St. Lucia was the destination of choice last week when I took off for 10 days to vacation. St. Lucia is an island in the eastern Caribbean near Barbados, St. Vincent and Martinique. Known for their rainforest and two iconic mountains called the Pitons, it’s also home to beautiful beaches, fishing villages, and luxury resorts. Keep reading for my honeymoon travel guide for St. Lucia.
St. Lucia is a no fuss destination for couples looking for a beautiful island, but something a bit different than the common Jamiaca, Dominican and Cuba hot spots. The days are a warm 29 degrees, while the nights are cool. It is especially good for us Toronto folk, as it is only a 5 hour plane ride.
Here’s a quick highlights video from the trip!
St. Lucia Overview:
- Currency: EC (East Caribbean dollar) but USD and credit card is widely accepted
- Language: English and Patois
- Local food: Creole
- Population: About 200,000
St. Lucia Honeymoon ideas – Accommodations and where to stay
Most of the resorts are located on the west side of the island that face the blue Caribbean waters. Popular destinations include Soufriere (near the attractions and Pitons), Marigot Bay (secluded but beautiful bay area in the north) and Castries (where the cruise ships land).
All-Inclusive Accommodations:
For couples looking for a no fuss vacation, consider the Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in Vieux Fort. Relish in the all-inclusive experience where food, drink, and tips are never a concern. This resort is farther from the main attractions but still offers the amenities you come to expect from an all-inclusive without breaking the bank. This couple and family-friendly all-inclusive resort has its own beautiful beach, pools and restaurants. The resort will assist you in arranging excursions, so you can get the best of both worlds.
The Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa open air lobby with nightly live music.
Tip: For couples looking to book a honeymoon, book the Concierge Junior Honeymoon Suite (seen above). It has a large suite with living room space and balcony on the upper floors with more privacy, you have your own concierge to assist with all bookings. Restaurant bookings will already be booked in advance for you so you don’t have to worry. Rooms are styled with classic Caribbean charm, with modern amenities.
Concierge Junior Honeymoon Suite washroom. Washroom cleanliness and amenities are very important to me!
One of their 3 pools on the adult side, at sunset. Stunning!
At St. Lucia’s largest waterpark at Coconut Bay.
Love me some lazy river.
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa wedding and vow renewal gazebo. Beautiful at sunset!
This resort is by the airport on the south side of the island and not on the Caribbean water side, so it is a bit windy here. But the beach is still quite beautiful.
Nature Lovers Accommodations:
If you are a nature lover, you are in luck as St. Lucia has an international award-winning eco-friendly resort called Fond Doux Plantation & Resort. Located on a working plantation and minutes from the major town of Soufriere, their 15 private cottages offer intimacy and tranquil settings. Prince Charles has stayed here too! Their restaurants offer plantation to plate dining, with most of the food grown on the plantation itself. All cottages are solar powered and are meant to sit lightly in its surroundings with little environmental impact. We stayed in the African Tulip cottage for a couple days, then switched to the Hilltop Papaya.
Being from the city, it took me a couple days to get acclimatized to being so engulfed in nature, but we finally learned to relax and enjoy it. At night, the bugs and frogs make a ton of noise. It’s like what you hear when you go camping, as the cottages have semi open air windows. They provide you complimentary ear plugs though. If you love camping or want a tranquil setting for relaxation, this will be perfect for you!
The African Tulip is on the ground level and quaint, about the size of a normal deluxe hotel room.
Tip: I would recommend paying a little extra to stay in the Hilltop Papaya, seen above. It was much more secluded, with a fantastic view and private porch area. The suite was also much bigger with a couch for lounging. There is a bit of an uphill walk to the suite, but there is no need to be in a rush at this resort, so we didn’t find it an issue.
Fond Doux Plantation & Resort – Hilltop Papaya cottage private porch view.
Fond Doux Plantation & Resort – Hilltop Papaya cottage interior and four post bed
A banana tree about to blossom, right on the resort. Everywhere you look there is vegetation, papaya trees, lime trees, cocoa trees… you name it they have it. In fact, all or most of the food you eat there is made from the fruit/vegetables on the property. Take their complimentary plantation tour to learn all about it.
The property is truly a nature lover’s paradise. There are a few great trails that are accessible from the property (including the Tet Paul Nature Trail with views of the Pitons seen above).
You must say hi to the resident cat, Socks!
Luxury Accommodations:
If you and your boo are looking for a luxury resort, look no further than Jade Mountain, an architectural and tropical paradise. Built in harmony with Caribbean nature on a mountainside, each suite (also known as a sanctuary) has its own bridge walkway and infinity pool overlooking the pitons. Every suite comes with your own personal butler. It is by far St. Lucia’s most beautiful resort.
Panoramic view from Jade Mountain.
The view from the 360 degree open roof lounge at the top of the resort.
The resort has beautiful architectural features and is beautiful every direction you look.
Jade Mountain’s 24 infinity pool sanctuary suites have panoramic views, 15ft ceilings and open wall views of the Pitons. Yes, this is actually a suite!
Jade Mountain’s Galaxy infinity pool suite interior.
Jade Mountain’s Galaxy infinity pool suite interior lounge area with breathtaking views of the Pitons.
If you cannot stay here, at the very least you must dine here for the view and fantastic food.
St. Lucia Honeymoon ideas – Popular Attractions
St. Lucia offers beautiful snorkeling and scuba with the calm Caribbean waters. As with every island, they also have their ‘standard’ excursion trips with waterfalls and mudbaths. Since these are easily booked from any tour company or hotel, I prefer to provide you excursion recommendations that are a bit off the beaten path. Here are some of the highlights from my trip.
Sugar Beach – a beyond stunning beach nestled between the two pitons with calm blue waters perfect for snorkeling. There are two great restaurants onsite as well. You can simply visit this beach or you can stay at the Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort for views of this every day!
Fun Fact: When Matt Damon renewed his vows, he booked the Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort for his all-white affair (fitting, since all the suites are a beautiful neutral white palette!).
Tip: Fond Doux Plantation Resort provides a free shuttle here every day.
Take a Water Taxi – If you are interested in a scenic way of getting around the island, consider a water taxi for some beautiful views of the water and Pitons. We took the water taxi from Sugar Beach to the town of Soufriere to get some lunch. They are a little more expensive than normal land taxis but offer you a mini excursion too.
Gros Piton Hike – So, remember those beautiful mountains called the Pitons? Well, you can climb the Gros Pitons (2,800 ft high, quite a bit taller than the CN Tower). It takes about 2 hours to climb up one way, and then you climb back down the same way (going down is the worst). Me and the hubs did the climb for great views, but man it was crazy tiring.
Marigot Bay – If you have time to visit the north side of the island, check out Marigot Bay which was named “the most beautiful Bay in the Caribbean” by author James A. Michener. Marigot Bay is the home of dozens of sailboats and offers stunning scenery of vegetation and turquoise waters.
Take a tour of the island – Get a land tour of the island with a taxi or tour guide to take in the island’s scenery. You can see views like this bay, where parts of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.
St. Lucia offers a versatile range of activities, scenery and luxury accommodations, which is why I think it’s a great honeymoon destination. Whether you end up at St. Lucia or not, happy honeymoon planning! I’ll be dreaming of these beautiful waters and sunshine for a while.
[line]
In our honeymoon and travel series, Rebecca takes you to beautiful destinations around the world for honeymoon ideas. When you think of your honeymoon, you are planning for a once-in-a-lifetime trip and you want it to be both stunning and memorable. Rebecca gives you an inside look at locations she has traveled to herself to give you some honeymoon planning inspiration. Her travel style is a mix of cultural exploration, taking in the landscape and luxury experiences.