Published in The Toronto Star, October 31, 2015
With beaches, mountains, waterfalls and posh resorts, St. Lucia attracts almost 3,500 weddings a year
SOUFRIÈRE, ST. LUCIA
I was starting to feel as though I was stalking Juan Pablo Galavis. For those of you not in-the-know – as I wasn’t, before setting foot on St. Lucia – Galavis was the highly controversial star of the 18th season of The Bachelor. He and his entourage of hopeful bachelorettes spent two 2014 episodes of the popular ABC television series cavorting their way across this lush Caribbean island.
As I followed in his wake, just about every hotel manager, waiter and bartender I encountered was eager to tell me that The Bachelor had chilled in the Rainforest Spa at Sugar Beach, kicked back in an open-air suite with a private infinity pool at Jade Mountain or strolled along a beach at Anse Chastanet.
It’s not hard to see why the show’s producers have filmed on St. Lucia several times. The island’s rainforested mountains, sandy beaches and gorgeous resorts seem almost tailor-made to a set designer’s specifications. If you drive along its roads, you will be constantly tempted to pull over to snap a selfie against backdrops such as the Pitons, a pair of volcanic lava domes that together form a World Heritage Site. (Be careful where you stop the car, though. The roads aren’t wide and people drive quickly.)
Throw in some picturesque ruins – such as the abandoned 18th-century British fort at Pigeon Island National Landmark – a few waterfalls and a fleet of catamarans just waiting to sail into the sunset, and you have one of the most romantic spots in the Caribbean.
The country’s government clearly understands it is sitting on the Marilyn Monroe of islands, all seductive curves and breathy breezes.
It has strongly promoted St. Lucia as a wedding destination, even setting up a new website (simplybeautifulweddings.org) to promote local service providers, from photographers to caterers. The work seems to be paying off.
“The wedding market is really our largest niche. I think it accounts for over 45 per cent of our arrivals,” says Louis Lewis, St. Lucia’s director of tourism. Last year, 3,430 couples came to the island to get married.
So, aside from stunning scenery and lots of places to stay, from small guesthouses to world-famous hotels, what does St. Lucia offer starry-eyed lovers and their wedding guests? Quite a lot.
Well-heeled visitors craving seclusion will probably gravitate to the high-end resorts in the hills above Soufrière. Most offer a wide variety of on-site activities, from scuba diving to cooking classes, so you can easily spend a week cocooned.
If you want to venture out, the main nearby attraction is Sulphur Springs Park, where you can take a quick dip in a concrete pool filled by a hot spring, slather your skin with grainy volcanic mud, then scald yourself again to rinse. It’s not for everyone, as the intense water temperature can top 45 C, but it will make your skin baby soft.
For a livelier vibe, head to the slightly less mountainous northern end of St. Lucia, where a string of hotels line the shore between the capital city of Castries and the town of Gros Islet.
Tourist facilities in this area include a golf course, dive shops, and companies offering Segway tours, ziplining, helicopter tours and more.
On Friday nights, Gros Islet stays up late for Jump Up, with crowds knocking back cold Piton beers and grilled chicken while dancing in the streets to live and DJ’ed soca tunes.
So even if you and your beloved are completely wrapped up in each other on your honeymoon, your guests won’t be at a loss for things to see and do in this island paradise.