Cap Maison

The north of the island

Cap Maison sits at Cap Estate, on the northern tip of Saint Lucia. The north is drier than the rainforest south and is where much of the island's tourism infrastructure, restaurants and nightlife can be found. Cap Maison gives you that convenience with a calmer, more secluded setting.

Rooms range from Garden View Rooms and Junior Suites to Spanish Courtyard Suites and Oceanview Suites, some with private pools, and the resort also has private villas. Spa Maison offers treatments using Sothys of Paris products. The resort has its own secluded sandy beach, known locally as Smugglers Cove, with complimentary non-motorised water sports.

What is nearby

Within a short drive is Rodney Bay, the island's lively resort and marina area, with a long beach, restaurants and bars. Pigeon Island National Landmark is close by, with its fort, trails and sea views, and the capital Castries is a drive to the south.

The north is also the starting point for many boat trips. Our sailing and boat trips guide explains what is on offer along the coast.

North or south?

Many travellers split a trip between the north and the southwest. The north is better for beaches, dining and easy access to the marina, while the southwest around Soufrière offers the dramatic landscape of the Pitons. A week divided between the two is a common and rewarding plan, and our trip planning page can help you shape it.

• Choose Cap Maison for a quieter base with Rodney Bay on the doorstep.
• Compare it with Sandals Grand Bay, also in the north but a very different style of stay.
• Allow a transfer from the airport, covered in our getting here guide.

The feel of the place

Cap Maison trades the rainforest drama of the southwest for the open horizons of the north. The resort has dramatic clifftop dining and evening entertainment, including The Cliff at Cap restaurant, and a beach bar and restaurant on its own beach, The Naked Fisherman. It is a quieter experience than staying on the main beach strip.

Many guests choose it for the combination of seclusion and convenience. You can spend the day by a pool or on the cliffs, then be in the restaurants of Rodney Bay within a short drive. That balance suits couples and groups of friends who want a peaceful base with options nearby.

Days out from the north

A good first outing is Pigeon Island, with its fort, trails and views, described in our Pigeon Island guide. A boat day from the marina is another favourite, covered in our sailing guide, and the capital, Castries, is a short drive for the market and the view from Morne Fortune.

For the Pitons and the volcano, plan a full day or, better, a night or two in the southwest. The drive is long, but it is a rewarding part of any visit. Our trip planning page helps you split time between the two coasts.

• The north is generally drier than the southwest, with a bright, open feel.
• Evenings in Rodney Bay can be lively, particularly on Fridays.
• Ask the hotel about taxis and tours, as public transport is limited for visitors.

What is Cap Maison like as a luxury resort in Saint Lucia?

Cap Maison is a Mediterranean-style boutique resort on a bluff at Cap Estate in the north of Saint Lucia, overlooking a small cove, with large suites, many with private pools. Cap Maison has a style that feels slightly different from many Caribbean hotels. Its buildings are inspired by Mediterranean villages, with warm stone, courtyards, terraces and arched doorways, and they sit on a bluff above a small sandy cove with the sea stretching out towards Martinique. On a clear day the neighbouring island appears as a faint blue shape on the horizon, and the horizon at dusk is one of the great pleasures of the north.

Suites are generous, and many have a private pool and a roof terrace, which makes them ideal for guests who like to spend time quietly outdoors. The overall mood is relaxed and polished rather than showy, and it appeals to couples and also to families who want a stay with space and a sense of style.

Walk the grounds at dawn and you may see seabirds working the water and fishermen heading out, a reminder that this is still a working coast. By evening the setting becomes more theatrical, with lanterns, the sound of waves below and a sky that deepens slowly from gold to violet. Read about the wider area in our guide to north Saint Lucia to see how the resort fits into its landscape.

Where can you eat at Cap Maison?

At Cap Maison you can eat at The Cliff at Cap for an elegant dinner, at The Naked Fisherman beach bar and grill for relaxed lunches, or arrange private in-villa dining. Dining is a highlight. The Cliff at Cap is the elegant main restaurant, perched above the water, where the setting and the service combine to make a proper evening out. The Naked Fisherman is the relaxed counterpart, a beach bar and grill down at the cove where lunch can stretch into the afternoon and the sand is at your feet. Together they give the resort a pleasing range, from a dressed up dinner to barefoot grilled fish.

For something more private, in-villa dining with a private chef and butler can be arranged, and the resort keeps a wine cellar to pair with the meal. Our guide to fine dining and champagne describes how to make an evening special, and the page on beach bars and sunsets covers casual places for a drink at the end of the day.

Beyond the resort, the island has a wide spread of restaurants. Our list of where to eat helps you plan a few meals out, and the north has the advantage that many of the best are a short drive away, so an evening in Rodney Bay need not mean a long journey home.

What is there to do near Cap Maison, and who should stay?

Cap Maison suits couples and families wanting a quiet base near Gros Islet, Rodney Bay and Pigeon Island, with boat trips, golf and tennis close by, but not travellers wanting a lively resort strip at the door. The resort works well as a base because so much lies close by. The fishing town of Gros Islet is known for its lively weekly street party, a good introduction to local food and music, and our guide to golf and tennis covers the sports options for guests who like to play. A boat from the marina makes a splendid day, and the catamaran sunset cruises are a romantic way to see the coastline.

Cap Maison is also popular for celebrations, and the page on weddings at Cap Maison explains the options for ceremonies on the cliff or the beach. If you are planning something special, speak to the resort early and ask about photography, flowers and a private dinner, so that the day unfolds smoothly.

Finally, remember that the north is a good partner for the south. Many guests spend several nights here and then travel to the Pitons for the second half of the holiday, a balance that gives you both beaches and mountains in one trip. Pack light layers for the evening breeze and plan the transfers in advance to keep the move smooth.

Understanding the island beyond Cap Maison

Time away from the terrace is well spent when you know a little about where you are. The island's geography sets out how the north relates to the rest of the coast, and districts and towns helps you pick places for day trips.

The names on the map and the food on the table both carry history, which you can follow through French and British rule and culture and traditions. A little of this reading adds depth to a stay that is otherwise about rest.

Making Cap Maison part of your holiday

Cap Maison is one of the leading hotels in the north of St Lucia, close to the restaurants and beaches of the north coast. If you are weighing it against the Soufrière properties, compare it with Sugar Beach, Ladera and Jade Mountain on our luxury resorts in St Lucia page.

It suits a honeymoon in St Lucia as well as a family break, and our Cap Maison wedding page and family friendly resorts guide help with both. To shape the rest of your holiday in St Lucia, read about the best time to visit, flights and transfers and suggested itineraries.

Cap Maison at a glance

Cap Maison is at Cap Estate in the Gros Islet district, at the far north of Saint Lucia, overlooking Smugglers Cove beach. The nearest town is Gros Islet, and Rodney Bay is a short drive away. George F. L. Charles Airport is about 20 minutes away, and Hewanorra International Airport is about 90 minutes to the south. The style is a luxury villa-style hotel on a former sugar plantation, with spacious suites, many with rooftop terraces and pools. It suits couples, wellness-minded guests and travellers who want a quiet base close to the restaurants of the north. A typical stay centres on dinner at The Cliff at Cap and time on the private beach.

What is near Cap Maison?

Start at the bottom of the cliff. Smugglers Cove is the hotel's own beach, with a beach restaurant and bar, The Naked Fisherman, which serves seafood and Creole barbecue boards by the water. A short drive leads to Pigeon Island National Landmark, where a fort, trails and wartime ruins look across to Martinique on a clear day. The Cap Estate Golf and Country Club, an 18-hole course, is a few minutes away, and our golf and tennis guide has the detail. Along the coast at Cariblue Beach, BodyHoliday is a wellness resort with its own restaurants.

Rodney Bay is the centre of the north, with the marina, the long sweep of Reduit Beach and a strip of restaurants and bars. Buzz is known for seafood, steaks and Moroccan-style lamb shanks, Big Chef Steakhouse for thick steaks, Elena's for homemade gelato and Spinnakers for a relaxed beachfront lunch. Jacques Waterfront Dining looks over the marina and is known for Caribbean dishes with a French twist. The best beaches guide describes Reduit and the quieter bays, and beach bars and sunsets suggests where to watch the sun go down. For more panoramic tables, see restaurants with a view.

On Fridays, the street party in Gros Islet is the island's best known night out, with vendors selling grilled meat and fish, bars on the side streets and loud music into the small hours. Our guide to Friday night street parties explains how it works and how to get home. The marina is the departure point for many boat trips, and catamaran sunset cruises give a calm way to see the coast. Cricket fans can see the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground at Beausejour, covered in our cricket culture guide, and for something wetter, water adventures lists what is on offer from the north coast. Wellness is a strong theme in the north. Spa Maison uses Sothys of Paris products, the resort runs yoga, tai chi and meditation, and tennis courts sit beside the property, while our guide to yoga and mindfulness lists classes elsewhere on the island. The capital, Castries, is a drive to the south, with its market and harbour, and the hotel keeps a private yacht for guests who would rather see the coast from the water. Weddings are popular here too, as the Cap Maison weddings page explains, and the hotel can help with flowers, dinners and quiet corners for a celebration.

The location makes a strong base for anyone who wants seclusion without isolation. You can spend the day on a private beach, walk the Pigeon Island trails in the morning, then be in Rodney Bay for dinner within a short drive. The north is also the easiest part of the island to reach from the domestic airport, so it suits shorter stays.

Questions travellers ask