St. Lucia - a lovely Caribbean escape
St. Lucia is a hot spot among honeymooners and anniversary celebraters. It’s easy to see why. The island is secluded, romantic, and private. However, it’s also a great escape for families, girl’s getaways, or a couples’ retreat.
To Stay:
Cap Maison
Α lovely boutique property on the north end of the island that is home to Smuggler’s beach. A great location if you’re looking to relax and spend time in a less touristy area or hike pigeon island.
Sugar beach – A Viceroy Resort
Located towards the south of the island and centered between the Pitons offering a stunning view and amazing snorkeling right off the beach.
Jade Mountain resort
This eco resort is situated in the mountains with several ways to access the beaches below. The rooms only have three walls and open up to the stunning Caribbean Ocean.
Ladera Resort
Also, in the South part of the island with lovely pools and beautiful views of the Pitons. Make sure to check out their restaurant, Dasheene, even if you aren’t staying here.
Gros Islet is a town in the North with restaurants, nightlife, and beaches. The South part of the island is where most of the resorts and activities are. It’s filled with more dense jungle and more privacy. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to get between the two so one or two day trips to the other end might be better than several shorter trips throughout your time on St. Lucia. The drive is windy but serves some amazing lookout points. Marigot Bay is another lovely location with some wonderful vacation homes to rent. You’ll even come across some celebrity homes. It’s worth a stop on a boat trip if a resort is more your style.
To Eat:
Almost all of the resorts offer all-inclusive and I can understand why. Not only is St. Lucia a massive honeymoon destination, often leaving people never wanting to leave their hotels, but most of the restaurants worth visiting are inside the hotels already. So, if you’re a foodie like me, you might spend more time hotel hopping for different dishes. If you’re staying in the South part of the island, this shouldn’t be too hard. Here are a few we loved or wanted to try:
Cane Bar
A yummy sushi spot located in the Viceroy
Dasheene
Mentioned above, this delicious restaurant is located in the Ladera Resort and has stunning views of the Pitons. Definitely visit at sunset.
Boucan Restaurant
Located inside the cacao plantation turned hotel
The Naked Fisherman
Go for sunset at Smuggler’s Cove. They occasionally have live music and always good drinks.
Lunch at the Pink Plantation House
Treehouse Restaurant
This restaurant is exactly what it sounds like - two tree houses located in Anse Chastanet resort.
Rock Maison at the Cap
Also located at Cap Maison, this romantic private dining area set on a private deck over the water is complete with a champagne zipline to deliver drinks.
Rodney Bay/Gros Islet:
Jaques Waterfront Dining
Matthew’s waterfront dining
Buzz’s
More local flavors:
Marie’s Local Cuisine – creole cuisine
Roots 2 – beach bar, Caribbean
Flavors of the grill – island flavors
To Drink
It’s an island in the Caribbean, I promise you will never be empty handed.
To Do:
Beach
All beaches are public but you will be charged for a bed or chairs if you aren’t staying there. Sugar Beach and Anse Chastanet Beach are two popular spots for renting chairs.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling around the island is amazing. You will easily see your fair share of fish and can rent snorkel gear from various beaches or take a tour.
Sulphur springs
We saw a lot about this and while it was very cool, it was a bit touristy. We had read to go early and beat crowds, but we didn’t listen to this advice and regret it. If you’re going to give this a try, definitely go early.
Hike Gros Piton
This is a world heritage site. It’s about 4 hours but worth it for the most insane views – “the best views in the Caribbean”
Hike the Tet Paul Nature Trail
This is known as the “stairway to heaven.” It’s a beautiful little nature walk, but that’s what it is, a walk. So if you’re looking for a true hike you won’t find it here. But you will find some beautiful views and lots of nature.
Tour a Cocoa Estate
There are a couple on the island. A popular one is Hotel Chocolat.
Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens
This is a nice nature trail and mineral baths area in the South of the Island
Day trip to pigeon island
This little island is packed with hikes, several restaurants, and lots of history.
Day trip to Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique
Gros Islet Friday Night party
Enjoy dancing and local food in the northern part of the island.
Getting There and Getting Around:
From the US there are flights directly from NY, Miami, Charlotte and more.
Taxis are available around the island for going shorter distances between hotels or restaurants.
There are many tour options across the island and since it is spread out, having someone drive you to and from can be helpful.
Car rentals are easy and accessible. I would suggest getting one if you are a confident driver and are looking to do many day trips to explore. The roads are very windy and mostly filled with potholes but it’s fun for exploring.
