One week in St. Lucia – where to stay?

Why St. Lucia?

As Canadians, the Caribbean is a prime and easy choice for a tropical getaway. There are usually direct flights, a buffet of every type of resort you could want, and, if you are in Central Canada/US, there is no time zone difference. The Caribbean boasts some of the most exquisite beaches and snorkelling in the world, (we don’t dive, but one day when the kids are older we’d like to learn!) and there is adventure aplenty.

There are hundreds of beautiful islands to choose from in the Caribbean, and we are only getting started. As an adventurous couple who had shied away from all-inclusive vacations, I have to admit we neglected the Caribbean as a travel destination for many years. Now, with kids, the draws of this more convenient part of the world will likely see us making many more trips here in the future.

Our week in St. Lucia, however, was blissfully kids-free. (Actually, that is one of the caveats of traveling *without* the children. These tiny humans are like little pieces of your heart walking around outside your body. It’s impossible to not feel the pang of missing them, no matter where you are in the world.) We were celebrating an anniversary, and also toasting to surviving the early years of parenthood. We wanted a place that was romantic, a little bit luxurious, but somewhere quiet where we could actually relax and unwind. St. Lucia was the perfect choice – low-key, as beautiful as it is mystical, seductive and still a little bit wild.

Where to stay in St. Lucia?

St. Lucia is not a big island. It’s less than 50km from one end of the island to the other. There are two main areas to stay – the north end, and the south-west side. Where to stay really depends on the vibe you’re after.

North St. Lucia (Rodney Bay) feels more like your typical stretch of beach resorts, with many all-inclusive hotels, shopping, and vibrant nightlife. This is also where most of the watersport activities are located – even if you stay on the south side, you will be boated up here for many water activities. This is also where the cruise ships dock.

South-west St. Lucia is much quieter. There are fewer hotels and no “tourist hub”, but it is significantly closer to the airport (more on that below) and to some of the natural attractions. From this side of the island you have a view of the Grand and Petit Pitons, the two volcanic mountains that gives St. Lucia such an incredible backdrop.

It is totally possible to hotel-hop and split a week’s stay between these two sides. As we were looking for a romantic getaway and more of a unique experience, we chose to spend our week on the South side. Plus, it’s no secret we are suckers for a good view.

There are only a handful of resorts on the south side, especially ones that also have beach access. We split our stay between two hotels, the Anse Chastanet Resort and it’s very exclusive sister hotel, the Jade Mountain Resort. Jaisy read about the Jade Mountain Resort once in a travel magazine (yes, and Nat Geo coffee-table books, I read those!) and it became an instant bucket list dream after seeing those paradise-like pictures. Our stay there was an experience unlike any other (that we’ve encountered, anyway). But at $2000 CAD/night a pop, a week’s stay was just inconceivable. Luckily, they have weekly offers that allow you to split your time between the two resorts.

Anse Chastanet

Jade Mountain Resort

Our stay

Our week in St. Lucia was everything we wanted it to be. The two sister resorts are built quite literally against the side of a mountain, and share the same beachfront. We spent most of the week at the Anse Chastanet Resort, enjoying the beach and taking some sightseeing trips. Perhaps the Jade Mountain Resort gets all the hype, but Anse Chastanet is certainly not shabby. The resort guestrooms are tucked into alcoves against the mountainside, giving the impression of having your very own villa in the mountains. The rooms are well appointed and have a very zen feel, surrounded by nature.

During your stay, you have the option of purchasing a breakfast/dinner meal plan, a three meals a day plan, and an all inclusive plan. We chose the breakfast/dinner plan, and it worked out well for us. Not having to return to the hotel for lunch gave us the flexibility to explore during the day.

We did do a few excursions during our stay, to the town of Soufriere, the Soufriere drive-in volcano and hot springs, and explored a few waterfalls.

On our final night, we were transferred to the Jade Mountain Resort by a shuttle cart (that’s right, after all that coveting, we only spent one night there – but what a night!) We went nowhere else for the next 24 hours, and luxuriated in our open-air hotel room. We had our own infinity pool, and even our own major domo! You can read about our stay at Jade Mountain Resort here.

Anse Chastanet beach

The resort beach definitely exceeded expectations. It is bracketed on either side by mountains and lush vegetation, and felt like a private tropical oasis. The sand was very fine, the beach clean, the water pristine. There were plenty of cabanas. There were a few peddlers on the beach, but not many, because the public can only access the beach by boat.

The Anse Chastanet reef is considered one of the best on the island for snorkelling and diving. Many snorkelling tour companies will stop here for snorkelling. There is a dive school right on the beach. Lucky for us, the reef extends right up to the beach, so you can see a ton just walking right into the water. We usually bring our own snorkel masks when we travel, and we did quite a bit of snorkelling.

The resort is also connected to the Anse Mamin beach. Remember those scenes from Madagascar where the animals wash right up to the beach? And it’s just mile after mile of beach dotted with palm against a jungle backdrop? Anse Mamin looks just like that (but with beach loungers and someone offering beverages.)

Getting around the island

St. Lucia is small, but boy, is it difficult to get around by car.

There is one main road that circles the island, and passes through many of the local towns. The airport is on the south tip of the island. It takes about an hour to drive from the airport to Anse Chastanet and most of the south-west hotels. It takes upward of two hours to drive the 45km to the north end. Our drive from the main road the short distance to the hotel entrance was a harrowing bumpy ride along the edge of a cliff.

Luckily, there is another way to travel – by water taxi. I believe they also offer larger “water ferry” options out of Rodney Bay, but all the ones we saw on the south side were local operated motorboats. This was a great way to get around (especially in and out of Anse Chastanet, given that apoplectic inducing road in.) You get to take a boat, and you get an amazing view of the coastline and the Piton mountains. It is also possible to take a water taxi to and from the airport, or between hotels, but there will be luggage restrictions for many vessels.

Our one week in St. Lucia left us recharged and rejuvenated. Definitely an item to add to your bucket list if you’re looking for a Caribbean destination with a relaxed and intimate feel. The beaches are great, but in our opinion what really makes St. Lucia unique is the lush, secluded, mystical backdrop.

Got questions about St Lucia? Get in touch with us!