American novelist James Michener once called Marigot Bay the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean, and the description has stuck for good reason. Framed on three sides by steep, forested hills with a narrow, easy-to-miss entrance, the inner harbor forms what sailors call a “hurricane hole” — a natural shelter that made it valuable to both French and British fleets during their long conflict over the island, with local accounts describing ships disguised with vegetation to hide from view inside the bay. The setting has also drawn filmmakers, including the 1967 Doctor Dolittle, Great Pink Sea Snail and the construction of the harness for the Giant Lunar Moth were filmed in the bay and, more recently, parts of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Also, in the middle of the harbour a sand spit extends from the north side nearly half way across the bay serving as a block and buffer to any surging surf that enters. Boats are moored behind this spit in an area that generally remains very calm during even the worse conditions in the adjacent open sea.

Adding to its quaint charm is the fact that the small hotels and restaurants located on the north side of the harbour are only accessible by boat.

Although more developed now its still resonates a charm and intrigue found nowhere else. The ridge and surrounding hillsides are home to some of the most expensive real estate with limited land available with harbour views, one can always settle for the scenic west coast seaviews and beach, a walk away from the bay.

Today it’s a full-service marina town with boutique hotels and some of the island’s most private waterfront real estate — compact, self-contained, and quietly glamorous in a way that appeals to buyers chasing exclusivity over footfall.