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Anse du Colombier, St. Barthélémy (St. Barts) 

The chart and following text excerpt are from The Leeward Islands Guide by Stephen J. Pavlidis

When approaching St. Barth’s from St. Martin, the first viable anchorage you come to will be in the lovely, secluded bay at Anse du Colombier.  A part of the St. Barth’s Marine Reserve since its founding in 1996, spearfishing, jetskis, and water-skiing are not permitted.  There are no facilities here although the town of Colombier is not far away, only about a mile.

Anse du Colombier was once owned by the Rockefeller family who constructed the house on the hill at the southen part of the bay. 

Navigational Information
As shown on Chart STB-3, a waypoint at 17º 55.50’ N, 62º 53.00’ W, will place you approximately ¾ mile west of the anchorage.  From the waypoint head west to anchor wherever your draft allows, but bear in mind that the northeast corner is the most comfortable spot.  Speaking of comfort, when northerly swells are running this anchorage can be anything but comfortable, it’s best to move south to Gustavia when this happens.  The holding is good in 10’-30’ over a sand/grass bottom.  The St. Barth’s Marine Reserve has put mooring buoys in Anse du Colombier.  The white buoys are for boats up to 8 meters in length, and the yellow buoys can accommodate vessels of up to 18 meters.  There is no fee for the use of these moorings.  Smaller vessels may anchor in the mooring field as long as their swing radius does not endanger moored vessels.

When you head south from Anse du Colombier give a wide berth to the rocks lying west of Île de la Pointe as there are several shallow submerged rocks in the area as shown on Chart STB-3.

Overnight anchoring or mooring is permitted, but be advised that during periods of northerly swells the anchorage can get a little rolly.

What You Will Find Ashore
The town of Colombier lies southeast of Anse du Colombier and is a mixture of traditional architecture and modern villas, quite a bit more modern than traditional, and quite a contrast to nearby Corossol.  Perched high above the sea, this town is a great spot for sunsets.  A good spot to dine is in the restaurant of the Francois Plantation serving dinner only (very expensive).  Generally restaurants are built into hotels, here it seems that this hotel was built around the restaurant.  A unique specialty of the house is coutancie, beef from cattle that are fed beer every day and have their bodies rubbed down twice daily.  I know a lot of folks who wish they could live that kind of a life!

East of Colombier, about a ½ hour hike over a beautiful but rocky path that begins near the steps at the northern end of the beach in Anse du Colombier, is Anse des Flamands, a tiny settlement of only about 300 souls who live in stunning villas overlooking the equally stunning beach.  Here you can dine in a restaurant on the beach, shop for pastries in a small bakery, or take the path from the beach that leads to the top of the extinct volcano that gave birth to St. Barth’s so many millennia ago.  The tiny cove to the northwest of Anse des Flamands, La Petite Anse, offers good snorkeling.     

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