The early-afternoon Caribbean sun blazed down on me, as I dared to take a peek up. What I saw: a steep knot of rocks leading up to Signal Peak, 330 feet above St. Lucia.
"Mel?"
I glanced back. "I don't know, Stan."
My husband readjusted the backpack he was carrying. "I think we can do it."
I looked once more at the path ahead. "Honey. If we do this, we would be rock climbing...literally."
Stanton grinned; I grimaced; off we went.
Slowly, we scrabbled to the top...where the view atop Pigeon Island National Park—a pirate hideout in the 16th century and, later in the 18th century, a British military outpost—was incredible. This was our first time in the Caribbean, and seeing the region's famous turquoise water in person, stretching for miles, took my breath away. Amazing.
It was our 15th anniversary, and Stanton and I had wanted to celebrate with a trip. Somewhere not too far, but far enough away to feel exciting. Someplace where we could unwind, but also explore. With its kaleidoscopic geography of beaches, mountains, volcanoes and rainforests—and one vintage pirate hideout—the island of St. Lucia seemed perfect for us.
After admiring the view one last time, Stanton and I made our way back down Signal Peak, toward the exit of Pigeon Island.
Before we'd headed out, I'd researched all I could about the park. I couldn't help myself; it's the librarian in me. In my research, I read that visitors can pay the Pigeon Island admission fee with either cash or credit card.
However, when Stanton and I arrived, a sign at the entrance noted "Credit Card Machine Not Working Today." The sign was typed up, laminated. It looked...permanent, in fact, Stanton noted.
"Credit Card Machine Not Working Today" appeared to be an "every day" thing.
Once again, cash proved king; luckily, we had some. ($1 U.S. exchanges to about $2.70 Eastern Caribbean.)
After our Pigeon Island hike, I was excited to get back to our hotel and relax at the pool. We started the 2-mile walk back, enjoying the scenery...until, all of a sudden, the baby-blue sky about-faced to gray, and rain began blitzing down.
"Aaah!" I lowered my head.
Stanton grabbed my hand. "Over here, Mel." He hurried us under the front porch of a local business, closed because it was Saturday.
The rain stopped as quickly as it'd began, and before long, we were indeed relaxing at the pool, and then devouring a sushi boat for dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Day One on St. Lucia had been incredible, and would be hard to be beat, Stanton and I agreed, as we finished the last bites of our Admiral Rodney, Fair Helen and Island sushi rolls.
Of course, at that moment, we had no idea what the next few days would bring...
With its kaleidoscopic geography of beaches, mountains, volcanoes and rainforests—and one vintage pirate hideout—the island of St. Lucia seemed perfect for us.
In addition to Pigeon Island, Reduit Beach was on our must-see list for St. Lucia. Arguably the best beach on the island, Reduit (a French word, pronounced "red-wee") was about a 1-mile walk from our hotel. Now, we could have taken a taxi (we could have taken a taxi to Pigeon Island too), but when doable, I always prefer walking.
Walking is healthy. It allows you to really soak in the experience around you, and it gives you the flexibility to get off the beaten path and explore more, if you like. Walking is wonderful, soulful...until it starts unexpectedly raining.
Which it did, again, about only five minutes into our 25-minute walk to the beach.
"Come on, Mel." Stanton gestured up ahead, where an older gentleman sat under a pop-up canopy tent selling fruits and vegetables.
Together, we ran for the tent. Stanton squeezed my hand. "I like running for cover with you."
I squeezed his hand back.
We asked the man if we could stand under his tent until the rain passed. Sure, he said. The sun will be back out in a few minutes, he added.
He was right: It was. Before we headed back out, Stanton bought four mangoes from the gentleman.
Reduit Beach was truly stunning. Per all the TripAdvisor reviews I'd read beforehand, we entered at the public access point at Spinnakers Restaurant & Beach Bar and then turned left, walking to the quieter part of the beach (away from the inflatable water splash park—obviously!). We had a totally relaxing beach day, away from the hustle and bustle on the right side of the beach. It feels like, I told Stanton, we're on our own private island over here.
We also met some really nice locals. One of them, Caesar, took this picture of Stanton and me. (You can see Pigeon Island in the distance, directly behind us—Signal Peak is the higher point, above my head, above the two white sailboats.)
Another local, whose name I've forgotten, made us laugh the hardest we've laughed in years, possibly. Why? Well, let me tell you, friends...
I got sunburned during our Pigeon Island hike, so at Reduit Beach that day, I wore the long-sleeved cover-up you see pictured. Trying to keep my skin as protected as possible when not in the water.
"Hey, sister," one of the friendly locals greeted me. "Are you Mennonite?"
I have to say, friends...I am rarely at a loss for words, but in that moment, I was speechless. "Um...what?"
"You all covered up at the beach," he said.
"Oh." I smiled, shook my head. "No, I'm not Mennonite—just pale and sunburned."
Stanton laughed. So did the local (and Caesar, who'd wandered back over).
"It's OK, sister!"
"I'm not Mennonite, just pale"—one of those quotable moments you never imagine will happen, until it does.
Pigeon Island National Park, Reduit Beach...the third "big thing" Stanton and I wanted to do in St. Lucia was a catamaran day sail from the north part of the island (where we were staying) to the south, where The Pitons are located. These two iconic mountains, covered with tropical vegetation, were formed by a volcanic eruption 30 to 40 million years ago and, in 2004, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Fodor's Saint Lucia, 2021, page 178).
This day sail was my personal favorite part of our trip. The Island Routes crew that took us, along with other sightseeing tourists, was experienced and fun. One of them took this picture of Stanton and me at Marigot Bay, a natural harbor en route to The Pitons as well as a site upon which part of the 1967 film "Dr. Doolittle" was filmed:
The sail from the north of St. Lucia to the south took about an hour. After our stop in Marigot Bay, we kept going until we reached Sugar Beach and the Anse Piton Marine Reserve. This little piece of the island, friends, is spectacularly beautiful.
Stanton snorkeled in the marine reserve (beneath this mountain, near the boats), where he said he saw some amazingly colorful (and unusually friendly!) fish...
...while I enjoyed a walk in the shallow part of the water at Sugar Beach. You can see Petit Piton, one of the two Pitons, in the distance, towering above the beach at 2,461 feet:
Following Stanton's snorkel and my walk, we returned to the catamaran for the sunset sail back to the north. During the return trip, we chatted more with our fellow passengers (we especially enjoyed getting to know an older couple from England, as well as a family from Ireland). The return trip also featured (to our surprise and delight!) a music soundtrack that reminded us of our college days (complete with "Sweet Caroline" as we docked in the port at Castries—ba, ba, ba!).
St. Lucia was everything I'd hoped it would be—and much, much more. If you're thinking about a Caribbean escape for your next vacation (romantic or family!), I highly recommend St. Lucia.
Some more tips for if you go:
1. Fly into Hewanorra International Airport. This is the larger of the two airports on St. Lucia (the other, George F. L. Charles/Vigie Airport, is mainly for inter-Caribbean flights).
2. Stay in the north of St. Lucia if you'd like to experience a variety of activities (hiking, beaches, local restaurants and culture). There's more to do in the north, especially in Rodney Bay. For a quieter, more secluded time away, stay in the south.
3. If you do stay in the north, fly into Hewanorra and then take a taxi to your hotel. (Your hotel probably can arrange a driver for you.) I do not recommend renting a car and driving yourself, especially if you're American, because driving is on the opposite side of the road; the roads are extremely mountainous and winding; and there are very few street signs. Even Stanton, who's an excellent, confident driver, acknowledged he was glad we'd opted for a taxi over a rental car.
4. Bring sunscreen and insect repellent, especially if you go hiking. Again, I did tons of research beforehand, and had good success with these two products: Banana Boat Light As Air Lotion SPF 50+ and Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent.
5. Three restaurants in Rodney Bay that Stanton and I loved: 7th Heaven Swiss Bakery, Rituals Sushi and Sea Salt.
Enjoy, friends!
Photo credits: Caesar, Island Routes Crew, Melissa Leddy and Pauliann
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