Explore Saint Lucia from the water to see its coves and coastline up close
Horizontal rain jabs my face as the Knotty Girl speedboat slices across the undulating Windward Island waves. It’s a shower of biblical proportions, and despite the ethereal jungle views over the port side, my spirits are literally and metaphorically dampened.
“Don’t worry, it’ll stop in a minute,” reassures our chirpy skipper. Lo and behold, he is right – as the sugarloaf peaks of the Pitons emerge from the clouds, so does the sunshine.
The 40-minute speedboat journey from capital Castries to the Pitons is a popular shore excursion for many cruise visitors, as well as for those whose feet are otherwise firmly on land. And the number in the latter group is growing, with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority reporting that overnight visitors from the UK rose 6% between January and July, compared with 2023.
It’s a stylish way to check off some of Saint Lucia’s bucket-list experiences, but it’s just the first of many memorable moments on – and under – the water in this island nation.
Diving and snorkelling in Saint Lucia
On the way, our guides make sure we see plenty of locations used to film Hollywood blockbusters.
The yacht marina at Marigot Bay has two: it was the setting for 1967’s Doctor Dolittle; and is home to a natural stone arch that featured in Pirates of the Caribbean, today used by local daredevils as a cliff-jumping point.
Pulling up to the Pitons, the Knotty Girl pauses at the Anse des Pitons Marine Reserve. Beneath the waterline, the twin peaks came into their own: the green-blue sea fell steeply away as the rock rooted into the earth, creating a deep trench and dive site nicknamed ‘Superman’s Flight’.
Even if clients aren’t Padi-certified, they can still see what lies beneath by snorkelling off nearby Sugar Beach. I spot surgeonfish, iridescent blue fish and even moray eels through my goggles.
If I’d wanted some dive training, my base at Sandals Regency La Toc would have been the place to learn, with Padi lessons available in a specially designed pool. Qualified divers can enjoy up to two free dives a day, while water-based activities such as Hobie Cat sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking and windsurfing are also included.
Waterfalls in Saint Lucia
Many speedboat tours along the island’s west coast give guests the opportunity to disembark at Soufrière, where they can visit the nearby Sulphur Springs to cover themselves in mineral-rich mud, before washing it off in pungent geothermal water.
They could also discover the 15m-high Toraille Waterfall, one of few falls on the island where visitors can swim, and although the water pelts hard on my skin, it feels nothing short of baptismal.
Saint Lucia history
Even while exploring on land, it’s clear that Saint Lucia’s history revolves around the water.
Germaine, a guide from local operator LucianStyle Experiences, leads us on a Segway tour to Mount Pimard, a rugged headland near hotel hotspot Rodney Bay that privateers and later the Royal Navy once used as a stronghold.
Abandoned bunkers and dark, dank jail cells dot the gravel path as we steer towards the summit. Germaine tells tales of torturous punishments (think snakes thrown into a locked room or being tied to a spiky sandbox tree) which befell any enemies who had the misfortune to step ashore here.
As we finish our tour at a beach populated solely by locals and lined by red hibiscus bushes, Germaine directs us towards another storied part of Saint Lucia, Pigeon Island, for our next history lesson.
I wander around the little museum to learn about the island’s Carib population and 18th-century military ruins (from barracks to officers’ mess halls), before panting nearly 70m up to Fort Rodney, where cannons point across the sea in all directions.
My breath is taken by the walk and the panorama, which stretches to neighbouring Martinique. Yet even from this vantage point, I am still drawn to the bobbing boats and impossibly blue ocean below – and all the aquatic amusements hidden within its depths.
Book it:
Seven nights’ all-inclusive in an Oceanfront Two-Storey One Bedroom Butler Villa with Private Pool at Sandals Regency La Toc starts at £4,789 per person, based on two sharing. An Emerald Honeymoon Hideaway Grande Luxe room costs from £1,919. Prices include flights and transfers, departing June 30, 2025.
sellingsandals.co.uk
Inspiring Travel offers seven nights’ room-only in a Deluxe Cottage at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort from £5,255 per person, based on two adults sharing. The price includes flights from Gatwick and private transfers, and is valid for travel between January 5 and April 15, 2025.
inspiringtravel.co.uk
What’s new in Saint Lucia for 2025
❂ Cabot Saint Lucia’s Point Hardy golf course (pictured) opened in August, and 12 luxury suites are due to be added next year.
❂ Adult-only Secrets St Lucia Resort & Spa is set to open in February 2025 with 355 rooms and suites, plus nine restaurants.
❂ Hyatt-operated Cas en Bas Beach Resort will open on the northern tip of the island in April.
❂ A Courtyard by Marriott hotel is under construction at Pointe Seraphine in Castries cruise port, with plans to take guests from December 2025.
❂ Sandals Regency La Toc is adding 20 Rondoval Butler suites and extra restaurants.
❂ By November, four-star Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa will have renovated a quarter of its rooms and suites as part of an ongoing upgrade.
❂ Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort will introduce a luxury nine-bedroom villa, the Spice of Life, early next year.
❂ The beachfront and butler service Sapphire Sands Villas will open at Bay Gardens Resort next year.
❂ Boutique resort East Winds is embarking on a three-year, $1.5 million refurbishment, with upgrades to its Superior and Deluxe rooms underway.
❂ Windjammer Landing has revamped its restaurants and added a beachfront dining spot.
PICTURES: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority; Saint Lucia Tourism Authority; Jacob Sjoman; Alice Barnes-Brown; Ollie Jones/Saint Lucia Tourism Authority; Alice Barnes-Brown
