St. Lucia

The Pearl of the Antilles

by Robert Painter

Did you ever take a “Resort” vacation? Did you ever pick a beautiful place and decide to really relax and enjoy a resort so much that you didn’t really need to go anywhere else? Or are most of your vacations spent visiting new places and rushing around trying to see as much as can? Do you try to get your money’s worth every minute of every day? And do you get home at the end of an exhausting week badly needing some rest and time to recover from your “vacation?

O.K., I have to admit, I’ve done it, too. But, not this time.  I sailed through St. Lucia on a wonderful Holland America cruise about a year ago and fell in love with the island. I had one beautiful day and took a bus ride to a tropical forest where I was able to catch an aerial tram ride through the very lush, green landscape.  I then hiked through the forest to the start of a zipline circuit where I could experience the thrill and excitement of sailing through the treetops. All in all a beautiful day at the end of which I was back on board the Maasdam for a special massage at the onboard Greenhouse Spa. And, the next day on to the next island.  Great fun, but this time I wanted to do something special – I wanted to do almost NOTHING! And I wanted to do it – or not do it – in St. Lucia.

To that end I checked into Cotton Bay Village on St. Lucia’s northeast coast. Even the weather was in my favor.  A bit overcast and cloudy with intermittent sunshine.  My suite overlooked the pool and it was a short walk to the beach, so I could move into the sunshine when I wanted and then back into my very attractive suite when it suited me.

Cotton Bay has two restaurants and I managed a meal at the Beach Club beside the waterfront. The other restaurant was closed during my short stay, but I’m told the food there is excellent. There is also a Deli on the grounds, near the entrance, and bakery items and a limited inventory of grocery items are available. My suite had a full kitchen so it’s possible to prepare meals “at home” if you like.

If you bring the children you may really appreciate the Hummingbird Kid’s Club. It’s a fully staffed and fully furnished private club for the kids with plenty to keep them occupied for the duration.  I talked with some of the staff and they were very friendly and helpful. Most importantly, they seemed to really enjoy the job and working with the little ones.

My goal was to just hang out and enjoy the resort and it was easy to do so here. I walked down to the beach and found that I could stroll up and down the crescent bay and mingle with the locals in the process. One of my days there was a local holiday and I enjoyed watching a very lively game of cricket. The children were having so much fun that it didn’t really matter that I don’t fully understand the game. Maybe the best part was the age range – everyone played, whether 6 or 16, or older. And, walking further up the beach was a group flying kites, or at least trying. I don’t think the winds were helping much, but the inexhaustible young boys were running and running to try to get the kites skyward.

Later in the day a group of tourists on horseback paraded past. The cricket kids and kite runners were much more fun to watch. As you might suspect there were kayaks available to venture out into the bay for anyone wishing to burn off a few calories from lunch. And, I should mention that there is an 18 hole golf course next door and it’s just a quick drive to the Rodney Bay shops. 

So far so good.  I managed to go two days without succumbing to any temptation to go exploring around the island. Now, however, it was time to move on to the next resort for the second half of my St. Lucia visit.

Konrad Wagner, with just a hint of an Austrian accent, the general manager of Calabash Cove was kind enough to drive me to his 5 star luxury boutique hotel with its 26 suites overlooking the bay. My Balinese cottage on the water’s edge was perfect for my do- nothing goal. With my own private outdoor pool, a giant Jacuzzi tub in my bathroom, a large patio equipped with lounge chairs and hammocks and a selection of novels on the shelf, I was in turn-it-all-off heaven.

My first evening there I met up with Konrad at a reception in the fabulous open lobby of the hotel where I had a chance to meet and mingle with some of the other guests. After a couple of glasses of rum punch dinner was served in the Windsong Restaurant with what must be the best view on the island.  That’s probably why they chose to do an episode of The Bachelor here.  This might be a good place to mention that St. Lucia is a very popular place for weddings.

But, back to my “this is actually a vacation” experience.  Luckily, the weather cooperated and it continued to be frequently overcast with light rain coming down whenever it chose.  I did get in a little kayaking, but I found an interesting book about the Zulus in Africa and actually read the whole novel in my two days at Calabash Cove.  

Just imagine relaxing on a comfortable lounge chair beside your own private pool, overlooking the Caribbean, reading a good book and feeding from a fruit basket in your room filled with fresh mangoes, bananas, grapes, pears, guavas and peaches. I didn’t even bother to go to breakfast one morning – it’s hard to beat fresh mangoes!

For those who might be a bit more ambitious than I was on this trip I should mention that there is a nice white sand beach where the kayaks are kept and a nice little dock.  You can swim from the beach and snorkel in the emerald waters in front of the resort. And, if the Caribbean and your own private pool aren’t enough there is a large swimming pool with a 40-foot infinity edge and swim-up bar.  Should you need more exercise there is a fitness center and should you exercise too much there is an excellent spa to help you recover. 

The hillside landscaping is filled with beautiful flowers and tropical plants – even bananas.  But, please don’t pick them and destroy the perfect symmetry – just enjoy them as you walk past. They have plenty more for you to eat in the kitchen.  

If you’re not going to St. Lucia to just do nothing as was my plan, or you’re not going to get married, which seems to be a big reason for visiting St. Lucia, I’ll tell you about some of the adventures available.  I’ve already mentioned the rainforest adventures and they are great. Besides zip lining, tram riding and hiking you may want to check out the bungee trampoline, the Tarzan swing and all the while keep an eye out for colorful hummingbirds and other fascinating forest flora and fauna.

A catamaran or sailboat tour will give you an offshore perspective. A helicopter ride will impress you with the colorful waters below. And, hike the Pitons or search for the St. Lucian Parrot. If it’s wintertime watch for humpback whales. Scuba dive anytime and if deep sea fishing is your thing, you won’t be disappointed.  Mountain biking, 4 x 4 and ATV tours are all ready and waiting.  Did I mention kite surfing? You could even take a boat ride to Martinique and spend a day soaking up a bit of French culture, but why leave St. Lucia? There is more to do here than you can possibly squeeze into one vacation. The choice is yours – go play golf or go do nothing.  This time I’ve chosen the latter.  

I haven’t even talked about the night life. There are plenty of fun, funky, swanky, sultry, hot jazzy, reggae, Creole and whatever you can think of clubs and restaurants, but I’ll let you discover those on your own. Just try to get to the “Windsong at Calabash Cove for dinner one night for the spectacular view and really fine food.   

Keep on Traveling!

When You Go:

http://www.cottonbayvillage.com/21/Cotton_Bay_Village.htm. Cotton Bay Village info.

http://www.calabashcove.com. Reservations, Rates, Accommodations, other info.

http://www.stlucianow.com/?src=orgRedirection. Saint Lucia Tourist information.

Story and Photos by Robert Painter, Adventure Travel Editor