St Barts is where celebrities come to get away from it all

A Caribbean playground of the rich and famous, St Barthelemy - more commonly known as St Barth or St Barts - is a small, chic island that is part of the French West Indies and the French overseas region of Guadeloupe.

St Barts is located in the Caribbean's Leeward Islands, about 150 miles east of Puerto Rico. Most of the population is white and most of its residents are French citizens.

St Barts is a popular vacation destination for rocks stars, film stars and royalty. The island lies right on a Caribbean yachting route so it is not at all unusual to see luxurious yachts anchored in Gustavia Harbor.

The main "activity" on St Barths is relaxing on the beach. Despite its size - only eight square miles - the island is blessed with more than 20 spectacular beaches, including Colombier, Saline and Saint-Jean.

St Barts' French heritage is especially apparent in the cuisine. The island has more than 60 gourmet restaurants and the nightlife on St Barts revolves around eating out.

Survival guide

The island has a large number of luxury villas and boutique hotels. The largest hotel is the Guanahani with some 100 rooms. A law in place since 1982 restricts hotels from having more than 12 rooms.

The currency in St Barts is the Euro. French is the official language, however given the large tourism industry, many people speak English.

St Barts has a consistently warm climate, with January to May the driest months.

The airport on St Barts is very small and large planes do not fly here. Flying into St Barts is a hair-raising experience due to the steep descent. The nearest commercial airport is on the neighboring island of Saint Martin.

Once on St Barts, the island's hilly landscape make four-wheel drive travel the most convenient way to get around.