A little local perspective
Worth knowing.
Worth going.
- Destination
- St Lucia
- The selection
- 8 hotels
- Your kind of trip
- honeymoon · views · diving · couples
$$ to $$$$ — roughly $400-1,600 a night, peaking December to April
The Pitons are two volcanic plugs rising almost vertically out of the sea on St Lucia's southwestern coast, Gros Piton at 770 metres and Petit Piton at 743. They are the most photographed thing in the eastern Caribbean and they are the reason most people choose this island over its neighbours.
They are also visible from a narrow arc of coastline around Soufrière, and from nowhere else on the island. The airport is at the southern tip, the main town and most of the beach resorts are in the north, and the drive between the two is an hour and a half of winding mountain road.
The two St Lucias
The southwest, around Soufrière. The Pitons, the rainforest, the drive-in volcano, the sulphur springs and the botanical gardens. The scenery is the best in the Caribbean. The beaches are small, dark-sand or imported, and the roads are steep and slow.
The north, around Rodney Bay and Cap Estate. The better beaches, the restaurants, the marina, the nightlife and the shorter transfer from the northern airport. No Pitons.
The honest framing is that these are different holidays. If the Pitons are why you are coming, book Soufrière and accept the drive and the modest beaches. If you want a Caribbean beach week with good food and easy logistics, book the north and see the Pitons on a day trip or by boat.
The eight below are split accordingly.
Soufrière, with the Pitons in view
The southwestern arc. Steep, green and spectacular.
Jade Mountain occupies a hillside above Anse Chastanet with rooms built with only three walls, the fourth side open to the air, and an infinity pool in each. The Piton view from those rooms is the single best hotel outlook in the Caribbean. There is no glass, no fourth wall and no air conditioning, which is either the point or a dealbreaker.
Anse Chastanet Resort sits below it on the beach with two bays, a dive operation and a coral reef directly offshore. It has the best shore diving on the island and it shares the estate.
Ladera Resort occupies a ridge at 300 metres directly between the two Pitons, with open-walled suites and plunge pools facing the gap. It is the most dramatic position on the island and the road up is what you would expect.
Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort sits on the beach between the Pitons themselves, on a former sugar estate, with the only stretch of sand directly at their base. It is the most complete resort in the southwest.
Stonefield Villa Resort occupies a hillside villa estate above Soufrière with plunge pools, a good restaurant and considerably lower rates than the four above. It is the value pick with the view.
Boucan by Hotel Chocolat sits on a working cocoa estate in the hills with rooms among the trees, a chocolate-focused restaurant and Piton views from the terraces. It is the most unusual stay on St Lucia.
The north, for beaches and logistics
No Piton view, better beaches, easier arrival.
Cap Maison occupies a clifftop at Cap Estate with a private cove reached by a lift through the rock, suites with plunge pools and the best food in the north.
The Landings Resort & Spa sits on Rodney Bay with a long beach, several pools, a marina beside it and walkable restaurants. It is the practical family choice.
What we have left off
The large all-inclusive complexes along the northwest coast are excluded. They are the majority of St Lucia's room stock and they are the reason many people come. They are also on beaches without a Piton in sight, at a scale where the resort is the destination and the island is scenery.
What to do
Climb Gros Piton if you are fit. It is a guided walk of about four hours return, steep throughout, and the guides are compulsory and worth it.
Go into the volcano at Sulphur Springs, which is a collapsed caldera you can drive into, and bathe in the mud baths afterwards.
Take a boat up the coast rather than driving it. The Pitons from the water are better than from the road and it avoids ninety minutes of hairpins.
The Diamond Falls botanical gardens and the Tet Paul nature trail are both short and both worth it.
Eat at a Friday night street party at Gros Islet in the north, which is the island's weekly event.
Practical notes
Hewanorra, the international airport, is in the far south: about 45 minutes to Soufrière and 90 minutes to the north. George F. L. Charles in the north handles regional flights and is 15 minutes from Rodney Bay. Helicopter transfers exist and are worth considering if you are heading north.
December to April is the dry season and peak. May, June and November are good value. September and October are the wettest and the hurricane peak.
Roads are steep, narrow and winding. Hire a driver rather than a car unless you are confident.
Explore 4 & 5 Star St Lucia Hotels
Prices shown are sample rates from upcoming dates — not quotes for specific dates. Open a hotel and choose your own dates and guests to see the exact price.
Questions people actually ask
Can you see the Pitons from the north?
No. They are visible from the Soufrière arc and from the sea. Everything else is a day trip.
Soufrière or the north?
Soufrière for the scenery, the north for beaches and convenience. Some people split the week, which works well.
Are the beaches good in Soufrière?
Small and mostly dark volcanic sand, with one imported white stretch between the Pitons. The scenery compensates; the sand does not compete with Barbados.
How many nights?
Seven, ideally split four in the southwest and three in the north.
