Last week my husband and I were lucky enough to vacation down in St. Lucia, one of the southern-most islands in the Caribbean. And I cannot say enough good things.
We were lucky enough to find flights from Minnesota with only one layover in Atlanta, so while it was still about 7 hours of flying, it wasn’t a terrible day of travel. I would definitely recommend getting on one of the earlier flights to arrive there in the early afternoon so that you can maximize your time there. We arrived around 2 PM into UVF and it was about a 45 minute drive to our hotel. The island as a whole is about 30 miles top to bottom, so doesn’t seem like getting around should take that long right? Well, this place is full of mountains! So the drive is constantly winding between switchbacks and back roads, so if you get motion sick (like my husband), be prepared for any driving you might have to do!
Now, our hotel? Man, where do I begin.
We stayed at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Hotel and if we go back, that is exactly where we will stay again. Let’s first talk about the location, shall we? The Pitons are the most iconic landmark to St. Lucia, the two mountains that are the highest point of the island. And nestled between these two icons? Sugar Beach. That’s right, standing on the beach of our hotel is right between these two beauties. So you know the view is going to be good.
These images are courtesy of the Sugar Beach, Viceroy website, but I only use them because they 100% accurately depict the setting. It is just as it is seen in these images, and yes, even more beautiful in person!
The hotel has tons of options for rooms, as well. There are individual cottages, beachfront bungalows, and single hotel rooms that you can book! We stayed in a cottage that was about a 5-minute shuttle ride up the hill from the beach. Now, was it ideal that we couldn’t walk out or door and hit the beach? No. BUT the shuttles are so quick, not only in getting to your cottage, but also in getting down to the beach, it didn’t phase us after the first day. Plus, the higher you get, the better the view of the ocean. If you followed along in my Insta-stories, you probably saw a small pool surrounded by foliage, that was our own individual swimming pool just outside of our cottage! So if there was ever a time that you wanted to get away, but still enjoy some sun, or cool off? No problem.
Same here, I used the pictures from the hotel website because it is spot on with how they appear in real life! And are much better than ones from my phone with all of our stuff thrown around 😛
I know sometimes when you look at pictures of rooms and hotels online, you think, “okay, I wonder what it looks like in real life”. But I’m telling you, even after going back and looking at the pictures when we got home? The pictures are spot on! The rooms are stunning! The style is caribbean-chic, and impeccable! Each cottage was assigned its own butler. That’s right… we had a butler :-O so whether it was booking an activity, a reservation, or getting a shuttle, they were one phone call away!
Breakfast every morning was on the Terrace, and we had dinner, practically, every night down by the beach, but there was the option for the formal dining room up in the Great Room. So if you never wanted to leave the property, you don’t have to! On the beach you can order cocktails and lunch from the attendants that are always there to bring you towels, waters, or take your oder. And every single person that worked at this hotel was unbelievable! The service was amazing, but it was the people really made it a joy.
pictured left: restaurant on the beach
pictured right: Terrace with the view of the pool and beach, where we sat for breakfast every morning
Now, DO NOT miss the private beach. Just a short walk from the main beach is a private area, still equipped with a bar and staff 😀 a beautiful beach, same stunning view, but adults only! So if you’re like us, and enjoy a little camaraderie but sometimes want some peace and quiet away from everything? This is where you go. When we first walked to the beach, we were the only ones there! We couldn’t believe that no one else caught on! Now, the actives (kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, etc.) they were all at the main beach. But if you wanted to lay in the sun with just the sound of the waves as your soundtrack? That’s the place to go.
I already mentioned the awesome activities they offer at the hotel; snorkeling, water surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, wind surfing! And that is all right there on the beach! I HIGHLY recommend the snorkeling. There is a corner of this particular beach that is a marine reserve that is FILLED with reefs, and a million different kinds of fish. My husband and I must have snorkeled for at least an hour checking everything out!
In terms of other stuff to do off the resort, there is tons of options there as well! Many people said the zip lining was fun, but one of our shuttle drivers said the one to do was about an hour drive from our hotel. Since we had already zip lined on other vacations, we chose to pass. But we did the ATV tour which was AMAZING! Run by Mystic Man Tours that we also booked through the hotel. They offer morning and afternoon tours, but take the morning tour. It will get SUPER hot and hard to get away from the sun in the afternoon. Now, I was a total beginner and still felt totally comfortable. You travel in a line, and never go super fast, but you will be going on some pretty bumpy parts of the trail. But the leader is great about stopping and leading everyone through it.
We also chose to do the sunset cruise (booked through our hotel) but I believe also run by Mystic Man! It was so much fun. Everyone on the boat was drinking the rum punch (literally!) and having a blast. They play music, have snacks, and take you a ways out to wait for the sunset. Champagne included 🙂 We were even lucky enough to see a few dolphins! The video is saved in my Insta-story highlight! Check it out!
One thing that I really wanted to do, but didn’t get around to, was a tour of the chocolate farm! The spa at Sugar Beach offered one, but I am sure there are other ones on the island as well! How cool would that be? To see chocolate from its original form?? Yes, geeking out a bit!
In terms of weather, we definitely lucked out. While right now is the rainy season, we just barely missed a tropical storm that I guess was a tad north of us. Now, we still got rain the first day, but after that it was sporadic. It might rain a bit, but it was off and on. 15 minutes of rain, 15 minutes of sun, and when it does rain, it’s more of a mist so not so bad!
Check out all of these links below for some great summer vacation fashion ideas! Everything from swimsuits, casual footwear, and the outfits I brought for dinner and time off the property! All great pieces that you would absolutely wear again.
