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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of St. Lucia
This Caribbean island manages to pack a lot of punch into its 27- by 14-mile confines. Primarily a honeymoon destination with lots of all-inclusive resorts, St. Lucia also attracts families enticed by its natural beauty and kid-friendly activities. Like many Caribbean islands, it has seen a recent influx of ultraluxe hotels, but that hasn't affected the laid-back vibe and unfailing hospitality. For a real taste of what the island has to offer, venture away from touristy Rodney Bay toward Soufrière in terms of local color and authentic accommodations.
Attractions & Activities St. Lucia's main draw has always been the twin conical peaks called the Pitons, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, near Soufrière. Register with the Forest and Lands Department and access some of the island's most spectacular hikes. Of particular note, the Gros Piton Nature Trail, managed by members of the local Fonds Gen Libre community, who live at its base, is a four-hour guided trek that takes you to the summit of Gros Piton, which tops out at 2,619 feet. Two less strenuous hikes are Enbas Saut, a secluded two-and-a-half-mile circuit with a waterfall and picnic area, and Des Cartiers, a walk along the ridge of La Sourcière (758-468-5645; slumaffe.org; guided hikes, $10). Heritage Tours, a local collective that promotes island culture, history, and nature, also leads hikes. On the island's less-inhabited east side, tour outfitter Palm Services can arrange a variety of adrenaline-pumped activities, including mountain biking, off-road jeep safaris, or zip-line canopy tours through the rain forest (tours from $100 per person). Beachcombers will find that many of the prime sandy spots are linked to major resorts on the island, with Anse Chastanet's honey-hued stretch near Soufrière one of the most picturesque. On the northern end of the island, Smuggler's Cove, just past the Cap Estate and LeSport Resort, is sheltered by lush cliffs and has great swimming and snorkeling. Local vendors selling drinks and snacks make somewhat inconsistent appearances, so it's best to bring your own. Reduit Beach, in tourist-trodden Rodney Bay, is a haven for sunbathers and water sport enthusiasts. Get to the beach early to reserve a spot for some excellent people-watching. While St. Lucia isn't known for diving, the snorkeling around Soufrière promises all sorts of coral as well as blue-and-white angelfish and triggerfish. Most of the major resorts here, including the Anse Chastanet Resort's Scuba St. Lucia, have their own dive centers and can arrange guided excursions (from $35, including gear). Sandwiched between the towns of Marigot Bay and Canaries, Anse La Raye, an unassuming hamlet lined with weather-beaten colonial storefronts, hosts a lively Friday fish fry along the main drag. Fresh-caught seafood, served at large wooden communal tables, makes for a hearty dinner for about five dollars. The weekly festivities draw residents from all over the island who sip rum-inflected libations into the wee hours. Anse La Raye's fish fry is a smaller spin-off of a street party in Gros Islet that attracts a younger, more raucous local crowd. On the northern tip of the island, at the old Beausejour Estate in Gros Islet, the International Pony Club rents mostly Creole-Thoroughbred horses, and you can take one for an amble along nearby Cas En Bas beach (one-hour ride, $45). Nearby, tee off at the St. Lucia Golf Resort & Country Club, a public 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed course that is relatively challenging. The resort has a golf academy and a revamped clubhouse that serves a hearty lunch (18 holes, $95-$125). Lodging Glitzy resorts with jaw-dropping Piton views, unparalleled service, and lovely beachfront access regularly top Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List. Among them, the highest-scoring property is the mountainside Ladera, with six villas and 21 suites that have open-air views of the sea and the Pitons. Other veteran properties include the Jalousie Plantation and Anse Chastanet , both near Soufrière on the west coast, and the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort and Spa and the all-inclusive Sandals Regency Golf Resort & Spa , both in Castries. One of the island's newer resorts, Discovery at Marigot Bay is a 124-room hillside retreat whose well-designed exterior makes it nearly indistinguishable from the banana tree-dotted landscape. The guest rooms distill the low-key vibe of the resort but with modern touches like Brazilian hardwood flooring, flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, pillowtop beds, and wide verandas. Chat up locals and expats over a nightcap at the restored Hurricane Hole bar, an old-time haunt for sailors seeking cover during storms. In Soufrière, hotelier Nick Troubetzkoy of Anse Chastanet has added a pricey selection of 24 three-walled suites, each with its own infinity pool overlooking the Pitons at Jade Mountain , which sits in the hills above Anse Chastanet. High above Soufrière, Crystals is a cluster of eco-friendly cottages run by a husband-and-wife team. Nearby, Stonefield Estate Villa Resort has 20 one- to three-bedroom houses on 26 acres. Ti Kaye Village is on a forested hillside, with a series of French-Creole cottages facing the sea. All the cottages are air-conditioned—a rarity on St. Lucia—and the resort's restaurant is surrounded by hibiscus and hummingbirds and serves a lovely lunch. On the main drag in Rodney Bay, sister hotels Coco Palm and Coco Kreole share a beach and facilities. Both are well-priced alternatives to many of the all-inclusive resorts on the north end but are within walking distance of many popular restaurants and bars. Coco Palm, the more upscale of the two, has 83 guest rooms with mahogany French colonial furniture and modern amenities. Coco Kreole is more quaint, with smaller rooms and simpler decor. Dining The island's rich soil contributes to the endless supply of fresh vegetables and fruits available to local chefs, and you'll find the greatest concentration and variety of dining options in Rodney Bay. Beachgoers pack Spinnakers, housed in a thatched-roof hut, for dinner and buy-one-get-one-free happy hour drink specials once the sun goes down. Weekly dinner specials are written on a blackboard, and the extensive menu of seafood, pastas, and meat dishes is sure to please any palate (Reduit Beach; entrées, $11–$38). Across the street, Memories of Hong Kong prepares traditional Cantonese dishes such as stuffed duck in crabmeat sauce and crispy shredded beef in an open kitchen (Reduit Beach Dr.; entrées, $8–$15). Next door, the Razmataz Tandoori Restaurant & Bar has some of the island's finest curry dishes, including spicy vindaloo, tikka masala, and tandoori chicken (Reduit Beach Dr.; entrées, $5–$22). Tucked into LeSport Resort, Tao borrows from Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino cuisine: Dishes such as olive-oil poached mahimahi and marinated lamb served with Asian pesto and tamarind-scented jus are standouts (Cap Estate; entrées, $21–$30). On the north side of Marigot Bay, the modest Rainforest Hideaway is a gem of a restaurant with a limited but excellent menu of tempura-battered calamari and jerk-spiced shrimp. Belly up to the sleek wood-paneled bar for potent cocktails while listening to live jazz (Marigot Bay; entrées, $28–$34). Farther south, in Soufrière, even if you can't afford to stay the night at Ladera resort, at least have an alfresco meal at the atmospheric Dasheene. The cuisine is a mélange of West Indian, Asian, and (surprisingly) Italian, and dishes include dasheen and coconut cappuccino soup topped with fresh nutmeg and pumpkin and christophene tart with a spinach cheese sauce (Vieux-Fort Rd.; entrées, $25–$36). Nearby, at Anse Chastanet, the beachfront Trou au Diable fuses East Indian flavors and Caribbean cooking, and the result is dishes like tandoori chicken marinated in ginger and garlic and kingfish with creole mustard and coconut milk curry. Save room for the sticky toffee pudding and coconut ice cream drizzled with butterscotch, which is pure calorie-packed heaven (1 Anse Chastanet Rd.; 758-459-7000; reservations recommended; entrées, $16–$30). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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