6 Great Reasons To Visit St Lucia
There are many great reasons to visit St Lucia. That must be why we visited four times. The first visit was by cruise ship with Oceania Cruises. A great day on a jeep tour of the island convinced us we needed to return to St Lucia.
We then returned in the summer to stay at a Sandals Resort. A winter visit to a different Sandals Resort let us celebrate a birthday in luxury style. And our final visit was on a Caribbean cruise with Windstar Cruises for a great beach bbq. You can probably guess that we like this Caribbean island.
1) For The Most Stunning Views
St Lucia is a relatively small island. But we found it to be a beautiful island to visit. As we approached, the island the volcanic peaks are evident. The twin peaks of the Pitons are on the south end. The highest peak is Mt Gimie in the central part of the island.
Much of the interior of the island was covered in dense rainforest. Roads twisted through hairpin turns that go up and down through the centre of the rainforest.
The stunning natural beauty is one of the reasons to visit St Lucia.
2) To Visit The Volcanic Sites
St Lucia was yet another of the volcanic islands we visited. As we travelled in the North Atlantic we were awed by the volcanic sites in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands. We then spent 10 days in the Azores and saw even more volcanic sights. I must admit that they kind of spoiled us for smaller volcanic islands.
On our cruise to the southern Caribbean, we explored the volcanic remains on Aruba. We were fascinated to see sharp volcanic coasts and large rock formations left from prior volcanic eruptions.
St Lucia has started to capitalize on its volcanic past. You can visit Sulphur Springs on a road that runs right up to and through the crater of the dormant volcano. It is the only drive-in volcano in the world! Steam and bubbling water are still being emitted. The air is heavy with the smell of sulphur. Further downstream you can enjoy the hot springs and mud baths. These bathing pools are said to have therapeutic qualities. We did not try the hot springs in St Lucia but we enjoyed that luxury in the Azores. It was a great thing to do when the weather was a little cooler or rainy!
Enjoying the volcanic sites and a hot therapeutic bath are more of the reasons to visit St Lucia.
3) To Enjoy The Beaches And Water Sports
St Lucia has many beaches to choose from. In St Lucia beaches are all open to the public, even if they are connected to a beach resort.
We found beaches on all sides of the islands. Most of the resorts with their long stretches of sand are on the leeward side of the island. The wilder waves are found on the west side. They were quite visible as we travelled to the airport.
There are even black volcanic sand beaches to enjoy. As we drove or took a boat around the island, we were never far from a beach.
When our Windstar Cruises ship anchored in the bay by Pigeon Island in St. Lucia, it was a short ride to the beach. The ship put on a great beach bbq. And we found lots of fun ways to enjoy the beach and waters of St. Lucia.
If you visit a beach close to a small town or a resort, there is bound to be lots of water activities available for rent. Certainly when we stayed in St Lucia for a week, we had our pick of water sports. We could see there was a huge range of activities available, including wind surfing equipment!
If you love beaches and water sports, this may be one of the big reasons to visit St Lucia.
4) To Enjoy The Great World Underwater
When we stayed on St Lucia the first time, we were surprised to find that the scuba diving was great. There were a lot of dive sites on St Lucia to choose from. We found clear warm water, great colourful coral, deep walls and wrecks too. Everything a scuba diver wants.
When we returned to St Lucia the second time, we made sure to book more scuba diving in St Lucia. We enjoyed several dives under the Pitons. The deep valleys under the sea mimicked the hills above.
While we found it great for scuba diving, the snorkelling was also good in many places. We snorkelled on our first visit to St Lucia in Rodney Bay by the Pigeon Island National Park. Many of the dive boats went out with both snorkelers and scuba divers. And from the surface there was often lots to see.
We found the underwater world in St Lucia to be quite stunning. It is one of the reasons to visit St Lucia for us!
5) To Learn More About Chocolate
We will admit to being chocoholics. So we couldn’t miss the chance to visit the Hotel Chocolat in St Lucia. We started with a chocolate drink and chocolate lunch. All with the most amazing view of the Pitons.
From there we started a tour to learn about cacao production. We saw the cacao pods being nurtured from seeds, then ripe on the tree and finally as the pods were processed to cacao nibs.
We then got our own chance to make chocolate! With cacao nibs, fine powdered sugar, cacao butter and a lot of arm power, we ground the mixture into chocolate. Once poured into molds and set, we had a most unique souvenir to take home. Of course, if you want a much smoother chocolate, the store offered the most delicious chocolate treats.
On our last visit to St Lucia, our chocolate indulgence didn’t stop there. We celebrated a birthday with chocolate cake and enjoyed a chocolate buffet. We were the happiest chocoholics around.
If you are a chocolate fan, then learning more about the chocolate process is one of the perfect reasons to visit St Lucia. And of course, there will be many opportunities to sample the great local chocolate.
6) For A Great Pampering Experience
There are a large number of luxury resorts on St Lucia. We stayed twice at Sandals Resorts. The nice thing about Sandals Resorts in St Lucia is that there are 3 different resorts. And you can stay at one resort and play at all three. The resorts are built for relaxation in mind. Hammocks and cabanas offered us refuge from the sun. Massages for couples were available on the beach.
Room service or dinner on the beach was a romantic thing to do. Throw in some champagne and the meal was complete. All of this and we had stunning seaside views.
If you want to try another luxury resort, there are many to be found. We really wanted to visit the Jade Mountain Resort or stay at Hotel Chocolat. Both of these have stunning views of the Pitons. Luxury is another of the great reasons to visit St Lucia again!
Do You Need Any More Great Reasons To Visit St Lucia?
Stunning natural beauty, volcanos, beaches, underwater sights, chocolate and pampering are all available. Do you really need any more great reasons to visit St Lucia?
If you are not yet tempted, there are so many other activities to do on the island. If you are adventurous, you can hike up the Pitons. There are numerous beautiful waterfalls to visit. Spend some time exploring the small fishing villages. Visit the markets in the main town of Castries. There is so much to see and do in St Lucia.
What are your favourite reasons to visit St Lucia? What else would you add to this list?
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If you visited 4 times, you must love St. Lucia! That’s a recommendation in itself. I would for sure choose the Jeep tour. What a fun way to see this lovely place!
Sharon, Two of the times were cruise port stops. We stayed at Sandals the first time and loved it so much, we booked another week for a birthday celebration. Lots to do. The jeep tour would be a lot of fun. Hope you get to visit. Linda
Awesome photos. I can see why one would love Sta. Lucia! What a great little island!
Thanks Carolina for your feedback on our photos. It is a great spot to highlight.
Looks like a great island to explore and enjoy, it reminds me a little like the Big Island of Hawaii where I live. I love the coral and underwater sealife, it definitely is a little different and colorful – hopefully I can visit soon!
Noel, We loved St Lucia. But really want to visit Hawaii. Nice to know the two islands are much alike. Hope you get to visit. Linda
The only St Lucia I’ve been to is the one in South Africa. It’s also a coastal resort but although beautiful, nothing of the size of the Caribbean St Lucia. You are so lucky to have visited 4 times. I’d love to check out the volcanic remains and explore more of the interior. A little pampering won’t be bad either!
Linda, I did not know there was a St Lucia in South Africa. The one in the Caribbean is a great spot to visit. Hope you get to see it one day. Linda
We visited Saint Lucia when we lived on Martinique and while we found it lovely and enjoyed our weekend, we had a different experience than you. We stayed on the south end of the island, away from the tourist areas because we were trying to relax. Having said that, we found some wonderful places to visit and we’re happy for the adventure. If we go back, I think I will check into that Hotel Chocolat. It sounds like my kind of place. I too am a chocoholic. What’s not to love?
Kathleen, We have had different experiences in St Lucia, but our most recent ones were pretty good. We would love to stay at Hotel Chocolat when we need a break. Or more chocolate treats. Hope you get to go back. Linda
St Lucia has everything I am searching for. I have never been to Volcanic Sites and it is on my bucket list to check them out. and sucba diving is my passion. I love going underwater and explore the world there
Mansoureh, I hope you get to visit St Lucia and go scuba diving. It was so much better than we expected it to be. Linda
From the sounds of it, St. Lucia has it all! The Pitons are incredible, and great to hear two of the Sandals resorts have that kind of views! Definitely on my list for diving, beach time and Chocolate!
Dorene, We have loved the variety of things to see and do in St Lucia. Sounds like there will be lots of interest to you. Hope you get to visit one day. Linda
How exciting to be able to make chocolate by yourself. St Lucia seems to be a ideal holiday destination with a good mix of activities for all.
Indrani, It was so cool to learn more about chocolate. And then make it. Something to try if you visit another cacao producing company. Linda
What a beautiful island! Like you, I love the Azores islands and I think I would love St Lucia too. Loved the cacao tour. I love to learn the history and origin of things, so this tour must be amazing.
Marlene, We too love the Azores. It is a good comparison. If you visit an island that grows cacao, a chocolate tour is fun thing. I hear the tours on Grenada are great too. Hope you get to visit St Lucia. Linda
St. Lucia looks like a tropical paradise. We visited only briefly some years ago, and obviously need to return to learn more about chocolate and to get snorkeling in those beautiful blue waters. Great to know that the Sandals Resort is top notch for a future visit.
Claudia, I am glad this put St Lucia back on your travel wish list. Certainly a go-to spot for us. Hope you get to visit. Linda
Love the volcanic peaks and rainforest, gorgeous! It’s great to know the diving is good as well
Sherianne, We were glad we went back again and again. Always something new to discover. Linda
Hi
It is Such an in-depth guide. Thanks for sharing it. All the places are really attract me.Bookmarking this guide right away.
I am glad you enjoyed this blog post on St Lucia. It is one of our favourite Caribbean Islands. Linda
This looks wonderful and I’m all in on the chocolate too. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Nancy, We love when we find chocolate production on the Caribbean islands. So great when it comes with such a great view! Linda
Another wonderful place for me to add to the bucket list. Going to really need to up my travel game when I can travel again ? great post, it really inspired me
Aidan, I am glad this post inspired you! We have loved our visits to St Lucia. One day we will go back! Linda
St Lucia is at the top of my bucket list! I would love to visit the Caribbean.
Sylvie, I hope you get to visit St Lucia one day. Linda
Wow, St. Lucia is so beautiful. I’ve never really thought about visiting, but this article may change my mind. And your photos are just lovely!
Wendy, Since we have been to St Lucia many times, it is clear how much we love the island. So much to see and do. Hope you do get to visit one day. Linda
I dont need any more reasons at all to visit. It all sounds amazing…and chocolate…love those tours where you actually get to make something and take it with you.
Bree, I am glad that our visit to St Lucia brought some new reasons to visit. Every visit we have found something new to add to the list. Linda
This St Lucia looks far more impressive than our St Lucia in South Africa, although ours certainly has a lot of charm. I can see myself spending time, exploring at yours, because it has everything I enjoy doing.
Alma, We have loved our visits to our St Lucia. It would be fun to visit St Lucia in South Africa one day and see something different. Linda
Of all the Caribbean islands, this is one of my favourites. It’s so lush and beautiful. I felt safe taking public transportation into town. The stunning views of the volcanos aren’t not bad so bad either. We stayed at the Sandals resort as well, and split our week up by staying at 2, while dining at 3. We did the same tour of the chocolate hotel, it was a definite highlight and the views were incredible.
Renee, St Lucia is certainly the island we have visited the most. So much to draw us back. We too felt very safe travelling around. Linda
Making your own chocolate sounds like so much fun! I also would enjoy a visit to the worlds only drive-in volcano. I’ve never seen an active (it’s active right?!?!) one up-close and it has always been on my bucket list 🙂
Candy, There were so many things to see and do in St Lucia. But the chocolate visit will definitely bring us back on another visit. Linda
Having only visited St Lucia on a cruise, it’s got to be one of the only islands I want to return to for a land holiday. We enjoyed our trip to Hotel Chocolat but there’s so much more to see. I’d like to visit the sulphur baths and try more local cuisine. To stay at Hotel Chocolat would be incredible but I’m not sure it would be in our price range!
Laura, We too have visited St Lucia on several cruises. Because we have stayed on the island, it is now great when we visit by cruise ship. We have some idea of what we want to (and can do) on a day excursion. Hope you get to stay on the island some time. Linda
Chocolate drink, chocolate lunch, chocolate cake, chocolate buffet… This sounds like my kind of place! This is going straight on my must-visit list!
Zoe, We sure did love finding everything chocolate! And it was interesting to learn the process to make it. I hope you do get to visit St Lucia one day. Linda
It’s been so long that I haven’t been to the Caribbean. Also, I didn’t have the chance to visit some of the not so popular islands. St Lucia seems to be more off the beaten (boat-)track and I’d love to spend a couple of relaxing….weeks in this serene place.
Renata, We visited St Lucia by cruise ship a few times but were happy we got back for longer stays. It did give us a chance to explore more areas – above and below the water! Linda
I have always wanted to visit St Lucia, but actually I think it is, because I like the name. Your post filled this destination with some pictures – thanks for that. Mt Gimie really looks amazing with this unusual shape. Do you know if it is possible to climb it? I have never seen chocolate from St Lucia, but learning about the cocoa production there would be awesome too.
I don’t know about climbing Mt Gimie but there are lots of outdoor hiking spots with views and scenery to enjoy in St Lucia. And with local chocolate, we happily looked at them all!
Until I read your post, all I knew was that there was a Saint Lucia. I had no idea that the nature was so alluring – this pointy mountain is just too photogenic 😀 Also, the volcanic area looks very interesting. Well, and then there seems to be all that makes the Caribbean a dream destination like the wonderful diving and snorkeling grounds. I have to research how it is for a flashpacker since Sandal’s is not in my budget 😀
There are lots of options for places to stay in St Lucia and I am sure you will find a place if you want to visit. Lots of great outdoors to explore.