St. Lucia · Caribbean
St. Lucia is the Caribbean island that looks too dramatic to be real. The twin Pitons — Gros Piton and Petit Piton — rise straight out of the sea like something from a fantasy novel, and they dominate every view on the island's southwest coast. Between them lies Sugar Beach, one of the most photographed beaches in the world. The island packs an absurd amount into its small size: drive-in volcanic hot springs at Sulphur Springs, zip-lining through rainforest canopy, snorkeling in marine reserves, and cocoa plantation tours. It's the most romantic island in the Caribbean and it knows it.
St. Lucia's beaches are textile under Catholic-majority culture. Sandals Halcyon Beach has a private au naturel section; Saint Martin's Orient Bay is the public-beach alternative.
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St. Lucia's volcanic coastline produces some of the Caribbean's most dramatic beach settings. From Sugar Beach between the Pitons to the world-class snorkeling at Anse Chastanet, here's where to go.
Read more about thisThe Caribbean's most secluded beaches are the ones no road reaches: Colombier, Happy Bay, Jack Bay, Batibou, Playa Fronton, Playa Tortuga and Barbuda's 17-Mile Beach.
Read more about thisSolo travel in the Caribbean works best on Puerto Rico, Barbados, Curacao, Aruba, the USVI and Cayman — walkable, bus-linked, Level 1 advisories. The real cost is the single supplement.
Read more about thisTropical golden hour runs 30-45 minutes, not an hour. Shoot Eagle Beach, Grote Knip, The Baths, Pink Sands and Trunk Bay at dawn — and check drone rules island by island.
Read more about thisThe Caribbean's best beach hikes: Dominica's 115-mile Waitukubuli Trail, St. John's Reef Bay and Ram Head, Martinique's Trace des Caps and Middle Caicos' Crossing Place Trail.
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