A beginner’s guide to the French Caribbean

St Barts
Odd that one of the most inhospitable islands in the Antilles should have become the Caribbean’s glitziest resort. With no reliable water source, St Barthélemy was unsuitable for cane cultivation and instead became a haven for pirates and adventurers. One of the last of these was Rémy de Haenen, who bought an outcrop for a few hundred dollars and built a hotel. He called it Eden Rock — that’s the one now owned by Pippa Middleton’s in-laws. In July, August and September, the island is more affordable, with two-bedroom villas going for about £2,000 a week (wimco.com). Buy your croissants at the boulangerie and your picnic at the supermarché, and dine at Le Bouchon, in Gustavia (mains from £12). A week at the discreetly…