> IF YOU GO

Getting There: Fly to Princess Juliana International Airport on Saint Martin and then take a gasp-inducing puddle jumper or wave-tossed ferry. Votre choix. Information: st-barths.com.

Staying There: We stayed this time at Le Guanahani, a deluxe hotel in the traditional French colonial style, with four-poster beds and refrigerator cabinets disguised as campaign chests. The hotel is located across three nature reserves and participates in the local campaign for sustainable hospitality. There is a full spa, drinks on beach sand, private access to two broad bays and the all-important Kid’s Club. leguanahani.com. In contrast, the neighbouring Le Sereno, once a modest hotel at a noble address, has been reimagined by the Parisian designer Christian Liaigre in a muted, earth-toned minimalist style. lesereno.com. Neighbouring properties, both can be booked through Leading Hotels of the World: lhw.com; +1-800735-2478.

Dining There: Our picks among many, alphabetically: Bartolomeo. The gourmet restaurant at Le Guanahani. L’avventura. Best thin-crust pizza on the island, as reported by our 6-year-old and many others. lavventurastbarth.com. L’Isola. Home of minestrone soup served as a puree and justifiably the “in place” in Gustavia. lisolastbarth.com. Maya’s. An island institution for over 30 years. Maya, from Guadalupe, runs the kitchen, and her husband, Randy, from Massachusetts, runs the open-air dining room. If you have not been there, you have not done St. Barts. mayasstbarth.com. Sand Bar. The kid-friendly beachfront Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant at the Eden Rock. On the Rocks, the gourmet restaurant, is in the hotel above. edenrockhotel.com. Tamarin. Newly renovated. The restaurant opens onto what is probably the island’s most beautiful garden. The centrepiece: a canopying tamarind tree. There is a play area for children. tamarinstbarth.com.

Island Attire: How do you make a polo shirt and shorts or a bikini and wrap look chic? Welcome to France. Jackets and ties will be confiscated on arrival. If you show up with insufficient chic (an American faux pas), Stephane and Bernard, the island’s signature boutique, will come to your rescue. stephaneandbernard.com. For something more relaxed but truly local, three Saint Barth French West Indies stores sell their distinctive logo T-shirts, tank tops and other beach-life products. patidestbarth.com.