Let her inspire you. The Saint Lucia tagline is for real! It means that there’s inspiration everywhere. It inspires romanticism with its beauty, charm, adventure, delicious flavours, relaxation, fun, and the list goes on. This wonderful island has won the titles of the World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination 2019 and the Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination 2020.
It is actually the only country in the world named after a woman, Saint Lucy of Syracuse. This paradise is a mix of cultures and it is reflected in its people, traditions, and cuisine – you never have to look far to find the beauty of any of these!
In this post, you will discover more about all that Saint Lucia has to offer her guests. All the most important insights are taken from our interview with Rob Hannah from Saint Lucia Tourist Board at Travel Talk Thursdays with Travel Time. Scroll to the bottom of the post to view a recording!
Discovering more about Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is located in the Eastern Caribbean. Her most iconic and well-known landmarks are the Pitons, two volcano peaks located on the southwestern coast of the island. They are UNESCO heritage sites and you will find many ways to explore them: you can go diving following the trajectory of the peaks right down under the water or you can also climb them and enjoy all the nature that surrounds them. Both ways are definitely worthwhile.
After a five hour flight from Toronto, Canada (there are flight itineraries from various cities in the US as well!), you can reach this paradise. The airport that you will fly into is on the southern part of the island, the Hewanorra International Airport.
Our Canadian readers should take note that right now Air Canada is the only carrier flying out of Canada.
Around the airport, you will find a great number of hotels. Some others will be located where the Pitons are and that’s a sort of the adventure capital of the island. Then the majority of the hotels and resorts are in the Castries area.
On the western coast of the island, you will find Marigot Bay which is a safe harbor. Marigot Bay properties are a favourite of many people because it’s not a typical island destination type of hotel, there’s some great property in a picturesque little bay area. You can enjoy a private yacht, a sailing adventure, an exclusive island excursion, or you just want to relax in your enhancing residence or penthouse.
Entertainment for everybody
Saint Lucia is not a typical vacation destination, it offers more than just sea, sand, and sun. In this enchanting paradise, you will enjoy unique experiences because there are lots of options for everybody.
To start with, you should know there are certain excursions that are COVID-19 certified. Right now, there are a number of protocols in place so that people can enjoy them safely.
For chocolate lovers, Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat is like a dream come true. They have a magnificent restaurant where everything is chocolate infused. Lunch is totally chocolate-inspired, offering guests the chance to taste cacao like never before.
There is also a fun excursion that’s called bean to bar. You basically make your own chocolate bar as they show you the entire process from what happens when they pick the cocoa beans, all the way to making the finished product, your very own chocolate bar!
Rainforest adventure is another idea that’s very popular among families, it’s a gondola and zipline experience. One of the sites is located in Soufrière, it has over 12 different platforms and there are different companies that offer the service.
The Pigeon Island excursion is another one of the authorized COVID excursions. There’s a fort you can climb up there, or you can just have a walk over there. It’s a fun little excursion in a national park.
Sulphur Springs is a mud bath for some healthy relaxation that’s a bit different from normal! Because it’s a group activity, they create groups based on people who are staying at the same resort. If you’re staying at Sandals property on Saint Lucia, you can book this excursion and it would be you and probably a couple others from the same resort, so you’re not in touch with people from other resorts.
It’s a therapeutic experience when you go into the hot water and experience the mud on your skin. The exfoliation process rejuvenates you, and people say that it makes you look and feel 10 years younger! It’s a great excursion as an extra tip, we recommend that you don’t take your beautiful brand new bathing suits because the smell of the Sulphur and the color of the mud will stay on them for weeks.
Enjoying the safe, magnificent accommodations
Prior to reopening, the Saint Lucia Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism put in place certain protocols that needed to happen for resorts to be open, for example:
- markings on the floor
- mask protocols
- having nurses stations
- having rooms set aside for isolation
- cleaning protocols
- and many more
The very well-known Sandals Resorts in Saint Lucia were some of the first hotels to be COVID-19 certified and they put things in place quickly. As they are set up for couples only, they were already set up for social distancing and the spacing of their restaurant tables and sitting areas were already arranged to accommodate those measures.
For those who enjoy golf, Sandals Regency La Toc is the perfect spot. There’s a nine-hole golf course on the property. There are plenty of different room categories available there, such as the butler and the millionaire suites, all of them featuring beautiful views. For diving enthusiasts, this would be an ideal property because this activity has been permitted since August and of course, it’s included in your Sandals stay.
Sandals Halcyon has just gone through some major renovations, and it is opening on February, 15th. Their lazy river is one of the largest in the Caribbean. Some of the small rooms and the category rooms have been updated. For nature lovers and people who just want a holiday with more of a slower pace, this is the perfect property.
Coconut Bay is convenient because it’s one of the properties located just five minutes from the airport and it’s a great option for families. It has a true water park, a lazy river, a great kids club, and activities for small kids and for teens. There’s paintball, snorkeling, and kite surfing.
There’s an adult-only section called Harmony so if you’re an adult staying on the splash side you can go over there too. You can enjoy both experiences, extreme fun, and relaxation in the same place.
The newer property which opened almost three years ago is Serenity at Coconut Bay. It has 36 plunge pool suites and all of them have butler service. There’s a lot of demand for this type of property now and this is a great and amazing addition, but it’s important to look at booking early to get the best availability.
One of the iconic resorts on the island is Ladera Resort which is located right between the two Pitons so you have dinner with that stunning view as the sun sets. The rooms are three-walled (that’s right, the room is completely open to the outdoors on one side!). Although your bedding is covered by netting, you’re up so high that the issue with any kind of bugs is almost non-existent and there is a nice breeze constantly so you won’t need air conditioning.
The restaurant at Ladera, Dasheene, is one of the best restaurants on the island; they only utilize fresh ingredients from local farmers. The chef Nigel Mitchel and the staff have a great interpretation of Saint Lucian cuisine.
Sugar Beach is part of the Viceroy Resort and it has some amazing villas available for larger families or you can stay right in the regular type rooms but definitely a more of a high-end top quality in regards to the amenities and the service. At this property, celebrity sightings happen a lot; many of them stop for lunch and enjoy the amenities.
A favourite among Canadians, the elegant Royalton, is placed on the north side of the island. It’s the perfect resort for visitors of all ages; it has three sections, including:
- a family-friendly area
- a section for a higher level of service with exclusive services
- Hideaway, an adult-only paradise.
One of the most popular and well-known resorts in Saint Lucia is the Jade Mountain Resort. This property is absolutely stunning! It is surrounded by the perfect romantic setting, making it the ideal resort for honeymooners. You’ll enjoy amazing views of the ocean and the Pitons. It is set in one of the most beautiful parts of the island.
But what requirements are there for travelling to Saint Lucia?
To discuss the current travel restrictions surrounding COVID-19, it’s important to note that these rules apply to all international visitors. Before visiting Saint Lucia, you need to have and fill out a travel registration form which is available on the website https://www.stlucia.org/en
The form is very simple to complete, you’re just putting into your travel dates, putting in what hotel or property you’re staying at so that their team can do the verification. Once you fill out that form, you will receive a travel authorization letter.
Then, you will need a negative result on a PCR test, and it must be taken within seven days of arrival. There is also a health screening form which must be filled out and provided at the time at immigration to the country. An important note: this screening form is available to download and fill out so you can have it with you, saving time upon arrival so that you’re not spending that much time through immigration. This will help you skip the line for entry to Saint Lucia.
Choosing Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an incredibly beautiful destination; it’s a paradise that features more than beauty and relaxation. It depends quite heavily on tourism- almost 65 percent of people have jobs related to or depending on tourism- so they are deeply invested in keeping the entire tourist experience safe for everybody.
Saint Lucia has lovely people, gorgeous resorts, fantastic beaches, and a wonderful culture that will hypnotize you. Once you let her inspire you, you will discover all the magic that she treasures!
If you’re interested in visiting Saint Lucia, contact our travel agency and we would be happy to help you with any questions you have!
