Summer has ended, ushering in the changing of the leaves and the start of fall. The start of a new season also has many of us planning where to spend the upcoming holiday season. As the clock ticks closer to midnight on December 31st, the options of how and where to ring in the new year start to surface: join the masses around Times Square to watch the ball drop, enjoy a high-end soiree in a ballroom, or host a private party in a hotel. But what if there was another choice, an escape to something entirely different? Every year, the Caribbean island of St Barts hosts one of the most iconic and luxurious New Year’s Eve parties in the world. The high point of any St Barts yacht charter, it is the most extraordinary way to ring in the new year.
The island of St Barts, part of the Leeward Islands chain, is home to stunning beaches, extravagant beach clubs, and fine-dining restaurants. A compelling alternative destination to the famous NYE celebrations of St. Moritz, the island has retained its authentic charm, partly due to the lack of mainstream tourists coming in on vast cruise ships. With no jostling crowds or paparazzi to be found, St Barts NYE charters can relax in complete privacy onboard their yacht anchored in the bay and host an exclusive party exactly to their liking. Or they can opt to head ashore and celebrate the New Year at Gustavia Harbor or one of the many parties at the island’s nightclubs like Bagatelle or Eden Rocks. Due to the island’s compact size, spanning eight square miles, charterers are never more than a few minutes away from their preferred anchorage, making it easier to cruise around the island prior to New Year’s Eve.
Seasoned charterers typically arrive a day or two before New Year’s Eve, allowing them plenty of time to settle into the rhythm of chartering and explore what St Barts and its surrounding islands have to offer. With more than 15 pristine beaches, charter guests can enjoy a range of water sports activities from swimming and snorkeling to jet skiing. Later on in the day, they can explore all that the capital of Gustavia has to offer, from its sophisticated designer boutiques to the Michelin-level dining establishments tucked into hillside locations. Adventurers will get a kick out of visiting St Barts’ historical sites like Fort Karl, which offers panoramic views of the island and the Gustavia Lighthouse, and thoroughly enjoy hiking Morne Vitet, the highest point of the island.
Prior to the evening’s celebrations on New Year’s Eve, many charter guests will either watch or partake in the annual St. Barts New Year’s Eve Regatta. A popular, more low-key and friendly sailing race around the island, it often features a mix of superyachts and local yachts. Organized by the St. Barts Yacht Club, the event is best known for its festive atmosphere and scenic course and is open to all visiting motor yachts and sailing yachts.
However, one of the main events of St. Barts’ New Year’s Eve celebrations remains the annual firework display. Lighting up the skies in a dazzling array of bright technicolors, this show can be savored from the deck of a charter yacht, the harbor, or at any of the leading nightclubs, restaurants, or beach venues – the choice is yours.
Welcoming some of the largest charter superyachts on the market, with every amenity a charter guest could dream up, more than 100 charter yachts attend the celebration annually. So will you be one of them? As berthing options are limited in Gustavia Harbor, we recommend booking in advance, or dropping anchor by one of the island’s bays such as Gustavia, Corossol, and the spectacular Colombier. Either way, charterers will be treated to unrivalled views of the fireworks display and surrounding parties. Don’t miss out on a NYE celebration like no other and book your St. Barts New Year’s Eve charter with FGI Yacht Group today.
