Many Caribbean destinations are built around beaches, resorts and calm coastal scenery. St Lucia is built around its landscape. The Pitons dominate the southwest coast, roads wind through mountains and rainforest, and many of the island’s best hotels are perched on hillsides rather than directly on the beach.
As a result, St Lucia appeals to travellers who want more than a resort stay. You can spend the morning sailing beneath the Pitons, hike through rainforest, visit volcanic hot springs, explore local fishing villages and still be back at your hotel for lunch overlooking the sea.
The island also has a strong romance market. Many of its best hotels are designed around privacy, with open-air suites, plunge pools and dramatic views, making it one of the Caribbean’s most popular destinations for honeymoons and couples.
If Barbados is known for its lifestyle and beaches, St Barths for glamour and dining, and Turks & Caicos for its powder-white sand and turquoise water, then St Lucia is the Caribbean’s most dramatic and scenic island destination, where the landscape itself becomes part of the holiday.