As of today, St. Lucia was by far my favorite Caribbean island. Stunning, beautiful, unique, exotic, and any other adjective that comes to mind fitting this category would describe this small, eastern Caribbean island.
(02/12-02/14) Our first stop in St. Lucia was Rodney Bay to clear customs, have a bite to eat, and provision. This pristine bay, engulfed by sea-glass green water and fine white sands, is home to Fort Rodney, offers dozens of beach side hotels including a “Sandals,” has two of the island’s largest shopping malls, and even a casino! The island accepts EC currency, driving is opposite than the US, and most folks speak French as well as English.
(02/14-02/15) As we sail the western shore of this mango shaped island, famous Marigot Bay beckons us with its tree-cloaked hills, mango coves, and bright bougainvillea. The dainty seaside establishment offers a small marina, terrific restaurants, swanky hotels, and a fun beach side bar with water rental activities. Scenes from the original “Dr. Doolittle” film were shot here as well as later movies such as “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” “From Paradise with Love,” and “Blue Lagoon.”
(02/15-02/16) Leaving the busy Marigot Bay behind, we are headed to the horseshoe-shaped bay of Anse Cochon. Here, we are once again greeted with a beautiful khaki colored sand beach, clear warm water, and privy to an open air beach bar at the Ti Kaye Resort & Spa. Unfortunately, the small bay is popular with catamaran snorkeling tours so it is a bit noisy. For us, it was worth the stop.
(02/16-02/18) On the move again, we are headed to the famous Pitons and I am excited! These iconic volcanic spires seem to gracefully rise out of the southwestern shore waters capturing the attention of beach goers and sailors. But first, we are astounded by the majestic all-inclusive Jade Mountain resort. Built into the mountainside, the resort encompasses the natural beauty of both land and sea. The resort, on St. Lucia’s south-western coastline, is certainly a real show stopper!
The Pitons are some of the largest of the world’s volcanic plugs; “a plug is a land-form created when volcanic magma hardens inside a vent on an active volcano.” In 2004, the Pitons were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nestled around the beach of the Pitons is the alluring Viceroy Resort, Sugar Beach. Just as the name indicates, situated on the past site of an 18th century sugar plantation, the sands are as fine and white as sugar while backing into pristine rain forests.
Highlights of our time anchored outside Sugar Beach include going to the Soufriere, a pungent volcano complete with foaming lava, then to the sulphur springs for a mud-bath which is said to detoxify the body and help with eczema and sore joints. Once rinsing and relaxing in fresh waterfall springs, we toured the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens, ending our day with an authentic St. Lucian dinner. Learning about the island of St. Lucia was a fun, whirlwind of a day!
We have been having perfect weather despite the notorious late day pop-up showers.
(02/19-02/26) We are retracing our trip now sailing north back towards Martinique, through Margot Bay, Rodney Bay, and Sainte-Anne (known for its nude beaches) to secure the boat in a marina for repairs, all while anticipating our trip back to the states for a few months.
(02/26-02/29) “Lady Anne” is comfortably undergoing some maintenance procedures and we are happily exploring Fort de France, the capital of Martinique. How refreshing it is not to be on a boat and rely on a dinghy; it is a much needed change. Worrying about the weather on the water and how to navigate it can be exhausting.
This French/art-deco vibe of a town has lots to offer. Highlights include the St. Louis Cathedral, the Bibliotheque Schoelcher, La Savave Park, and Fort Saint-Loius. We savored excellent meals, had a fun meeting with local school children, and just relished in the fact that we had no where special to be except at the airport on the 29th to return home! Yea!
