Either way it is a fine use of a day, and the sea around St Barth is a large part of why people fall for the place. For more on the boat side, see our boat trips guide.