Caribbean Cruising '22: Super Saint Lucia

Arriving to St Lucia felt like sailing to some mystical land, with the mighty Pitons rising high on the horizon, shrouded in cloud. Fortunately by the time we arrived the cloud had lifted to reveal the towering peaks in all their glory - what a welcome to St Lucia!

In the shadow of Petit Piton is the lovely little creole town of Soufriere, which is a great base for exploring the south of the island. Surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, there are plenty of beautiful walks, along rivers, past waterfalls, to natural hot pools, mud baths and up to ridges with spectacular views. For the more energetic, one can even hike up the Pitons - unfortunately (or fortunately!) due to limited time, an adventure I will have to save for another visit.

Marigot is a picture perfect Caribbean bay. Passing through the entrance flanked by white sand beaches with swaying palms, Marigot Bay opens into a long steep sided lagoon, lined with mangroves. Dotted with hotels, bars and being a popular spot for superyachts, this is a fabulous bay for people watching and soaking up the holiday vibes. Marigot was also location for the 1967 film ‘Dr Doolittle’ and there is a lovely beach bar bearing his name, perfect for the obligatory sunset rum punch!

Rodney Bay to the north of St Lucia is a lively area, popular for hotels, shops and restaurants, with great long stretches of glorious sandy beaches. We enjoyed a particularly fun evening at Frydays in nearby Gros Islet, with delicious food and dancing to a fabulous saxophonist.

As with the south of St Lucia, the north also offers tropical rainforest interior, with some wonderful hiking trails, zip lines to fly through the trees and even an aerial rainforest canopy tram.

St Lucia has a fabulous array of hotels and accommodation and sailing up the west coast gave great opportunity to see many of them. From the fabulous and quirky Jade Mountain Resort, totally open on one side with views of the Pitons to die for, her sister beach hotel Anse Chastanet Resort, the luxurious Sugar Beach, family friendly Windjammer Landing and sporty Body Holiday, to name but a few. Whilst in Marigot Bay we were able to enjoy the lovely pool, gardens and restaurant at the Marigot Bay Resort.

We have France next on the horizon in the form of Martinique, which is very exciting.

This article was published as part of a series ‘Caribbean Cruising 2022’:

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