Inspirado Por el Romance (Spanish)
Desde sus majestuosas y verdes cumbres montañosas hasta sus serenas y arenosas calas, Santa Lucía tiende de forma natural a inspirar el romance. Así que no es de extrañar que los productores del programa de televisión «The Bachelor» eligieran la isla como escenario para su último episodio de la 14ª temporada. ¿Qué mejor lugar para declarar su amor que en sus costas singularmente impolutas, frente a un brillante horizonte azul?
Ahora bien, el ambiente inspirador de Santa Lucía es mucho más duradero que lo que muestran los reality shows. Con un paisaje inigualable en belleza, alojamientos construidos para la pasión y atracciones que van desde lo aventurero a lo tranquilo, las parejas podrán disfrutar de todo tipo de escapadas románticas legendarias, desde luna de miel hasta renovación de votos, y querrán seguir volviendo en los años venideros.
Love in the Landscape
Saint Lucia owes much of its romantic appeal to its terrain: exotic, striking and uniquely picturesque. Even travelers familiar with the Caribbean are awed by the scenery of its Piton Mountains, rising to a height of 2,500 ft. and plummeting directly down into the Caribbean Sea. Couples can take in these spectacular attractions from a variety of venues in and around the Creole town of Soufriere, itself a romantic blend of French and Caribbean cultures. After they’ve explored Soufriere’s historic estates, many adventurous travelers take on the island’s many hiking trails in search of even more romantic views. The climb to the top of the Pitons is strenuous, but well worth it for clients with a passion for hiking, panoramic island views and, of course, each other.
Other, less difficult hiking trails let clients explore Saint Lucia’s rainforest, filled with lush vegetation, exotic animal life, and plenty of privacy. The Edmund Forest Reserve, set about 30 minutes from Soufriere, offers spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea and Mount Gimie, the island’s highest peak. The Enbas Saut Waterfalls Trail, meanwhile, comes with a sensual bonus: two tall waterfalls cascading into natural swimming pools, giving couples the chance to cool off in a secluded, exotic setting.
The island’s coastline is equal to its inland landscape in both diversity and uniqueness. Saint Lucia’s beaches rank among the best in the world, with Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort’s location between the Pitons making it a favorite for honeymooners. Anse Chastanet’s curved cove is lined with palm trees, and features a coral reef that makes it ideal for both sunning and snorkeling. And at the north end of the island, Pigeon Island National Park’s beach is often uncrowded, but no less scenic.
All beaches in Saint Lucia are public, so couples are free to explore and find their own private place in the sun. One popular honeymoon upgrade is a tour of the beaches on horseback, adding a unique and romantic component to the traditional beach experience. Tours on horseback often include inland trails and traditional Caribbean lunch as well, giving couples the chance to have an authentic island experience together.
Built for Love
With romance literally surrounding them, it’s no wonder that Saint Lucia’s resorts tend to emphasize the romantic aspects of their accommodations and amenities. The island is home to some of the best honeymoon resorts in the world, including Jade Mountain, the exclusive, all-suite getaway set high in the mountains, and which happens to be the very place where “The Bachelor” himself proposed during the show’s 14th season. Every suite here is an ideal honeymoon suite, featuring views of the majestic Pitons from decks that include private plunge pools. Rumor has it that a honeymoon couple once spent five days in the suite before coming back out. Ladera offers the 1,700-sq.-ft. Villa at Paradise Ridge as well as four Suites at Paradise Ridge that are not only the height in Saint Lucia luxury, but ideal for couples.
Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa’s Millionaire Suites were also designed with couples in mind. Each stand-alone suite sits at the resort’s highest point, giving clients unobstructed 360-degree views of the picturesque island and sea below. Couples can soak up the sun on their private patio, or take a dip in their own plunge pool or whirlpool. And that’s just the beginning. Honeymooners at any of Sandals’ three properties can create a vacation registry through Sandals to enjoy private dinners for two, couples’ spa treatments and tours of the local area—all compliments of their wedding guests.
On the Water
Saint Lucia’s romance doesn’t end at the coast. Couples can choose an over-the-water chapel at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Resort & Spa, or a picturesque sail from its shores—it’s an unmissable part of the island experience, particularly for honeymooners seeking idyllic sunset views. Just about every resort in Saint Lucia offers a sunset cruise; some even include champagne in the tour for an added romantic bonus.
But though sunset is the island’s most popular time for couples to sail, it’s far from being the only option. Clients can also book a whale watching tour during the day for a chance to see any of the more than 20 species that regularly make an appearance off Saint Lucia’s coast, as well as several species of dolphins and sea turtles.
Clients who are just going a short distance may want to consider taking a water taxi, a scenic alternative to ordinary taxis on land. Couples headed to Anse Chastanet or Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort from Soufriere, for example, will find local water taxi operators at the jetty.
Inspiring Intimacy
What’s a romantic getaway without a little decadence? In Saint Lucia, couples find a vast variety of ways to pamper themselves and their partners. When it comes to spas, there’s no better destination in the Caribbean for state-of-the-art, unique and local treatments. Resorts like BodyHoliday-Saint Lucia offer a spa-centric experience with treatments built into its all-inclusive pricing; most other resorts offer some sort of treatment, ranging from in-room massages to more involved procedures within large, modern spa facilities. At The Landings Resort & Spa, for example, couples can access a 7,000-sq.-ft. spa with “Shared Moments” rooms for couples, as well as wet therapy rooms and VIP rooms with private terraces and hydrotherapy tubs.
For anyone who believes that the stomach is the quickest way to a man’s heart (or a woman’s heart, for that matter), Saint Lucia is a foodie paradise. Local cuisine here features fresh ingredients grown or caught locally, including plantains, breadfruit and, of course, seafood. Weekly parties like Anse La Raye’s Seafood Fridays give couples the chance to fill up on the sublime daily catch and mingle with the locals.
For a more intimate experience, couples need only make a reservation at one of Saint Lucia’s romantic restaurants. Dasheene, at Ladera resort near Soufriere, is set high up in the mountains with an open-air balcony that offers spectacular views of the Pitons, particularly at sunset. Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort’s Bayside restaurant offers a casual yet intimate dining experience right on the beach.
But for a true indulgence, clients should book an exclusive, private dinner for just two. Several resorts in Saint Lucia, including the Sandals resorts, will set up private dinners on the beach, with service from a dedicated staff and lit only by torches and moonlight. Others, like Anse Chastanet, will set up more casual meals amid the ruins of centuries-old plantations that remain on their property. But perhaps Jade Mountain offers the most intimate dining experience in Saint Lucia: gourmet meals featuring locally farmed ingredients, all served in the comfort of couples’ private, spacious suites, to be enjoyed at the dining table, beside their private pool, or even in bed. The romance extends to the spa at Boucan by Hotel Chocolat’s chocolate-infused treatments or couples can walk the cocoa groves together, or join the chef in the kitchen to make their own chocolate bar, followed by a gourmet lunch where every course includes elements from the cocoa.