Located on the island’s northern coast, the Saint Barthélemy village of Lorient has many tales to tell.
Lorient is chameleon-like, morphing into different identities, from the locale for a great neighborhood fete and the island’s germinal surf spot to the final resting place for a French pop star. All under the watchful eye of a lovely church listed as a historic monument, which since the 19th century has seen the metamorphosis of a rocky island and which has burned down, been rebuilt, deteriorated, and restored. The cradle of religion for some, Saint Barth’s Catholic Church in Lorient overlooks a picturesque cemetery where many sailors are buried, and where songs can be heard in the evening close to the illuminated sepulture of Johnny Hallyday.
The belltower, once a landmark for sailors, keeps its eye turned toward the sea and undoubtably witnessed the arrival of the first American surfers and the subsequent rise of talented local champions. Nearby is the ever-popular, colorful surf shack where there is always a line-up of boards of all sizes… Up on the promontory, to the west of the waves, lives the memory of the first nightclub on the island, which burned down in 1991, leaving behind a family-friendly beach and the tranquility of a neighborhood seemingly frozen in time.
Auteur : Olivier Aussedat
