St Lucia... a pearl in the Caribbean
It’s an island much loved by celebrities and you may even find yourself dancing with the actress who played Tina Turner. John Norton visits friendly St Lucia
When Oprah Winfrey declares it to be ‘one of the five top places to see in your lifetime’, you know this island must be a unique part of the world.
Is it that the island splits two seas; the postcard crystal-clear turquoise Caribbean sea with shimmering beaches on one side, and the choppy, more boisterous Atlantic Ocean on the other?
Or is it the tropical rainforest that carpets the island’s volcanic origins, most notably the twin Piton Mountains, the most breathtaking landmark of the island and also a world heritage site? Or could it be the friendliness of the people – despite having been subjected to 14 wars between France and England for control of its strategic location.
A nation that is relatively new to the competitive world of the Caribbean tourist market, St Lucia is still a nation of trade, having the deepest natural port in the Caribbean which acts as the gateway for the island’s huge banana and mango exports – its tourism industry only coming to the forefront in the mid 1990s. The result of this is that the island doesn’t seem over-commercialised and strewn with enterprising businesses and individuals just waiting to sell you their trinkets.
After nine hours on our British Airways flight from Gatwick, we were greeted by our driver Herbie, a happy and interesting guy who explained a lot about St Lucia as we were driven to the opposite end of the island to the five-star boutique
VERY UNCOOL SQUEALS OF JOY CAME HISSING FROM US ALL
resort of Cap Maison.
We arrived into the Spanish hacienda-style clifftop resort in the middle of the afternoon. Immediately greeted with two cold glasses of champagne and cool face towels, I knew we were in a resort with class. However, it was to get even better when we saw our rooms for the next three nights.
We waited until our bellboy left before the very uncool squeals of joy came hissing from us all. Beautiful en-suite bedrooms featuring huge double beds draped in classy looking mosquito nets. A large modern kitchen and dining room separated them both and led onto a huge deck that overlooked the semi-private pool.
I had been picturing the image of the famous beach bar at Cap Maison, the Naked Fisherman, in my mind for weeks before the trip.
The picture-perfect location was our destination for dinner at sunset on our first evening. We bounced down the 98 steps it takes to get to the restaurant on the beach and sat beside the tiki torches as we ordered from the barbecue menu that featured that night.
The two restaurants at the resort look after the 50 residences by constantly changing the menu, under the instruction of Head Chef Craig Jones, a Welsh Rastafarian who I learned won St Lucia’s Chef of the Year a couple of years ago. Chef Craig informed us that he feels he is always learning about food.
These two restaurants offer very different but very high-quality menus.
As you would imagine, the Naked Fisherman usually has a variety of barbecue and grilled fish options, while The Cliff restaurant is romantic fine dining at its best, where your fellow diners might be Mick Jagger, who stayed there recently or in our case, Angela Bassett, who I remember as Tina Turner, but my son instantly recognised as Black Panther’s Mum.
We took our time before asking for the photo, which turned into dancing by the end of the night between my son James and the Queen Mom of Wakanda.
After three embracing and relaxing days of snorkelling, kayaking, eating and sunbathing, we were on the move to what I hoped would allow us to experience more of the real St Lucia. Coco Palm Hotel is in nearby Rodney Bay. The hotel is owned by the family of the island’s prime minister, Allen Chastanet, whose fascinating Irish mother Judy, happened to join us for dinner in one of the hotel’s excellent restaurants. When I read ‘St Lucian family-owned hotel’, I hadn’t actually bargained for it to be the current first family.
The attraction of this hotel is its large pool with swim-up rooms and a lively hotel poolside bar. It is five minutes’ walk from the beach, along a promenade of top restaurants such as Buzz Restaurant which has a fairytale garden setting and a well-
thought-out and executed menu that feels genuine with one of two home favourites, such as the famous cottage pie.
The restaurant’s Scottish owner, Matthew informed me that it is one of the most popular dishes despite having excellent seafood on the menu daily. Home comforts eh? The hotel is able to book a range of activities such as zip lining through the rainforest which was a must for my 11-year-old.
I recommend it too, as trekking through the rainforest made me feel like I’d landed into Jurassic Park minus the roaring T Rex. We also opted for the ‘snuba’ diving, a hybrid of snorkelling and scuba diving. The benefit is that you don’t need lessons but you still get the scuba feel as you swim with lobster, puffer fish, starfish, crayfish and all manner of unusual sea creatures at up to 20ft below.
A day boat-trip is also a must. Coco Palm arrange for a large catamaran to bring guests to the second largest town and former French capital of St Lucia, Soufrière. The trip down the coast looking back at the beaches and jungle hilltops is serene. Once on the dock in Soufrière, you are overlooked by the uber-posh and romantic Jade Mountain resort, the setting for the finale of the mega-hit TV series The Bachelor.
We were also brought to the location of more filming, albeit by a different generation altogether, as Superman 2 was filmed partly in the botanical gardens of St Lucia.
With its waterfalls and exotic flowers everywhere, it also served as the set of Romancing the Stone. Nearby are the warm, volcanic mud baths which we felt we must experience. We came out feeling ten years younger even if our twoyear-old just had fun in the mud!
The Coco Palm is very well situated if you want to get a feel for Castries, the capital. It is a town that feels and looks very clean and modern. The shopping mall was like something you’d find in an American suburb and the obligatory port of superyachts is surrounded by several fantastic restaurants including The Big Chef, a steak house that prides itself on having beef that rivals New York City.
We ate there one night and the rib-eye was certainly something worth writing home about. The restaurant next door, Tapas on the Bay, is another excellent dining option. With a view of the harbour from its large deck and a menu that could have you ensconced for hours, it’s a perfect way to spend an evening after being on the beach for the day.
Both restaurants are owned by a lovely couple, Englishwoman Rosie, and St Lucian Marc. She is a Cordon Bleu trainer and he is one of the island’s most successful resort managers, having run the exclusive Windjammer Landings and Coconut Bay resort, so you know you’re in good hands.
Our final destination was the exclusive all-inclusive Windjammer Landings. A resort that has it all. This sprawling complex winds its way up the steep hill above the beach with twisting walkways that suddenly open into secret pools as you explore.
Each of the large residences is unique in style, but uniform in luxury. There is every water sport imaginable, floating trampolines, sea hammocks, yoga classes, a kids’ club and more. There are five restaurants, all serving topquality food – even the Italian Pappa Don’s met with my my son’s very high standards in pizza.
I have been to many places in the Caribbean and up until now, I would have called Barbados my favourite.
Not any more.
UP UNTIL NOW BARBADOS WAS MY FAVOURITE. NOT ANY MORE