A gem in the Caribbean, St Lucia is a bucket list must-have. With sweeping beaches and dramatic green landscapes, there’s much reason to visit. Founder and Editor Ikponmwosa recently took a few days vacation to explore a little of the island. With a tropical climate, you can expect a little rainfall all year round. The driest months tend to be between December and April, where there’s also a comfortable daily temperature.
GETTING THERE
There are direct flights from Miami, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Chicago for US travelers. From New York, the flight time is only around 5 hours. With the current travel situation, COVID precautions are an important part of our preparation and our journeys. Ikponmwosa took a test pre-departure and, on arrival in St Lucia, was guided through a checkpoint that confirmed the negative test results of travelers. This was done on a flight-by-flight basis, so people only mixed with those they’d already flown alongside.
WHERE TO STAY
St Lucia is known for its wellness resorts, and although there are some larger hotels, there are also lots of smaller boutique hotels. Castries is the capital and has some great hotel options alongside plenty of shops and restaurants.
BEACHES & NATURE
Famous for its grand Pitons, the rocky, green outcrops that form part of the volcanic landscape of St Lucia’s southwestern coast are a sight to see. We recommend taking a trip on the water and seeing them from the water for the best views. A world-class snorkeling and scuba diving location, boat trips that include these experiences are highly recommended.
The beaches of St Lucia are picture-perfect Caribbean sands, backed by tall palm trees. They have glimmering turquoise waters that you can resist. Many of the hotels also run water-sports from the beaches, and you should definitely have a go at the waterskiing, waterboarding, or water tube – be sure to have practical swim attire for this, though!
Speaking of… Dippin’ Daisy’s were Ikponmwosa’s brand of choice for this trip. A female-founded, LA-made, sustainable brand has a huge range of swimwear and coverups to provide for any body shape and size. Complete with cute prints, sporty vibes, or a more romantic look, they were the perfect pieces for this trip.
The restaurant/bar situation really allows for you to dress up as much or as little as you want, and by now, you know that Ikponmwosa is never short of a serious vacation look. Two key looks from the trip include this gorgeous orange dress bought from a beach vendor in Tulum and a black bodysuit that’s actually designed to be lingerie but doubled up perfectly as a sultry island cover-up look.
FOOD & DRINK
Food, drink, and music are the best ways to experience the St Lucian culture. The nightlife (pre-pandemic) is a divine blend of this. Local restaurants serve up delicious traditional dishes such as Accra, a fried salt-cod dish prepared with lots of spices and scotch bonnet chili, or Lambi, which is marinated Conch, and a typical street food dish. Also popular are goat or chicken rotis and mahi mahi tacos.
See more of Ikponmwosa’s trip on Instagram here.
