The sea temperature at Saint Barthélemy (Gustavia) today is 29.5 °C (85 °F) – water as warm as a bath. The usual October average is 29.5 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea temperature has held at around 29.5 °C. Swimmable all year – the sea averages 26 °C or more in every month. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26.6°C / 79.8°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F | 27.5°C / 81.4°F |
| February | 26.0°C / 78.9°F | 26.5°C / 79.6°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F |
| March | 26.1°C / 79.0°F | 26.5°C / 79.7°F | 27.1°C / 80.8°F |
| April | 26.4°C / 79.5°F | 26.8°C / 80.3°F | 27.5°C / 81.4°F |
| May | 27.2°C / 81.0°F | 27.8°C / 82.0°F | 28.5°C / 83.3°F |
| June | 27.8°C / 82.0°F | 28.4°C / 83.0°F | 29.2°C / 84.6°F |
| July | 28.1°C / 82.6°F | 28.6°C / 83.5°F | 29.2°C / 84.6°F |
| August | 28.6°C / 83.5°F | 29.1°C / 84.4°F | 29.6°C / 85.3°F |
| September | 29.2°C / 84.5°F | 29.7°C / 85.4°F | 30.1°C / 86.1°F |
| October | 28.9°C / 84.0°F | 29.5°C / 85.1°F | 30.2°C / 86.3°F |
| November | 28.3°C / 82.9°F | 28.7°C / 83.7°F | 29.2°C / 84.6°F |
| December | 27.3°C / 81.2°F | 27.8°C / 82.0°F | 28.4°C / 83.1°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25.2°C / 77.3°F | 25.5°C / 77.8°F | 25.6°C / 78.0°F |
| February | 24.7°C / 76.5°F | 25.1°C / 77.2°F | 25.2°C / 77.4°F |
| March | 24.8°C / 76.7°F | 25.2°C / 77.4°F | 25.4°C / 77.7°F |
| April | 25.0°C / 77.1°F | 25.5°C / 77.8°F | 25.7°C / 78.2°F |
| May | 26.2°C / 79.2°F | 26.6°C / 79.9°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F |
| June | 26.9°C / 80.4°F | 27.3°C / 81.1°F | 27.5°C / 81.5°F |
| July | 27.1°C / 80.8°F | 27.6°C / 81.6°F | 27.8°C / 82.1°F |
| August | 27.5°C / 81.5°F | 27.9°C / 82.3°F | 28.2°C / 82.7°F |
| September | 27.6°C / 81.8°F | 28.0°C / 82.5°F | 28.2°C / 82.8°F |
| October | 27.5°C / 81.4°F | 27.8°C / 82.1°F | 28.0°C / 82.4°F |
| November | 26.6°C / 80.0°F | 27.0°C / 80.6°F | 27.1°C / 80.7°F |
| December | 25.8°C / 78.5°F | 26.1°C / 79.0°F | 26.2°C / 79.2°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Gustavia holidays
Gustavia, the capital of Saint-Barthélemy, wraps around a deep, sheltered harbour on the west coast of the island, with red-roofed houses on the hills above it. The town was named after King Gustav III of Sweden: the island was ceded to Sweden in 1784 and returned to France in 1878.
Beaches
Shell Beach, a short walk from the harbour, is the town beach of Gustavia, a small bay whose sand is covered with tiny shells. Saint-Jean, on the other side of the airport hill, is a lively bay with a reef that keeps the water fairly calm, and small aircraft take off or land close to its western end, depending on the runway direction in use. Saline and Gouverneur on the south coast have largely natural beachfronts and are wilder, with stronger waves on some days. Colombier, in the north-west, can only be reached on foot along a coastal path or by boat. The sea temperature on this page is measured off Shell Beach, just south of Gustavia harbour.
Things to do
Fort Gustav, above the harbour, has a lighthouse and a view over Gustavia, while Fort Karl looks out over Shell Beach. The Wall House, a stone building from the Swedish period on the harbour's point, hosts exhibitions and a library (check the current programme), and street names in Gustavia still appear in French and Swedish. Luxury boutiques line the streets around the harbour, where large yachts moor. Boat trips and snorkelling tours head out to the islets of the nature reserve around Saint-Barthélemy.
Weather and best time to visit
At Gustavia the sea stays above 26 °C / 79 °F all year, even in the coolest month.
Saint-Barthélemy is warm all year and fairly dry, with trade winds from the east. December to April is the driest and busiest season, and Gustavia harbour is at its fullest over Christmas and New Year. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November; Hurricane Irma caused heavy damage on the island in 2017. In winter, swells from the north occasionally reach the north-facing bays such as Flamands.
Hotels and where to stay
Gustavia has a small number of hotels and many rental villas in the hills around the town, while the larger beach hotels are in Saint-Jean, Flamands and Grand Cul-de-Sac. Staying in Gustavia puts the restaurants, the harbour and Shell Beach within walking distance.
Signature hotels: Fouquet's Saint-Barth (Lurin (Gustavia))
Airport and getting there
Gustaf III Airport (SBH) in Saint-Jean, a few minutes by car from Gustavia, has a very short runway that only small planes can use. Most visitors fly in from Princess Juliana International Airport on Sint Maarten, a flight of around 15 minutes, or take a ferry from Sint Maarten or Saint-Martin, which takes about an hour.