Saint Lucia - Let her inspire you!

Saint Lucia is a beautiful Eastern Caribbean island covered with mountainous terrain, surrounded by volcanic beaches and a bunch of small fishing villages. We took a quick getaway to explore the natural beauty this small island has to offer. We flew into Hewanorra International Airport which is at the southern most tip of the island and then rented a car to drive north for our stay at Rodney Bay. Even though the distance was a short 40 miles (by US driving standards), it took us a good 2.5 hours, as the road are very winding, crossing through the mountains. If you are not used to driving in mountainous terrain, would highly recommend that you take a shuttle from the airport, as the roads are not that easy to navigate. 

Since we had a rental car, we decided to stay in an Airbnb that was a short distance from most beaches and places in Rodney Bay. The car rental and Airbnb gave us the luxury of exploring the island at our own pace and enjoying some home cooked meals as well. We were just a short waking distance from the Windjammer Beach and Resort. In Saint Lucia, all beaches are public beaches, accessible to all. We were able to access some of the gorgeous beaches accessible through the Windjammer and Sandals Resorts. We were also a short driving distance from the Mall at Reduit Beach Avenue that offers a strip of bars and restaurants to cater to everyone's palate. Day one at the island was spent mostly on travel and getting situated; the drive to Rodney Bay did offer some spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and the fishing villages that we drove through. 

Day 2 at Pigeon Island National Park - Pigeon Island, the northern most tip of the island, is a perfect option to enjoy hiking and a calm beach with beautiful views of the Pigeon Point. We would highly recommend hiking up to Pigeon Point that holds up a lot of history with regards to the French and British attempts of invasion of the island. Entry to the Pigeon Island National Park is about $10 per person and then you get to hike the two peaks, as well as enjoy the beaches accessible from inside the park. The smaller peak is about a 15 minute hike and the hike to Pigeon Point is about 25 minutes. On a clear day you could see the island of Martinique from the top of the Pigeon Point. If you are in the mood for some water activities including snorkeling, Pigeon Island beach is a great spot with free parking and access to small dive bars and restaurants. There is a hidden gem inside the national park - the Jambe De Bois restaurant. The restaurant is open till 5pm Monday to Thursday and till 10pm Friday to Sunday and offers great food, all day happy hour and great views of the sunset. You should definitely try the local Roti with Lamb/Chicken/Veg dish here while sipping through those cocktails. On one side of Pigeon Island you can witness the calmness of the Caribbean Sea which is great for swimming, snorkeling, water sports or just relaxing on the white sandy beach, and on the other side are the rougher waters of the Atlantic for the surfing enthusiasts. This was our first ever experience where we got to park our car right at the beach shoreline and just head into the serene blue water to take a dip. On Sunday evenings this place is packed with locals and their fun music battles. A day well spent, and a must visit place to add to your itinerary for Saint Lucia.

Day 3 at Gros Piton, Petit Piton and Sulphur Springs - The Pitons are a World Heritage site located near the picture perfect town of Soufrière. We drove for about 2.5 hours from Rodney Bay to Gros Piton passing through Castries, Canaries and Soufriere among other smaller villages. The drive can be a bit scary at times with sharp turns and steep inclines and declines. Upon reaching Gros Piton, you could hike the Piton which is about a 2 hour hike each way. The entrance fee is about $50 per person and you are accompanied by a guide. If you are not in a mood for a strenuous hike, another option is to head to Tet Paul Nature Trail which is a short 20-30 min hike offering stunning views of Gros Piton, Petit Piton and Soufrière. Access to Tet Paul Nature Trail is $10 per person, but its worth it for what you get to experience. A must visit place during this trip is the Sulphur Springs also known as 'the world's only drive-in volcano. Here at Sulphur Springs you get to experience the volcanic mud bath which is believed to have medicinal benefits for the body. After getting sloshed with the volcanic mud, you get to wash all that sulphur in the 110 Fahrenheit spring. There are showers and changing rooms available as well. The Sulphur smells really strong and it may take you a few minutes to get used to the odor, but the experience is not one to miss out on.  

Day 4 at Reduit Beach - Having heard that Reduit Beach is considered to be the island's finest beach, we decided to spend our day here. There is free parking at the Ramp from where you get easy access to the beach. It was a long stretch of white sand and great for long walks along the beach shoreline. There are plenty of restaurants at Reduit Beach and most restaurants would serve you food and drinks right at your beach chairs. A fun activity at this beach is the Wipeout style obstacle course floaties. These floaties look like an easy activity from a distance but once you get on them you will gain appreciation for the folks who participate in shows like Wipeout. 

Saint Lucia is known for its diving sites all around the island and they are considered to be among the best around the world. All in all we had a great relaxing visit to this beautiful island and we left inspired for sure.