Destination information
St Lucia Holidays 2012 / 2013
A holiday in St. Lucia is truly something special. Mix a sense of wonder, complete relaxation and plenty of fun, with stunning natural scenery and near-perfect weather, and you’ll get just a small taste of what it feels like to be here on holiday. St. Lucia is breathtakingly beautiful, a genuine exotic tropical destination. It’s no wonder so many couples choose to spend their honeymoon on the island. Gorgeous beaches, endless sunshine, stunning sunsets, crystal blue seas...St. Lucia is as about as romantic as it gets!
If you’re more of an adventurous type, St. Lucia also has a whole lot to offer you. Most of the popular holiday resorts and hotels are located on the island’s north-west shore, but don’t miss out on the diversity to be found all around St. Lucia. Explore the island on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback - you can even hire a Jeep and head out to wherever your fancy takes you! Popular holiday excursions include a visit to the famous Pitons World Heritage Site, a trip through the drive-in volcano, and tours of the lush botanic gardens.
Nature lovers would be wise to plan a St Lucia holiday during the period from mid-March to September, when leatherback sea turtles come ashore to nest.
Looking for nightlife? Head over to Rodney Bay, where you’ll find a good variety of bars and restaurants featuring live music and great food.
Check out our great St. Lucia holiday video here:
Sightseeing Ideas
Plan a day trip to explore St. Lucia’s lush tropical jungle. You can hire an ATV and take to the countryside, or book a horse riding tour, hire a mountain bike or hit the hiking trails. With our holidays to St. Lucia, you get free admission to Pigeon Island National Park and Heritage Centre, St. Lucia’s first national park. Wander through the ruins as you contemplate the romance and intrigue of the park’s military history. If you’re planning a family holiday, treat the kids to a sea cruise, whale watching tour or sea turtle excursion. You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to underwater sightseeing and water sports: St. Lucia offers world-class diving and deep-sea fishing, coral reef snorkelling, windsurfing, parasailing and waterskiing. Of course, if you prefer a slower pace you can always just sit back and relax at the side of the pool or on one of St. Lucia’s beautiful white sand beaches.
Video of St Lucia
Check out our great video of St Lucia below.
Sightseeing ideas
Key Events
Feb - Independence Day.
Jun - St Lucia Golf Open.
Jul - Carnival.
Sep - St Lucia Bill Fishing Tournament.
Nov - Arrival of ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), the world's largest transatlantic rally for cruisers.
Dec - Festival of Lights.
Star attractions
- Diamond Mineral Baths and Botanical Gardens
- Pigeon Island NP
- Rodney Bay and Marina
- Sunset Cruises
- Championship Golf
- Snorkelling and Diving
Postcards from... Top ideas from our travel experts
Our Top 5 hotels
This all-inclusive, village-style resort is set in 45 acres for you to enjoy, situated beside the beach on the northern tip of the island. Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa is such a fun place and kids and adults alike will love it. The restaurant choices include Italian, St Lucian Creole and Seafood, International buffet cuisine and also a new Pan-Asian restaurant.
This hotel recently had a $30 million renovation and is the home of the original 'bodyholiday' – a rejuvenating holiday experience that combines an incredible daily programme of complimentary body treatments in the health spa with an unbelievable array of sports, all set in gorgeous scenery.
Rendezvous has a fresh new look, thanks to a US$ 15 million refurbishment. New facilities include a lazy river pool, wading pools, a beautiful rockery garden and the brand new Spa in The Water Garden where couples can indulge in some well earned pampering. They call Rendezvous 'The Boutique Hotel For Couples' and it's easy to see why.
This is a wildly popular hotel with singles, couples and families. The resort is spread around a pretty, curving bay with a sandy beach and green hills behind. It has beautiful landscaped gardens and among them you’ll find 4 swimming pools. There are also 4 gourmet restaurants, all of them serving à la carte dinner with French/Creole, Continental, fusion and seafood options, and 4 bars.
Set amidst coconut palms, hence the name, this all-inclusive resort is surrounded by 85 acres of tropical landscape. There is a superb range of facilities to tempt you, including several bars and an excellent choice of restaurants, serving both à la carte and buffet meals.
Additional info
Great Beaches and Water Sports
St Lucia is blessed with many beautiful sandy beaches. The diving and deep-sea fishing are world class, or enjoy snorkelling in colourful reefs plus windsurfing, water-skiing and parasailing.
Weddings and Honeymoons
A truly romantic destination, St Lucia is the perfect place to exchange your vows. For your honeymoon, we have highlighted our favourite hotels, but many offer little extras like sparkling wine in your room upon arrival.
Explore the Tropical Jungle
Hire an all-terrain vehicle and head through St Lucia's lush countryside for the ride of a lifetime! There are also horseback excursions, mountain bikes for hire and plenty of hiking trails.
Family Fun
Several hotels on the island welcome families with special facilities including kids' clubs and water parks. Kids will also enjoy looking out for humpback whales and turtles, as well as the ruins at Pigeon Island National Park.
FREE Island Experience
Enjoy FREE entrance into Pigeon Island National Park and Heritage Centre - St Lucia's first national park reached from the mainland via a causeway. Its romantic and historical military past will intrigue you.
Total Flexibility
Tailor-make your ideal Caribbean holiday by combining hotels we feature in different destinations. Try a twin- or triple-centre holiday across different islands or combine with a US city or theme park visit.
Weather and climate
Get inspired
Watch our St Lucia video for inspiration here.
Different destinations have different magic touches so make sure to check out the "Rockstar Service" to see what makes your holiday with us so special.
Getting there
Flight Details - You fly direct from Gatwick to Hewanorra international airport in St Lucia with Virgin Atlantic.
Flight Time - Approx 8 hours 45 min.
Time Difference - GMT -4 hours.
Language - English and Patois.
Currency - Eastern Caribbean Dollar EC$.
Handy stuff
Local Living
Small beer - £2.20
Loaf of bread - £0.50
Bottle of wine - £16.00
The above are approx local supermarket costs.
Check In Chill Out is our fantastic service that allows you to soak up the sun right until the last minute.
This service is available at selected hotels in Barbados, Antigua, Tobago, Grenada and St Lucia. Check with your rep in resort if you aren’t staying at one of the participating hotels as you may be able to use a location nearby. Simply look for the Check In Chill Out icon on participating hotel pages.
Read more about our Check In Chill Out Service...