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St Lucia map
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Solo Travellers
Despite its reputation as a romantic destination, St Lucia also caters well for solo travellers. Rodney Bay Village, the epicentre of tourism in the island, is extremely lively and an easy place to mix with the crowd and of course there are plenty of day sails and tours on which you can meet other visitors. Interestingly the Body Holiday at LeSport is one of the few places in the whole of the Caribbean that has a conscious policy of catering for solo travellers. They have single rooms (at a reduced price) and facilities at the hotel to look after them, including tables for solo travellers and members of staff who will provide company at dinner. If you are happier on your own and want to be on a quiet retreat, then the smaller hotels and inns are extremely personable and will look after you well.
Some good options for solo travellers include: | Admiral's Quay & Rodney Quay
Exceptionally pleasant waterfront and garden condominiums/townhouses in a quiet enclave of 24 units around a central pool by Rodney Bay Marina. Great for couples or families and anyone with a boat to park. | Coco Kreole
A small, well priced inn at the heart of the action of Rodney Bay Village, the liveliest area of St Lucia. Comfortable air-conditioned rooms within walking distance of Reduit Beach, St Lucia’s finest, and over 20 bars and restaurants along the strip. | Ti Kaye Village Resort
Cool, totally secluded and well-priced hideout on the west coast of St Lucia with fantastic views over the calm Caribbean Sea. Good for weddings and divers. | Chez Marie Alish
Just five large self contained apartments of an unexpectedly high standard, in the local town of Gros Islet, comfortable and good value. Excellent base for St. Lucia Jazz Festival, St Lucia touring and independent travellers | Ginger Lily
A small and friendly hotel set right in Rodney Bay in the north of St Lucia, just across from the island’s liveliest beach and within a walk of the bars and restaurants of Rodney Bay Village. With eight rooms and three self-catering apartments, Ginger Lily is ideal for independent travellers on a medium budget. | East Winds Inn
Small but elegant inn set in lovely gardens sloping down to a calm beach. Rooms in cottages, very good food, quiet and secluded but close to the action if you want it. | Stonefield Estate
A group of 18 very attractive 1, 2 and 3-bedroom villas built in traditional West Indian style, set on a former plantation stretching down to the shoreline, with an incredibly dramatic view of the Petit Piton. A friendly hideaway ideal for independent travellers | Villa Beach Cottages
Twenty pretty gingerbread villa suites set right on Choc Bay Beach between Castries and Rodney Bay in the north of St Lucia. Good facilities for independent living within walking distance, good wedding location and comfortable atmosphere for solo travellers. Also two classic Caribbean houses at La Dauphine Estate near Soufrière in the south for an interesting 2-centre combination. | The Reef Beach Huts
Excellent, inexpensive haunt right on St Lucia’s windsurfing beach, just four quite simple rooms with café, excellent value right in the thick of the action | Stonefield Estate Villa Resort
A group of 20 very attractive 1, 2 and 3-bedroom villas built in traditional West Indian style, set on a former plantation stretching down to the shoreline, with an incredibly dramatic view of the Petit Piton. A friendly hideaway ideal for independent travellers. | The BodyHoliday at LeSPORT
A lively and very popular resort set in its own pretty cove at the northern tip of St Lucia. As the name suggests, it offers everything for the body on holiday, from sports and watersports to a spa and holistic rejuvenation. Special single rooms. | Balenbouche Estate St Lucia
A lovely hideaway on a working plantation estate in the far south of St Lucia, centred on a very pretty creole house. Just 4 cottages in traditional buildings around the grounds, excellent welcome. A true Caribbean original, bed and breakfast at a very good price. Excellent wedding and holistic retreat venue. |
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Spas
After a slow start, St Lucia now has a good crop of spas, mostly in the hotels. Here you will find some fantastically pretty buildings, surrounded by rainforest. You can expect a full range of treatments, many of them with natural, locally produced products. Hotels that now have good quality spas including Cotton Bay Village, Stonefield Estate Discovery at Marigot Bay, Ladera, Royal St Lucian, Jalousie Plantation and The Landings.
Interestingly, because of its volcanic origins and ‘efficacious waters’, St Lucia has an unexpected and long history of spas, particular around the southern town of Soufrière between the Pitons. Diamond Falls near the town was a very early medical spa, which was built in the 1700s on the instruction of France's King Louis XVI so that his troops could take the waters and recuperate from diseases. The waters at Diamond Falls, which leave the ground at high temperature from the vicinity of the Soufrière volcano, have extremely high mineral content. It is still possible to bathe in the waters in traditional bathhouses.
Hotels in St Lucia with spas include -
Oasis Spa, the Body Holiday at LeSport
The Oasis spa offers a full programme of massage and beauty treatments, including Swedish body massage, thalasso wraps, rejuvenating facials and hydrotherapy. There is even a honeymoon massage, a couple’s massage in which you learn a few tips for when you return home. There is also a strong rationale of holistic and ayurvedic treatments which include personalized yoga, marma massage, reflexology, kinesiology, Suikodo Chinese bodywork and iridology. Ayurvedic treatments include double massages, some facials and other detox programmes. Le Sport is an all-inclusive resort, so you can get a day pass to visit for lunch etc, but you can also just get treatments at the spa.
Kai Belte, Anse Chastanet Resort
Set on the beach in Anse Chastanet in the south of the island (just outside Soufrière, Kai Belte (House of Beauty in Creole) offers massage including Aromatherapy, deep tissue, shiatsu, hot stones and a couple’s massage. Also facials, hand and feet treatments and Ayurvedic rituals. Products by Creative Beauty Innovations.
The Rainforest Oasis, Jalousie Plantation, Soufrière
Set right beneath the massive dark grey rockface of the southern side of the Petit Piton, the spa at Jalousie Plantation is set slightly apart from the rest of the resort but built in the same plantation style. There are nine treatment rooms, three of them for facials and one for hydrotherapy and a Jacuzzi with a view. There is a long lost of massages, facials, manicures and pedicures and in honour of the old spa treatments used in the area two centuries ago, they offer a mineral-rich Sulphur Mud Bath. Jalousie Plantation is an all-inclusive resort, so you will have to pay a daily fee to come in and use the spa.
Bamboo Door Spa, Stonefield Estate
Set at the top of the estate in a pretty creole building, the Bamboo Door Spa is newly built and has a cosy atmosphere. A range of treatments are available including Swedish and hot-stone massages, aromatherapy, manicures, pedicures and hot wraps. Most of the products are botanically based, the staff are friendly and experienced and they offer a variety of spa packages.
The Casuarina Spa, Cotton Bay Village
Set at the front of the resort, the Casuarina Spa has six treatments rooms, including two wet rooms, a holistic room, the ‘Princess Room’ and a men’s room. There is also a couples’ suite which you can book and lounge in all day while you have your treatments. Treatments include a range of massages, Vichy showers, manicures, pedicures and waxing. Product line by Elemis.
The Royal Spa, The Royal St Lucia
The Royal Spa has three treatment rooms including one hydrotherapy room. It offers a range of beauty and massage treatments including facials, body wraps and scrubs, several sorts of massage including aromatherapy, reflexology and Indian head massage. Also a relaxation area with a cold plunge pool, a Jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam bath. |
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Sports
Watersports
St Lucia offers good watersports. The hotels will have a watersports centre which will lend you snorkelling gear and point you in the direction of the best reef nearby or lend you a kayak. The only licensed operator on Reduit beach is based in the Rex St Lucian. Be aware that jet-ski operators are unlikely to have third party insurance.
Kayaking & Hiking
Dive Fair Helen offers two kayak trips out of Marigot Bay, tracking along the rugged Caribbean coast that tumbles vertical to the sea in massive headlands and then flattens out to reveal valleys with estuaries fringed with mangrove forest.
The two hour Coastal and River Kayaking tour departs from Marigot Bay and heads out into the Caribbean Sea before entering the Roseau rivermouth, where the trees close over the top of you and you will pass through an area of mangroves that is home to several species of St Lucian birds. The Coastal Kayaking tour is three hours long and takes you beneath St Lucia’s dramatic coastline down to Anse la Raye, where there is a village walk before the return paddle.
Tours use some sit-on kayaks, but also some expedition touring kayaks. Part of the time is spent in training to familiarise you with the equipment.
Costs:
1. River Kayaking (duration 1½ hrs – 2 hrs actual tour time) includes transfers, meals, beverages and all kayaking equipment. You need to take sunscreen lotion, insect repellent and bottled water. US$60
2. Coastal Kayaking (duration 2½ hrs – 3 hrs actual tour time) includes transfers, meals, beverages, park fees and all kayaking equipment. You will need to take everything as per River Kayaking plus hiking attire. US$60, plus US$20 for the waterfall experience.
3. Coastal Kayaking & Camping (duration 1 day and 1 night) includes transportation, meals, kayaking and camping equipment (tents and sleeping mats). You will need to take your back pack equipped with camping attire, bed linen, touch lights, sun screen lotion and insect repellant. US$190.
4. Family Water Safari includes taxi/boat transfers, lunch, snorkel and/or kayak equipment (recreational sit-on-top units). US$50
Sports fishing
Hackshaw’s Boat Charters, t 453 0553, hackshawc@candw.lc, www.hackshaws.com
With four boats based in the north of the island, Hackshaw’s offer deep sea fishing (tag and release) for blue marlin, yellow fin tuna, wahoo and dorado (from US$450 for a half day), private cruising charters that run down the coast to Soufriere, stopping off at towns and bays along the way, and dolphin and whale watching trips, looking for 25 varieties of whale. Sperm, pilot and humpback are regulars and they have even seen orcas. They follow international whale watching rules, US$50 for 4 hours.
Captain Mike’s Sport Fishing and Pleasure Cruises, t 452 7044, mikes@candw.lc, www.captmikes.com
Offers tackle and drink for the trip, to try your luck at marlin, tuna, dorado or wahoo. From US$450 for a half day.
There is not much in the way of Surfing in St Lucia, but see here for details of Scuba Diving and Windsurfing and Kitesurfing
Land-based sports
See details of Golf in St Lucia.
Cycling
The cycling in St Lucia is quite good. It has excellent terrain, for a start, and there are some excellent back country roads and trails on the Atlantic side. There is an independent cycle hire shop in the north of the island and a number of the hotels have bicycles who can tailor-make a tour for you. Anse Chastanet has good technical riding, see below. If you are riding on the main roads then you should stay aware. The traffic can be very heavy and drivers are not always very considerate towards cyclists.
Universal Cycle Centre, JQ Mall, Rodney Bay, t 458 4128, universalcycle@candw.lc
Independent bike rental, cost US$25 for the day, deposit US$100.
The best technical riding on the island is the excellent network of mountain bike trails at Anse Chastanet Hotel, just north of Soufrière in the south of the island. Called Jungle Biking, they are twelve miles of single-track trails of varying difficulty in an undeveloped bay, Anse Mamin, a former plantation. The trails, well-signed loops that lead out from and return to a main path, wind their way through the scrub and trees and up and over the (often slippery) rocks and roots of the natural country.
All facilities and equipment is available for hire, including bicycles (Cannondales) and helmets. Two hour rental costs US$39, 1/2 day US$49 and full day US$69. Packages are available. There are also tours from the north of the island, which include snorkelling and swimming on the way.
Tennis
Courts are available at most major hotels, so if your own hotel has none they may well be able to fix it for you to play elsewhere. The St Lucia Racquet Club at Club St Lucia, t 450 0551, has nine floodlit courts. The St Lucian Hotel on Reduit Beach, t 453 8351, has two courts that are available for public use. Lesson can be arranged.
See details of Hiking in St Lucia and details of Horse Riding.
Spectator Sports
Cricket
Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia has recently become one of the international test grounds on the Caribbean circuit. For information about St Lucia cricket, please see Cricket in St Lucia.
Squash
Squash courts are located near the Cap Estate Golf Club, the St Lucia Yacht Club, and at the St Lucia Racquet Club. |
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Taxis
Taxis are widely available in St Lucia, at the airports and in town and they can be identified by the blue ‘TX’ license plates. If by chance you cannot find one, just walk into the nearest hotel and they’ll call one for you.
Taxis are not metered, as fares are fixed. However it is always a good idea to confirm the cost of your journey before setting off (also ensure whether you are dealing in US or Eastern Caribbean Dollars). Some sample fares, Castries to Hewanorra Airport is approximately EC$200 for 1-4 people; Castries to Rodney Bay is EC$40. For a full listing of taxi transfer rates to villas, please see Tropical Villas.
Taxi associations and locations include:
Courtesy Taxi Service, t 452 3555
Gablewoods Mall Taxi Stand, t 451 7521
Marigot Bay Taxi, t 453 4406
Rodney Bay Taxis, t 452 0379
St Lucia Taxi Service, t 452 2493
Southern Taxi Association, t 454 6136
If the taxi transfer from Hewanorra is too long to contemplate you can make the trip by helicopter, which can be arranged by St Lucia Reps. The Helicopter service flies into Vigie and Windjammer |
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Telephone
The IDD code for St Lucia is +1 758, which is followed by seven digits. When on-island dial simply the seven digits.
An international direct dialling service is available in most hotels and some villas. Credit card calls can be made through local operators or through AT&T, and phone cards can be purchased through Cable & Wireless offices throughout the islands. Mobile phone service is provided by Digicel and Cable and Wireless, if you are staying on the island for a considerable time and you have an unlocked phone it may be worth buying one of their SIM cards out there.
If you want to get on-line (and you are not staying in a hotel), then you can do so at the High Speed Internet services at Harmony Suites, opposite Rex St Lucian Hotel, t 458 4293. |
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Time Zone
St Lucia is in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, which is four hours behind GMT, ie Britain in winter, and five hours behind Europe. During the winter it is an hour ahead of the eastern seaboard of the USA.
St Lucia has no daylight saving time, so when the clocks change in summer the island is five hours behind Britain, six behind Europe and on the same time as the eastern seaboard. |
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Tour Operators
There is a number of tour operators (UK and Europe) and wholesalers (US) that offer St. Lucia in their programmes. Competition between them can be fierce. On DefinitiveCaribbean we will be picking out the cream of the bunch for you - operators that are Caribbean specialists and give the best levels of service, in all price ranges. Our selection criteria will not however be price led because we believe the tour operators with specialist knowledge and advice give a more valuable service. Collectively we will call them 'travel organisers' because whether in the UK, Europe or the States, tour operators and wholesalers are generally speaking the principals. They put the holidays together that may subsequently be sold to the public via travel agents.
In the UK and Europe, all tour operators should be bonded for your financial protection, and sell flight inclusive holidays under licence from government bodies such as the Civil Aviation Authority (UK). Some travel agents also have the required bonding and licences to put together flight inclusive holidays, and there are a few Caribbean specialists among them.
We are beginning to look at the best travel organisers offering holidays to St. Lucia and the list that follows will be developed as we make progress.
Message to Tour Operators, Wholesalers and specialist travel agents:
We invite any travel organiser working as a Caribbean specialist with a programme to St Lucia to contact us if we are not already in communication with you. Initially please email us for further details.
The list of travel organisers for St Lucia will appear below as we populate the section:
| | CaribtoursA lovely company that has not diluted its high standards of personal service for the sake of profit; excellent brochure; fairly priced holidays. Strong following of repeat clients, some famous, some infamous and others simply seeking consistently reliable service and value for money. | | CV TravelA long established villa holiday specialist with an extensive Caribbean programme. CV Travel offers a broad range of Caribbean villas of all sizes and prices in twelve islands, ranging from simple beachfront homes to substantial staffed villas, estates, even private islands. Also a selection of the region’s finest villa resorts and characterful hotels and inns. | | Tropic BreezeA small and knowledgeable UK tour operator with a good depth of accommodation, particularly in the mid to upper price range, in twelve islands in the Eastern Caribbean, from the BVI down to Tobago. Tropic Breeze is friendly and offers tailor-made advice from long-time Caribbean specialists |
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Tourist Information
The St Lucia Tourist Board has a number of Information Centres in strategic places around the island, opening hours 8am–4.30pm.
Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage, the main cruise ship dock in Castries, t 452 7577, Soufrière, t 459 7419, George FL Charles Airport just outside Castries, t 452 2596, Hewanorra International Airport in the south of the island, t 454 6644. The Tourist Board head office is at Sureline Bldg., Vide Bouteille, Castries, t 452 4094
Outside St Lucia, information can be obtained in advance of travel from the St Lucia Tourist Boards abroad
Canada
65 Overlea Boulevard, Suite 250, Toronto, Ontario, M4H 1P1, t 416 519 5642, f 362 7832, sltbcanada@aol.com
UK
1 Collingham Garden, London, SW5 OHW, t 0207 431 7000, f 0207 431 7001, sltbinfo@stluciauk.org
USA
800 Second Avenue, 9th floor, New York, NY 10017, t 212 867 2950, 1 800 456 3984 (toll free), f 212 867 2795, stluciatourism@aol.com |
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Tours of St Lucia
There are many tours of St Lucia, which enable you to take in a number of ‘sights’ at once. Many are by boat, so you cruise down the wonderfully beautiful leeward coast of the island, see day sails. But of course there are vehicle borne tours aswell that will give you a greater exposure to local St Lucian life as you stop off along the way for a juice or a beer.
A number of excellent sites are members of an association called the Heritage Tourism Association of St Lucia (HERITAS) and tours can be booked through St Lucia Heritage Tours, Point Seraphine, t 451 6058, La Place Carenage, t 458 1726, www.heritagetoursstlucia.com. More details about these sights are listed under Hiking and Places of Interest.
A wide variety of island tours is also available through Sunlink Tours including day and half day round the island excursions, soft adventure walks in the rainforest, walks and horse-rides, also shopping tours.
Helicopter Tours
It is also possible to make a tour of the island by helicopter. You cruise over the extraordinary green of the forest and along coastline and then circle Pitons high above Soufrière. Heading straight for the Pitons at over 1000 feet is an exciting feeling. They have a number of tours that circle the island. Contact St Lucia Helicopters, t 453 6950 or Eastern Caribbean Helicopters, t 453 6952. |
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Water
The water in St Lucia is safely drinkable from the tap, but you may want to drink bottled water to reassure yourself. Water bottled in St Lucia includes Paradise and Piton Spring. |
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Weather
In St Lucia the temperature varies by just a few degrees across the year, usually between 85 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit from winter to summer. The island rarely gets too hot, except occasionally in summer, particularly if it is still for a few days when it can become humid. Generally though, there is a breeze to take the edge off the heat. If you are at altitude in the winter months it can get cold, so take a wrap.
There are two rainy seasons, a small one in July and the main one in November, but usually the sun comes out after the showers. Occasionally a blanket of cloud will spin off a weather system in the Northern Hemisphere and may cover the island with cloud for a few days. |
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Weddings
St Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s most popular destinations for weddings and in recent years the island has won many awards as the Caribbean’s top wedding destination. The island is extremely romantic and it is among the most beautiful in the region, so the locations are wonderful. There are pretty isolated beaches, tropical gardens where you can build aisles and arbours of wonderful plants, there are rainforest waterfalls and rockpools, romantic plantation ruins and estate houses. Or you might choose to get married on a yacht, even underwater if that’s your thing. You are limited only by your imagination, really.
There are other advantages to marrying in the tropics too. Holding a wedding abroad means that your mother and mother in law are unable to interfere in your plans. Sure, there is a certain leap of faith in handing over the organisation of such a personal and important event, in not being able to control everything directly yourself, so the best idea is to relax and let go. The trick is to pick the right local wedding organiser for your needs.
A number of hotels and even villas on the island can arrange an excellent ceremony and reception. However, if you would like to find someone that is able to take care of everything for you, this is easily found on St Lucia, and probably a good move. They can help you plan your idea, make suggestions where relevant, and then put everything into action, through handling the regulations and logistics to staging rehearsals and arranging every detail of the ceremony itself, down to the last boutonnière. Our chosen wedding organiser on St Lucia is Awesome Caribbean Weddings, who have been providing a truly personalised service such as this since 1999, growing and perfecting their knowledge and skills as the island’s popularity for weddings itself grows.
Villa weddings
Getting married or having your reception at a private villa is a wonderful way to enjoy a wedding in the Caribbean. Tropical Villas Ltd, the management company that looks after most villas available for rent on St Lucia, also provides an excellent service for anyone wishing to arrange their wedding around a villa holiday, or marry in a villa. Once you liaise with them, you can have as much or as little involvement in the preparations as you like. Please see here for full details of their services.
The most romantic villas for weddings are La Paloma, Cap Pavilion, Jonson, Saman House (with Smuggler’s Point next door for a larger party), Wild Orchid, Smuggler's Nest for an intimate and beautifully picturesque setting, and Zandoli/Ti Zan if you are looking for that extra special Far East meets Caribbean setting.
The following are requirements for any wedding in St Lucia:
• Passport and/or Birth Certificate
• Original or certified copy of a Divorce Decree (in the case of a widow/widower, a certified Death Certificate)
• proof of parental permission if under 18
You must be in St Lucia for three full business days prior to the wedding day for the license application process to be completed.
You can also expect to pay the following fees:
• Lawyers fees & marriage licence, EC$300 approx
• Registrar’s fee, EC$120
• Marriage certificate, EC$8
The following accommodation choices are probably the best if you are planning a wedding on St Lucia:
| La Dauphine Estate
A beautiful restored great house (with a second manager’s house) set on a working plantation estate just above Soufrière in the south of St Lucia. Classic Caribbean plantation elegance, original floors and verandas with gingerbread trim, overlooking magnificent gardens. | Cotton Bay Village
A luxury villa resort designed specifically for families in the far north of St Lucia. Cotton Bay Village is a series of suites, townhouses and free standing villas in its own community behind a curve of Atlantic-facing sand. There are very good facilities including a spa, a children’s club, golf right next door and optional butler service. | Royal St Lucia
A large and lively resort hotel set right on the sands of Reduit Beach in the north of St Lucia. The Royal St Lucia’s 96 suites stand in a horseshoe around a pool and dining rooms, overlooking the island’s busiest and best beach. Good facilities including watersports, spa and conference facilities. | La Fleur Des Pitons
A contemporary 2 bedroom house with plenty of creole style, perched 1000ft up on the Pitons High Ridge, with an awe-inspiring setting overlooking the landmark Saint Lucia Pitons. La Fleur des Pitons uses the best in Caribbean plantation style, with natural tropical wood and a very open aspect to provide very comfortable tropical living with truly magnificent views. A unique retreat for romantics. | Heaven
A very pleasant 2 bedroom villa with an unusual ’loft’ design and splendid, 360 degree views from a hilltop on Becune Point in the Cap Estate in the north of St Lucia. Set in two acres of private gardens, Heaven has a low key feel, with stylish white furniture, dark-stained wood on white-painted stone walls and plenty of good outdoor living space. Suitable for honeymooners. | La Petite Fleur
A rare find – a lovely one bedroom guest cottage – in a truly spectacular setting - on a ridge 1000ft up overlooking the Pitons on the south-western coast of St Lucia. The studio bedroom is modern with some Caribbean style in the natural wood, and there is a lovely dining and sunning deck with absolutely stunning views. La Petite Fleur is a unique hillside retreat for two facing the St. Lucia Pitons. | Balenbouche Estate St Lucia
A lovely hideaway on a working plantation estate in the far south of St Lucia, centred on a very pretty creole house. Just 4 cottages in traditional buildings around the grounds, excellent welcome. A true Caribbean original, bed and breakfast at a very good price. Excellent wedding and holistic retreat venue. | La Colline
Colourful three bedroom villa with separate one-bedroom cottage with stunning sea views, just 10 minutes walk to Anse du Cap beach. Children welcome. | Stonefield Estate
A group of 18 very attractive 1, 2 and 3-bedroom villas built in traditional West Indian style, set on a former plantation stretching down to the shoreline, with an incredibly dramatic view of the Petit Piton. A friendly hideaway ideal for independent travellers | The BodyHoliday at LeSPORT
A lively and very popular resort set in its own pretty cove at the northern tip of St Lucia. As the name suggests, it offers everything for the body on holiday, from sports and watersports to a spa and holistic rejuvenation. Special single rooms. | East Winds Inn
Small but elegant inn set in lovely gardens sloping down to a calm beach. Rooms in cottages, very good food, quiet and secluded but close to the action if you want it. | Villa Beach Cottages
Twenty pretty gingerbread villa suites set right on Choc Bay Beach between Castries and Rodney Bay in the north of St Lucia. Good facilities for independent living within walking distance, good wedding location and comfortable atmosphere for solo travellers. Also two classic Caribbean houses at La Dauphine Estate near Soufrière in the south for an interesting 2-centre combination. | Smugglers Nest
Set above Smugglers Cove, this is a beautifully appointed, two bedroom adobe style home with soul where the living areas meld with the mesmerizing garden. Good choice for weddings, honeymoons or for those just looking for a very special place to be. | Zandoli
Swim in the moonlight, shower under the stars - an exotic house with a sensuous Balinese flavour. Superb views to the sea and Pigeon Point. | Cap Pavilion
A very private 5-bedroom colonial plantation style house inspired by Oliver Messel’s love of coral stone and cool green painted woodwork. Excellent venue for weddings and elegant entertaining, film/fashion shoots. | La Paloma
A stylish St Lucia villa with a comfortable Mexican/Caribbean mix of furnishings and flavour. Picture perfect for weddings but also a good villa for families. Pretty gardens in a dramatic cliffside setting (fully enclosed) with excellent views. | Hummingbird House
A seriously nice 3 bedroom home with innovative design features, lots of charm, wall to wall shutters opening to lovely wooden decks for outdoor living, great views and, from the Master bed in particular, a view to stay in bed for! | St Remy
A restored 150-year old estate house, which has hosted royalty, set in a former cocoa plantation, now a veritable tropical garden of Eden. Keen gardeners and botanists will be transported by this property. |
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What to Pack
Consider taking the following when heading out to the Caribbean:
Sun protection including high factor sun cream, sunglasses, hat/cap and a lightweight shirt/blouse/t-shirt for the beach; suitable beach and walking shoes; mosquito repellent containing DEET suitable for use all day; cream for insect bites; toiletries including feminine items; beach mat/towel. The island can be quite wet, so if you are going walking take a lightweight waterproof coat.
Lightweight cotton is the best clothing, with elegant/casual attire for evenings. Note that most good restaurants and top hotels require men to wear long trousers and shirts with a collar in the evenings. At Christmas and New Year people tend to dress up more and the most exclusive establishments may request a jacket and tie. Women may wish to pack a lightweight wrap or jacket during the winter months, as the evenings (Jan/Feb) sometimes feel cool after the heat of the day.
St Lucia is usually well stocked with general batteries, but do not depend on there being camera film or batteries. Also bring an electrical adapter and you may want to bring a small torch. Any prescription medication that needs to be taken on a regular basis should be carried in your hand luggage, and should remain in their original packaging for clear identification by customs should they need to check contents.
Don’t forget your passport, driving licence and insurance (medical and travel) documents. |
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Windsurfing/Kitesurfing
The best place for windsurfing, and latterly kitesurfing or kiteboarding is Anse de Sables in the far south east of the island, close to the airport. The beach looks out onto an extremely large bay with onshore and cross-shore winds that run straight off the Atlantic. The area is quite a popular gathering point for windsurfers and general beach goers alike. There are a couple of bars as well as the sports shops.
Windsurfing and kitesurfing have the same basic requirements - constant winds and a protected location (so that you don’t end up being blown off to Curacao) - and Anse de Sables is ideal, with winds that average between 15 and 20 knots during most of the year, rising to 25 or even 30 knots in January and February.
That said, the two sports give each other a little room so that surfers do not get tangled up. The windsurfers tend to take the space upwind in the bay and the kitesurfers downwind. Rental costs around 45 euros for a windsurfer and 60 euros for a kitesurfer per day, with better weekly rates of course. Equipment hire and instruction for both sports is available through the following two sports shops.
Saint Lucia Kite Surfing Fiesta, www.kitesurfstlucia.com
New competition held at Sandy Beach in Vieux Fort which attracts some of the big names associated to the sport. Two days of entertainment with live bands and beach activities as well as the pro and expression events.
Tornado Kite and Surf St Lucia, t 713 2110, info@tornado-surf.com, www.tornado-surf.com
The Reef Kite + Surf, t 454 3418, windsurf@slucia.com |
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Yoga/Holistic Activities
St Lucia is a good destination for anyone interested in holistic activities. It is naturally organic and quite spiritual. Take a walk into the heart of the rainforest and tune into the atmosphere and the energy of the abundant life there. It is magical and energising, and a great source of tranquility and serenity. St Lucia is an island with soul and for those in tune with nature, the topography lends resonance to a strong sense of ‘being’.
The South of the island is more natural and less commercial than the North, and there are some wonderful places for practising meditation and yoga such as Balenbouche Estate. Or you might consider Ladera Resort or one of the villas on the Stonefield Estate, both of which have a view of The Pitons. In the North, there are still some lovely spots from which to sit and gaze awhile. One or two villas on the Cap Estate have a particularly special energy - Smuggler's Nest, Zandoli and Ti Zan.
Some of the hotels offer yoga on a daily basis (in both private and daily group sessions). Others will bring in someone to work with you. These practitioners are also available for private session of course. There are also two notable centres that offer holistic activities alongside complementary therapy and other mind and body rejuvenating activities.
Sportivo Fitness, Rodney Heights, t 452 8899
A health club that offers holistic activities.
Oasis Spa, BodyHoliday at LeSport, t 450 8551
LeSport offers holistic activities alongside the pampering they give to the mind, body, and spirit. Open to non-residents with a day pass.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Definitive Caribbean is most grateful for the photographic contributions we received for use in the Jamaica Guide. Contributions came from: Anse Chastanet, Awesome Caribbean Weddings, Balenbouche Estate, Chris Huxley (www.ChrisHuxley.com) East Winds Inn, Ladera, Rendezvous, SLADD, Stonefield Estate Villa Resort, The BodyHoliday at LeSport, The Jalousie Plantation, The Reef Beach Huts, Tropical Villas, Villa Beach Cottages, Windjammer Landing, Will Orr and the St Lucia Tourist Board.
Picture Editors, Alexander Gray & Will Orr |
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