For luxury with minimum hassle, albeit at a high price tag, St. Barts is rivaled only by Anguilla. It's the ultimate in sophistication in the tropics: chic, rich, and very Parisian. Forget historic sites or ambitious watersports programs. You go to St. Barts for the relaxation, the French cuisine, the white-sand beaches, and the ultimate in comfort.

New friends call it "St. Barts," while old-time visitors prefer "St. Barths." Either way, it's short for St. Barthélemy, named by its discoverer Columbus in 1493, and pronounced San Bar-te-le-MEE. For the most part, St. Bartians are descendants of Breton and Norman fisherfolk. Many are of French and Swedish ancestry, the latter evident in their fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. The mostly Caucasian population is small, about 3,500 living in some 21 sq. km (8 sq. miles), 24km (15 miles) southeast of St. Martin and 225km (140 miles) north of Guadeloupe.

Occasionally you'll see St. Bartians dressed in the provincial costumes of Normandy and speaking Norman French. In little Corossol, more than anywhere else, people sometimes follow customs brought from 17th-century France. You might see elderly women wearing the traditional starched white bonnets, at least on special occasions. The bonnets, known as quichenottes (a corruption of "kiss-me-not"), served as protection from the close attentions of English or Swedish men on the island. The bonneted women can also be spotted at local celebrations, particularly on August 25, St. Louis's Day. Many of these women are camera-shy, but they offer their homemade baskets and hats for sale to visitors.

For a long time, the island was a paradise for a few millionaires, such as David Rockefeller, who had a hideaway on the northwest shore, and Edmond de Rothschild, who occupies some fabulous acres at the "other end" of the island. Nowadays, however, St. Barts is developing a broader base of tourism as it opens more hotels. Nevertheless, the island continues to be a favorite of celebrities, attracting the likes of Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

St. Barts also attracts a lot of star-seeking paparazzi, who stalk celebrities not only at their private villas, but also at the beach, including Grand Saline beach, where the late John F. Kennedy, Jr., was photographed bathing in the nude (which is common and legal at this beach). On another occasion, the paparazzi caught Brad Pitt sunning in the nude at his private villa, with then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow. In February, the island guest list reads like a roster from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

The island's capital is Gustavia, named after a Swedish king. It's St. Barts' only town and seaport. A sheltered harbor, it has the appearance of a little dollhouse-scale port.