St Lucia is the most popular honeymoon destination in the world and when you see the natural beauty of the place, it’s not hard to understand why.
THE PITONS
Sailing beneath the UNESCO site of the Pitons is like nothing else. The clear, deep blue water is still and calm and matched in intensity only by the green of the mountains that rise up from the shore.
The bay is extremely deep so anchoring is not possible (nor allowed) but there are plenty of moorings available. There have been some stories of snapped lines so it’s always good practise to check the mooring yourself, however these are far too deep to be able to fully inspect.
Some of the mooring balls are reserved for larger vessels but the Marine Patrol will ask you to move if there is a larger boat coming in that requires a specific ball. We anchored on the ball right in front of the hotel at the base of the Pitons and had no problems at all. This gives you the best view of the landscape as well as excellent snorkelling nearby. It’s a short dinghy ride round to the town but we prefer being tucked out of the way in the peace and quiet.
We had hoped to climb the Pitons during our visit but you must now take a mandatory guide with you for the walk and apparently they rush you through the walk so they can take the next group through. This is apparently a covid measure to ensure the paths are not too crowded but it felt a bit like a money grab to us so we decided just to enjoy the view from the water.
SOUFRIERE VOLCANO
One experience not to be missed in St Lucia is the Caribbean’s only Drive-In Volcano. At only EC$10 entrance fee, you get a guided tour of the volcano and learn about the history and geology of the area. It’s fascinating to see the bubbling pools in the crater and to smell the sulphur steaming from the depths of the earth.
We also chose to swim in the sulphur baths afterwards which was another brilliant experience. There are a few pools of hot, black water in which you can relax and bathe. It’s very surreal to climb down the steps and not be able to see the bottom as the water is so dark.
You can then paint your body in the mineral mud and return to the hot water again to wash it off. A great experience not to be missed! There are showers and changing rooms to clean yourself up afterwards too. For more information, you can visit their website.
RODNEY BAY
Although there isn’t much to do in Rodney Bay, we enjoyed spending some time anchored there when we first arrived. Gregory, the local greengrocer, brought us fresh produce every day and we loved his visits in his jungle of a sinking vegetable boat!
He gave us some fresh coconuts to drink from as well as raw sugar cane to chew and starfruit as well as many other local delicacies to try. There are several fisherman who will offer to sell you fish they’ve caught and they can be a little pushy but you don’t need to buy from them.
MARIGOT BAY
Famous for the filming of the original Doctor Doolittle film, this hurricane hole is a beautiful little bay, tucked away between the palm trees. You can venture right inside the creek and take a mooring ball or anchor to the north side of the channel where swimming and snorkelling beckon you into the crystal clear waters. A useful little stop on your way up or down the West Coast.
ONE DOWNSIDE
Visiting St Lucia during the pandemic was a little odd as many places were closed. The areas we were able to explore were much quieter than usual so we were thankful to avoid the crowds but we were hassled everyday for money or to buy small things from local vendors. Whilst we understand that a lot of people have struggled due to a lack of tourism in the country recently, several interactions became aggressive and hostile when we didn’t give away money (or even our belongings, as was often requested) and this certainly put a slight dampener onto our experiences.
