St. Barthélemy · BL

Île Fourchue

About five kilometres northwest of Gustavia, adrift in the channel that separates Saint-Barthélemy from Saint-Martin, Île Fourchue is the largest of St Barts' string of uninhabited satellite islets: a bare, wind-scoured lump of old volcanic rock with five dry peaks, a sheltered horseshoe bay and no hotel, bar or road in sight. A 4.9-star average from a small crowd of reviewers hints at what charters keep returning for — clear protected water, a real sense of remoteness and one of the Caribbean's more unusual anchorages. The island belongs to the Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Barthélemy, a marine park created in 1996, so the reefs and the turtles cruising past the anchored boats are genuinely protected. What you can do here is refreshingly simple: swim or snorkel in the calm bay, climb the peaks for a 360° view across both neighbouring islands, and watch the sun drop over the Leeward chain — then leave everything you brought back to your boat.