caribbean sea

Apocalypse Now? Spend It on St Barths

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

There worse places to wait out the end of the world ...

Over the 2007/8 Christmas holiday season, artist Richard Prince developed and expected a vision of post-apocalyptic society. The world as we know it met its untimely demise as the protagonist, his family and crew sailed to St. Barthelemy, discovering the changed state of affairs only when landing on the island. Far from the decadent setting one would expect to find, the resort haven became the setting for a struggle for survival.

I came to St. Barths under far different circumstances, of course. A small plane, with room for only six passengers, deposited me on the tarmac at a tiny airport, offering stunning and alarming views of the sea during our approach. The runway, sans fence or other barrier at the end, stretches right to the beach, with only a splash of sand separating it from the lapping waves of the Caribbean Sea. The customs agent inside the small, Spartan terminal served little purpose aside from a friendly greeting and a stamp and wave with a flick of the wrist.

Gallery: The Beach at Eden Rock