Diving and Snorkeling in St. Barthélemy

Several dive shops arrange scuba excursions to local sites. Depending on weather conditions, you may dive at Pain de Sucre, Coco Island, or toward nearby Saba. There's also an underwater shipwreck to explore, plus sharks, rays, sea tortoises, coral, and the usual varieties of colorful fish. The waters on the island's leeward side are the calmest. For the uncertified who still want to see what the island's waters hold, there's an accessible shallow reef right off the beach at Anse de Cayes that you can explore if you have your own mask and fins. Most of the waters surrounding St. Barths are protected in the island's Réserve Marine de St-Barth (Gustavia, 97133. 0590/27-88-18), which also provides information at its office in Gustavia. The diving here isn't nearly as rich as in the more dive-centered destinations like Saba and St. Eustatius, but the options aren't bad either, and none of the smaller islands offer the ambience of St. Barths.

Plongée Caraïbe (0590/27-55-94) is recommended for its up-to-the-minute equipment and dive boat. Splash (Gustavia, 97133. 0690/56-90-24) does scuba, snorkeling, and fishing, too. Marine Service operates the only five-star, PADI-certified diving center on the island, called West Indies Dive (0590/27-70-34. www.westindiesdive.com). Scuba trips, packages, resort dives, night dives, and certifications start at $90, including gear.