Travel: Saint Lucia

The journey started with empanadas and a cortadito at Half Moon Empanadas in Miami, followed by a long, long, contemplative walk to the gate. The flight itself was easy and once on Saint Lucia time, plans immediately shifted when my rental company didn’t have the reserved car.

A different brown car appeared instead, and honestly, it fit the vibe. I checked into my bed and breakfast, the charming Maggie’s Inn, cracked open a Piton Beer, and watched the sun slip into the sea—arrival complete.

Jet lag and very strong homemade coffee set the tone for a gentle day. Breakfast was a plane biscuit and a walk through town that resulted in a simple PB&J. I talked with friends, wandered along Sabwisha Black Sand Beach, and spent the afternoon reading in Cedar Heights.

Somewhere in between: picking up Melissa, witnessing a funeral procession, and seeing a man in a dump truck transporting something that was definitely not a goat. Dinner at Dreams Restaurant & Bar delivered jerk chicken and every possible side.

Strong coffee, part two, and another PB&J kicked off a very rainy drive day. I ducked into Art Cafe, sharing a latte and conversation with a Londoner while browsing art cards.
Cocktails at Horizon Restaurant & Bar came with sweeping island views and fluffy banana bread, followed by a short waterfront stroll near Soufrière Bay. I explored the Castries Market, grabbed a passion fruit beer at the Cruise Terminal, and bought matching gold bracelets.

The highlight: a pour-it-yourself tasting at St. Lucia Distillers, sampling more than 25 rums (peanut cream rum being the standout). An epic sunset—featuring a goat and an abandoned building—led to dinner at Viola Restaurant: a Miami Vice cocktail and pork loin with creole sauce and mashed sweet potato.

“If you’re not going to climb a Piton, drink it at the beach.” Peanut butter toast and coffee made that philosophy official before heading to Sugar Beach. The tennis court view, black-and-gold quatrefoil necklace purchase, and long stretches of beach time set the pace.

Snorkeling revealed schools of fish, followed by an unforgettable boat ride soundtracked by worship music and stocked with drinks—after which we may have napped elsewhere. Lunch at the resort included an Impossible burger, fries, broccolini with coffee sauce, and a ceviche sour (essentially tequila, but spiritually different). The afternoon was for tanning with a book, then home to shower, snack on an apple, and rest.

The day started with a soak at the Sulphur Springs Mud Baths, where I unexpectedly ran into friends from Florida.

Chocolate ruled the rest of the day at Project Chocolat: iced drinking chocolate mocha, tea towels for gifts, and later, more chocolate.

We then wandered through the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens,

We had lunch at Mango Tree Restaurant. I had a cocktail called “Between the Pitons”—it tasted like sunscreen smells. The restaurant had water guns deployed to deter birds.

We returned to Sugar Beach instead. The day ended with rain, dessert and drinks at Hotel Chocolat, raw cocoa tasting, and the admission: “I had to chase it with chocolate.” In the morning I finished the book Forever Witness before returning to Sugar Beach for a vanilla latte and calm waves.

A “chocolate thunder” rum appeared—courtesy of the house—and I started a new book, Chernobyl. Snacks included soursop fruit and a banana drink, followed by a rainy ocean swim. Dinner at Ponty’s Pizza came with a Piton beer and the comforting sense that this trip had fully found its rhythm.

The day opened at another black sand beach, followed by what can only be described as a “theater performance” of daily life.

A soak at a Piton waterfall came next. We hiked in and enjoyed the warm water with light showers around us.

Then came time for more chocolate—this time a 70% mocha latte at Project Chocolat. Lunch from the market included wings, fish, mac and cheese, and plantain chips, eaten just before a full tropical rainstorm rolled in.

Cookies were plentiful (“there’s two cookies in one order because… paradise”), cocktails involved cocoa gin and tonic. The evening brought us back to Sugar Beach. We had fish sightings, a snake, and free drinks from Blaze (our friend in the flag boat), and sunset. The night ended on the porch, with crackers, an apple, gin, and a Piton beer.

Rain showers lingered into the final morning. I grabbed an iced latte and pain au chocolat from Boompa’s, watched some crab drama unfold, and let the island gently close the chapter—humid, unpredictable, and deeply grounding to the very end.

Saint Lucia was such a restful trip. I am so thankful we drove around and explored the island on our own time and didn’t stay at an all inclusive resort. I’d recommend the pivot to anyone visiting.