For a small island, St Lucia sure packs a whole lot of punch – all 238 square miles of it. Volcanic and tropical, St Lucia is home to resplendent rainforests, magnificent waterfalls, miles of beaches lapped by the warm blue of the Caribbean and of course the Pitons; two extraordinary World Heritage mountains that rise nearly half a mile above the ocean bed.
And that is just the start of it. Add to that a drive-in volcano, a walk-in dive site, and black volcanic sand at one end, just to contrast with the pristine white sand at the other. So what if the latter is imported from Guyana – it looks and feels glorious.
Little St Lucia is an island that knows its own value. And so would you, if you had been fought over 14 times by the French and British with great ferocity. It is today part of the Commonwealth, and while its official language is English, its patois is a fusion of French- Creole.
For centuries, the island has attracted the great and the good, the raffish and the rogues, as well as the rich and famous.Indeed, St Lucia is the only Caribbean island to boast two Nobel laureates – Sir William Arthur Lewis for economics and Hon Derek Walcott for literature – as well as housing some notable artists like Sir Dunstan St Omer, who not only designed the national flag but who received worldwide recognition (amid consternation) for his paintings of a black divinity.
Today, many of St Lucia’s churches house his Madonnas and murals.Another world-famous painter is Llewellyn Xavier, whose work hangs in the Smithsonian Institute and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Visitors to the island can see it in situ at his studio on the Cap Estate (your hotel can call ahead to make an appointment).
But most of all, St Lucia is famous for its beaches, the warm water of the Caribbean and some of the most sybaritic hotels on the planet. Take for example Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort that began life under the aegis of Lord Glenconner, who masterminded the revival of Mustique before heading for St Lucia and this great spread between the Pitons, which he developed as the Jalousie Plantation.
Now, after a multi-million dollar refurb with its beachfront bungalows, Sugar Mill rooms and truly magnificent hillside villas all in true ‘gingerbread’ style of pastel colours, fretted wooden wrap-around verandas and pure white interiors, it is the ultimate in Carib-cool.
Its Rainforest Spa has six thatched treatment rooms hidden among the tree canopy. Little wonder that Gwyneth Paltrow tweeted about her stay there, or that Matt Damon has booked the entire place for a private party and that it is Russian-Icelandic composer Vladimir Ashkenazy’s home from home.
Then there is the near futuristic Jade Mountain resort, which has dispensed with rooms. In this rarefied atmosphere they are known as sanctuaries, set high on Morne Chastanet, another peak. Some come with their own infinity pools, others with chromotherapy Jacuzzis that change lights and colours according to your mood, while its main bar and leisure area is a fantastic ‘celestial terrace’ with a 360-degree panoramic view of its surrounds.
Under the guidance of architect owner Nick Troubetzkoy, the resort is constantly searching for new ways to spoil and pamper its guests.
Its latest offering is ‘Six in your Sanctuary’, a special six-course gastronomic feast prepared by the executive chef specifically to be enjoyed in the privacy of your own personal paradise. Each course is accompanied by a matching wine and, should you require it, you can also order a guitarist to match your mood with music.
This is indeed honeymoon heaven. Should you want to come back down to earth, its sister hotel, Anse Chastanet, which overlooks two pristine white beaches and is surrounded by a 600-acre tropical estate, offers every luxury.
Spoilt for choice? Two of the island’s five-star properties have teamed up to offer guests a taste of both mountains and beach – the best of both worlds in one great package. Ladera, which has the best view of the Pitons on the island, is located right in front of the two peaks. Little wonder that it removed the fourth wall of each bedroom so guests could savour the view. The hotel has joined with another iconic property, Cap Maison, which sits on a stunning cliff-top site just minutes from a glorious beach north of Rodney Bay.
Guests will divide their time between the two resorts and hop between them in a private boat, an experience that opens up a new dimension to the island; while St Lucia’s interior is lauded, the coastline, with its tiny inlets, soaring cliffs, private coves and secluded islets, is simply spectacular.
However a visit into the hinterland should not be missed. You can begin with Pigeon Island National Park, which is a joy for bird- watchers as well as military historians, who can visit the old British fort in the same trip.
The fit and the adventurous should head for the Pitons. There are numerous guided walks to the tip of the Gros Piton (the larger of the two peaks), but Petit Piton (the lesser peak) is only for those used to ropes and crampons.
If heights aren’t for you, a guided trek through the rainforest is magical, with its plants and birds, flowers and trees – look out for laurier- cannelles, whose bark the locals claim is a natural Viagra when made into tea.
If your fitness is not what you would like it to be, St Lucia houses a true fitness retreat where you can regain or retrain your body. The BodyHoliday is a resort like no other – it is dedicated to making exercise and fitness fun and accessible. Best of all there is no pressure to join in, but with over 40 activities available each day, even the idlest will find something to do.
There is circuit training, yoga, Zumba, aqua aerobics, dance and yoga, just to name a few, plus diving, snorkelling, golf and tennis. If that’s not what you want from a holiday, there is also a Wellness Centre with more than 30 treatment rooms, an Ayurveda pavilion and a special skin clinic. As it says on the label, here you will find everything your body needs for a holiday.
Getting to the resort on Cariblue Beach on the northwest of the island is a great way to see the vegetation as well as to experience the waywardness of the road – although you can take a helicopter ride there if you prefer an aerial arrival. The rooms are large with great beds and no televisions, so it is a holiday for the mind as well as the body, but internet access is available in the public areas.
For hedonists, a new penthouse has just been unveiled, which comes complete with its own private hammam with heated marble beds and a star-lit LED ceiling.
It is almost impossible to be bored on an island like St Lucia, with its snorkelling, sailing and spectacular diving. Wreck and night diving are both very popular, and for those who can’t dive, this is one of the easiest places in the world to learn. For beginners, it’s so much more comforting to walk into the tranquil Caribbean than throwing yourself backwards off a boat with an oxygen tank strapped to your back.
After a walk-in scuba dive, how about a drive-in volcano? Only St Lucia offers both. An outing to the latter is good fun and great for the skin. The sulphur springs at Soufriere are inside the caldera of a dormant volcano and one of the great tourist attractions of the island. You can smell them long before reaching the first of the springs.
Do what the locals do and take to the warm waters, which are reputedly good for aches and muscular pains, then slather on the local mineral mud before hosing and washing it off. You’ll have the smoothest skin you’ve felt for a long time. When you’re done pampering, you could possibly retire for a reviving rum punch, another of St Lucia’s best assets.
A visit to the shops and cafes of Rodney Bay or better still the capital, Castries, should be on anyone’s agenda, especially during the annual Jazz (May) and Rum (October) festivals.
As a rite of passage, every visitor should head for Gros Islet on a Friday night, where the world’s longest-standing street party, the ‘Jump Up’, takes place.
When you are partied out you can enjoy what Caribbean island holidays are known for – simply relaxing on a beach or a hammock with the murmur of the sea, the swish of a palm tree, the warmth of the sun and the clink of ice in your glass.
THE GOLDEN BOOK
LADERA
Tel: +1 758 459 6600
www.ladera.com
SUGAR BEACH, A VICEROY RESORT
Tel: +1 758 456 8000
www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com
JADE MOUNTAIN
Tel: +1 800 223 1108
www.jademountain.com
ANSE CHASTANET
Tel: +1 800 223 1108
www.ansechastenet.com
THE BODY HOLIDAY
Tel: +1 758 457 7800
www.thebodyholiday.com
CAP MAISON
Tel: +1 758 457 8670
www.capmaison.com
