Few Caribbean islands pack in scenery like St. Lucia. The Pitons — twin volcanic spires rising straight out of the sea near the southern town of Soufrière — give the southwest coast a backdrop you won't find anywhere else in the region, and the island's best hotels have climbed the hillsides to claim views of it. Condé Nast Traveler's editors have rounded up their seven favourites, and the shortlist doubles as a handy map of what the island does well.
The geography matters when you're choosing where to stay. The southwest, facing the calm Caribbean Sea, is where most of the chic properties sit — think flat-water swimming, dive sites offshore, and evenings built around gin and tonics as the sky turns crimson. The Atlantic-facing east coast is wilder and largely untouched by tourism, which suits travellers who'd rather hike to waterfalls than lounge by a pool. Up north, Rodney Bay is the easygoing hub: calm beaches, rum-fuelled evenings, and the odd resort-hosted party. Inland, cocoa plantations and organic farms run bean-to-bar and farm-to-fork experiences that get you off the beach for a day.
As for the hotels themselves, the editors named three category winners. Jade Mountain takes best all-inclusive — a property famous for its open-walled sanctuaries, each with a private infinity pool framing the Pitons. Windjammer Landing wins for groups, thanks to its villa-style layout on a hillside above the sea, ideal for families or friends travelling together. BodyHoliday picks up the wellness nod, a resort built entirely around the idea of a holiday that leaves you fitter than you arrived, with treatments, classes and sport included. The wider list ranges from beachside classics serving seafood platters under umbrellas to sprawling jungle estates with their own organic farms, and the editors say each was picked first-hand, with design, location, service and sustainability all weighed up.
Timing your trip is straightforward: the dry season runs December to April, and that's when you're most likely to get uninterrupted sunshine. Christmas and New Year on the island are genuinely festive if your budget stretches that far — it's peak season and priced accordingly, but a balmy holiday-season week in the Caribbean is a hard thing to argue with.
Who is this for? Anyone torn between a do-nothing beach holiday and something more active. St. Lucia is one of the few islands where you can dive over coral in the morning, hike through rainforest after lunch, and watch the sun drop behind a volcano from your room's plunge pool — provided you pick the right base. All-inclusive devotees should look hard at Jade Mountain; wellness-first travellers at BodyHoliday; anyone travelling as a squad at Windjammer Landing.
First published by Condé Nast Traveler.
