Where to Stay in Saint Lucia

Choosing your side of the island

Saint Lucia is small but its two ends feel very different. The southwest around Soufrière is dramatic and green, with the Pitons, the reefs and the volcano close at hand. The north around Rodney Bay is more developed, with a long beach, a marina, restaurants and nightlife.

Many visitors stay in both. A few nights in each gives you the scenery of the south and the energy of the north, and our trip planning page shows how to split a week.

How to compare

Think about the kind of days you want. If you want to dive, snorkel and walk, choose the southwest. If you want beaches, dining and an easy base, choose the north. For a wedding or honeymoon, see our weddings and honeymoons guide. Check the getting here guide for transfer times, as the journey from the airport differs by resort.

Which resort suits which traveller

For scenery above all, look at the southwest. Ladera gives the most direct view of both peaks, Jade Mountain is the most architecturally dramatic, Sugar Beach puts you in the valley between them, and Anse Chastanet is the choice for diving and a reef on the doorstep.

In the north, Cap Maison offers a clifftop base with the options of Rodney Bay nearby, and Sandals Grand Bay provides an all-inclusive format for couples. Neither is far from Pigeon Island or the marina.

Questions to ask any resort

Rates, room types and policies change, so a short list of questions saves time. Ask about the transfer from the airport and how long it takes, what is included in the price, any minimum stay, children's policies, accessibility, and what the resort can arrange for weddings and special occasions.

Ask, too, about the season. A resort that is lush and quiet in the wetter months can be lively in the drier ones, and some properties close for maintenance at set times of year. Our best time to visit guide sets out the seasons so you know what to expect.

• Book early for December to April.
• Confirm any dive or hiking arrangements before you travel.
• Take out travel insurance that covers your activities and any weather disruption.

Should I stay in the north or the southwest of Saint Lucia?

For hotels in Saint Lucia, choose the southwest for the Pitons, rainforest and reef, or the north around Rodney Bay for long beaches, restaurants and the marina, and split a stay of ten days or more between both. The first thing to understand about hotels in Saint Lucia is that the island offers two distinct moods, and the choice of coast shapes everything that follows. In the southwest, the land rises steeply into forest and the Pitons dominate every outlook. Mornings begin with birdsong and mist on the ridges, the roads twist between small villages, and the days are full of volcanic and botanical interest. It is a landscape holiday, best suited to people who like to look, walk and wonder.

The north is gentler and more open. The land is drier and flatter, the beaches are long and the evenings are sociable. Around the marina you will find restaurants, bars and shops within easy reach, and the sea is calm enough for most of the year. Travellers who want sand, sunsets and a choice of places to eat will feel at home here, and the area around Rodney Bay is the natural centre of it.

Neither coast is better. They answer different questions, and the best way to choose is to decide honestly whether you want to be surrounded by scenery or surrounded by choice. If your ideal day involves a long walk, a quiet lunch and an early night, the southwest will reward you generously. If it involves a swim, a wander along the shore and a table at a lively restaurant, the north is the easier fit. Weather also plays a part, since the south is wetter and greener while the north tends to feel brighter and drier. Plenty of visitors decide they want both and divide their stay between the two, which is perfectly sensible on an island this compact.

How do I split a holiday in Saint Lucia between two resorts?

For St Lucia holidays of ten days or more, spend the first half in the north and the second in the southwest near Soufrière, or the reverse, changing hotels only once to avoid losing days to transfers. A split stay is the most popular answer for anyone with ten days or more, and it works well because the contrast is so strong. A common pattern is to begin in the north, where the first days are spent unwinding after the flight, and then to travel south for the dramatic part of the holiday. Others do the reverse, arriving at the airport near Vieux Fort and heading straight for the Pitons while the journey is still fresh, finishing the trip on a beach with nothing to organise.

The drive between the coasts is part of the experience rather than a chore, with banana plantations, fishing villages and the west coast road giving a fuller picture of the island than any single resort can. Our guide to the west coast describes what you pass on the way, and the page on getting around explains the choices between private transfers, taxis and hire cars.

If you are unsure how to divide your time, the guide to how many days to spend on the island sets out realistic patterns, so that you do not spend half the holiday in a car. A useful rule is to avoid moving hotels more than once on a trip of a week or so, because each change costs a morning of packing, travelling and settling in. A longer stay in each place also lets you learn its rhythms, find a favourite table at dinner and get to know the staff, and that familiarity is a large part of what makes a resort holiday feel restful rather than rushed.

Which hotel in Saint Lucia suits a honeymoon, a family or a private villa stay?

Honeymooners usually choose the boutique luxury resorts in Saint Lucia's southwest, families look for gentle water and space, and groups wanting seclusion choose private villas, so match the hotel to the occasion before comparing rooms. The right hotel often depends less on the island than on the reason for the trip. Couples marking an anniversary or a honeymoon tend to look first at the boutique stays of the southwest, where privacy and a sense of occasion are built into the design. Our page of honeymoon inspiration shows how couples shape the days around those settings, and the weddings and honeymoons guide covers ceremonies and the practical steps.

Families need a different set of qualities, such as gentle water, space to spread out and food that suits children. The guide to family friendly resorts looks at what to ask for. Travellers who want complete seclusion, with a house of their own and staff to run it, should read about private villas and VIP stays.

Whatever the occasion, tell the resort early. Staff are usually happy to arrange flowers, a table in the right place or a quiet corner for a celebration, but they can only do it if they know. It also helps to be clear about what you do not want. Some couples love a surprise cake and a song at dinner, while others would rather be left entirely alone, and a short note when you book avoids awkwardness. The same goes for dietary needs, mobility, and the kind of room you prefer. A resort that understands your wishes before you arrive can usually meet them quietly, and that is the difference between a pleasant stay and one you describe to friends for years afterwards.

Choosing a base with the whole island in mind

Where you sleep shapes the trip, so it helps to understand the island before you choose. Our guide to the island's geography explains how the coast, hills and valleys fit together, while the districts and towns show what each area feels like day to day.

Weather and travel time matter too. Read about climate and hurricane season before fixing dates, and see roads, ports and airports to judge how far a transfer will really feel. Then return to the resort pages with a clearer picture of what suits you.

From hotel shortlist to holiday plan

Once you have a shortlist of hotels in St Lucia, look closely at the Jade Mountain, Sugar Beach, Anse Chastanet, Ladera, Cap Maison and Sandals Grande pages. Together they cover the luxury resorts, boutique hideaways and all-inclusive stays most visitors search for.

Then turn the shortlist into a holiday in St Lucia: check the best time to visit, flights and transfers, itineraries and honeymoon ideas. Families should read family friendly resorts, and anyone marrying here will want the weddings and honeymoons guide.

Questions travellers ask