For the fifth consecutive year, travel professionals the world over voted Saint Lucia the “World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination.” After receiving the top Caribbean accolade in this category at the World Travel Awards Americas ceremony in Jamaica in October 2010, Saint Lucia earned even greater global recognition at the 17th World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony in London. Additionally, Saint Lucia was awarded “Best Caribbean Island in 2010” by Porthole Magazine.
Earlier in 2010, Saint Lucia also received top honors from TripAdvisor, placing the Caribbean island among its 10 best destinations. Saint Lucia was ranked #7 in the Top Ten Islands in the Caribbean in the 2010 Conde Nast Traveler magazine. And if that was not enough, Jade Mountain was ranked #2 top resort in the list of Top 30 Resorts in the Caribbean, while Anse Chastanet was named #7 and Jalousie was ranked #20. Ladera was ranked #5 in the Top Ten Hotels in the Caribbean/Atlantic.
And it doesn’t end there; many Saint Lucian resorts were recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine throughout 2010, including Jade Mountain which ranked as the #1 top resort for best service in the June 2010 issue and #11 in the August “World’s Best Hotels.” In the January 2011 issues, Jade Mountain was ranked #11 in the World’s Top 25 Hotels list. Also in that issue, the T+L 500 features Anse Chastanet, Jade Mountain, Ladera, and Sandals La Toc Golf among the best in the Caribbean region.
Saint Lucia offers a diverse range of accommodation to suit individual tastes and budgets. From all-inclusive resorts, luxury villas with only three walls and conventional hotels to charming intimate inns, boutique properties and simple guesthouses.
The Island’s cuisine is influenced by its French and English history. Saint Lucia offers one of the most exciting dining scenes in the
Caribbean. All of Saint Lucia’s restaurants use the island’s locally grown produce and spices and serve fresh fish caught off its shores.
The island boasts a natural deep water Harbour which can accommodate ships up to 37 feet in draft, 1200 feet long and not exceeding 150,000-165,000 tons. Port Castries is home to a modern, fully equipped berthing facility which can accommodate up to five (5) cruise ships on any given day. Cruise ships are able to berth at La Place Carenage or Pointe Seraphine Duty Free Shopping Complex, the island’s largest duty free facility. Cruise ships can also dock at Marigot Bay, Soufrière, and Rodney Bay.
The IGY Rodney Bay Marina and Marigot Bay Marina offer world class yachting facilities on the island. The well-appointed marinas with mega yacht berthing capabilities provide safe and convenient Harbours with easy access to a range of amenities dockside.
Throughout the year, St. Lucia hosts many events which hold attraction to virtually everyone. For 2011, the St. Lucia Jazz festival rolls in the first week of May. In mid-July, it is the St. Lucia Carnival—a celebration not too far removed from the Carnivals in Rio or New Orleans. An international billfishing tournament is held in October with their Festival of Lights wrapping up the year and welcoming the holidays in December.
For more information, contact the St. Lucia Tourist Board–800 Second Avenue, Suite 910–New York, NY 10017–Phone: (212) 867-2950–Fax: (212) 867-2795–stluciatourism@aol.com—www.stlucia.org
