A Guide to St Lucia

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 of each 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.

 

GTK (good to know): 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 look out 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 Piton. 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 is complete with a champagne zipline to deliver drinks.

 

Rodney Bay/Gros Islet:

            Jaquese 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

 

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 bed or chair 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. 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.

 

More GTK - Getting There and Getting Around:

From the US there are flights direct from NY, Miami, Charlotte and more.

Taxis are available around the island for going shorter distances between hotels or restaurants.

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.

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