Villa Amitie — Five Bedrooms Above Gouverneur, St Barth

The house, and how it works day to day

Five bedrooms, ten guests. The kitchen is fully equipped, with an oven and stove, and there is a grill outdoors for the nights nobody wants to cook inside. The pool sits at the centre of the layout, with a hot tub beside it. Air conditioning runs throughout. Fitness equipment is on site, so a training routine does not have to stop for the trip. Wi-Fi covers the house and there is a television. An airport shuttle is included among the villa's services.

Above Gouverneur, and what the height changes

The villa is set on the slope above Gouverneur, on the southern side of the island. Height is what changes the experience: the ground falls away below the house, so the outlook reaches open sea to the south rather than stopping at a neighbouring roof. Gouverneur beach lies below the property, and the house keeps its distance from it — close enough to see the coastline, far enough to sit apart from it. That distance is what most people are describing when they ask for a property above a beach rather than on one.

Who it works for

Ten guests across five bedrooms means the house takes a full group without anyone doubling up: an extended family, or several couples who each want their own room and a shared table at the end of the day. It works as well for a smaller party that has chosen space over economy. What it does not offer is a doorstep full of activity — the position is set back and above, and a group that wants to walk out into a village should look elsewhere. Rates move with the season and are given on request.

What Gouverneur is actually like

Gouverneur sits on the south side of the island. It is a beach with nothing built around it. No shops, no bars, nowhere to buy water or lunch. Whatever you need for the day, you bring down with you.

The road in is steep. Real hairpins, and a grade that has you in low gear on the way back up. It ends at a small parking area beside the sand, so you are not carrying gear far once you arrive. Small rental cars handle it fine, but if narrow roads make you tense, you will feel it every time you leave. Getting here on foot is not realistic.

The beach faces open sea. The sand is clean, the water deepens fast, and the swell changes with the day. Some mornings it is flat. Other times there is enough push to knock a small child off their feet.

Gustavia is roughly ten minutes by car, St-Jean about fifteen. You are isolated without being far from anything.

This suits people who want quiet and empty sand. It does not suit anyone who wants to walk to dinner.

What the villa has

• Air conditioning
• Airport transfer
• Fitness room
• High-speed internet
• Full kitchen
• Private pool
• Heated pool
• TV
• Wi-Fi

Common questions