When you think of holidaying in the Caribbean, what springs to mind? Palm trees swaying in a gentle breeze? Waves lapping at a golden beach? Rum punch on a sun lounger? Saint Lucia delivers on all the above and more. A hotspot for honeymoons, hiking, snorkelling, and sailing, thanks to its diverse landscapes and mild turquoise waters, a warm welcome awaits.
ALL INCLUSIVE
Where to stay? It must be Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa. After a direct flight from London Gatwick, it’s a pleasant surprise to find that the hotel is less than a five-minute drive from Hewanorra International Airport. Yes, you can see planes taking off every so often, but it’s not disturbing in the least, and makes for the swiftest airport-hotel transfer on record! As we climb out of the hotel car, we are welcomed with fresh coconuts and ice-cold flannels, and the team cry, ‘welcome home’. This feeling becomes more and more apparent as our stay progresses, as the hotel really is a home away from home.
The resort has just celebrated its 20th Anniversary, and the fact that so many of the staff have worked here since the opening is testament to the family feel it reflects so well. Independently owned, it is situated on a mile-long ocean front setting along Saint Lucia’s exotic south coast. The resort’s 250 air-conditioned rooms are shared between Harmony, an adults-only oasis, and family-friendly ‘Splash’ wings. There are eight restaurants and seven bars serving premium brand spirits, five pools, including two for adults only at Harmony, an oceanfront spa, the island’s largest waterpark, a supervised ‘Kidz Klub’ and if you have the energy after all of this, nightly entertainment too.
As part of a two-year renovation project, rooms in the resort’s adults-only Harmony Wing have been fully refurbished. The new design is a fresh take on beachfront living, with a clean and comfortable aesthetic implemented throughout. With comfy king-size beds, large dressing room/bathrooms and terraces, there is room to swing the largest of cats. In the Splash half of the resort, rooms are being updated to include baths, to help with children’s bedtime routines. No detail is overlooked here, and with adjoining rooms, different family sizes can be easily accommodated for.
FOODIE HEAVEN
Coconut Bay’s premium all-inclusive amenities equal eight restaurants offering unlimited à la carte and buffet dining at in-door, outdoor and stunning oceanside locations. Diverse menus deliver something for every palate with casual and signature dining options combining a bounty of resources. Breakfast and lunch are served in Coconut Walk, think more a marketplace than a buffet, with food stations offering every type of food you could wish for. Freshly made smoothies and pancakes for breakfast, and a huge array of salads, fish, pasta and pizzas for lunch. The Jerk Treehouse offers incredible local dishes too and sitting in an actual treehouse eating jerk chicken and pork with plantain is such a joyful way to have lunch.
For dinner there are several à la carte options. We eat in Silk, with dishes inspired by Thai, Indian, Japanese and Chinese cuisines and infused with delicious, local Saint Lucian ingredients, it’s the ultimate fusion cooking. Teriyaki, Thai basil, and sweet chili are fused with papaya, coconut milk, and lime in mouthwatering wok-seared beef, crispy wontons, and red curry, while the freshest Caribbean fish brighten plates of sushi and sashimi. There are kids’ versions too, so the whole family can eat out without drama.
What really makes it stand out is that multiple dietary preferences including vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free and shellfish or nut allergies are provided for. There is even an online check-in form that includes questions about dietary requirements so that details can be provided for staff prior to your arrival, which is reassuring for anyone with an allergy. As well as there being multiple options in most of the restaurants, there is also a new à la carte vegetarian and vegan restaurant, Seasons Veggie Bistro, with over 95% of the menu coming from locally sourced produce.
POOL-SIDE AND KIDS
With five pools and the island’s only hotel waterpark, if you’re a water baby you’ll love it here. We check out the lazy river, slowly drifting around in a rubber ring (the getting in and out of said ring causes much hilarity). There is even a swim-up pool bar with separate adult and kids’ sides (offering mocktails), and even weekly foam parties.
The Kids’ Club is free, which is very unusual in most resorts, where charges can rack up. For children from babies upwards, parents are given a local phone, so they can easily be contacted, which means they can enjoy the hotel’s facilities knowing their precious offspring are being cared for by a team trained in first aid and special needs. For older kids and teens there are movie nights, silent headphone parties, hayrides and much more.
THE SANCTUARY SPA
Coconut Bay’s ocean-front Sanctuary Spa has recently undergone a complete renovation, including a transformation of its treatment rooms and steam rooms, along with a new outdoor relaxation deck and new oceanfront spa cabanas. Complementing the new-look wellness destination, the resort has launched a new menu of treatments, inspiring a personal journey towards replenishment, invigoration and relaxation. The line up of organic therapies includes a Chocolate ‘Cocoa Tea’ Sugar Scrub using Saint Lucian chocolate, and an Aloe Vera Wrap incorporating Coconut Bay’s own just-harvested aloe vera. We have a massage in one of the oceanfront cabanas with the soundtrack of the ocean waves and the word blissful seems an understatement.
FEELING ACTIVE?
Of course, you may not want to just sit back and indulge in the all-inclusive cocktails, although who would blame you if you did? There is so much to do if you’re feeling active. Sports and fitness offerings include a kitesurfing and wing foiling centre, also offering snorkelling, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding, as well as tennis, basketball and pickleball courts, paintball, a fitness centre and daily activities including yoga and Pilates classes and turtle watching, when in season.
The resort will also help organise excursions. As a girl I loved horse-riding, and always dreamt of riding a horse on beach, and this dream came true in Saint Lucia. A five-minute drive from the resort, Atlantic Shores Riding Stables offers 90-minute group hacks up to Long Bay Beach, and we equip ourselves with hard hats and set out to meet our steeds. My Palomino beauty is called General, and we set out on an incredible hack into the countryside and along the cliffs, watching the waves crashing against the shore. The horses are sure-footed and (mostly) well-behaved, although it transpires that General doesn’t like the ocean, so we don’t get a chance to stay on the beach for as long as I’d like!
It’s worth a land and sea excursion too, heading to the other side of the island and the Caribbean Sea. Setting off on the smooth waters in a catamaran, we can’t wait to get in the water with our snorkelling gear. On the way to our first stop, we see some spectacular scenery, including The Pitons, famous dramatic volcanic spires standing proud. Designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, the area encompasses rainforests, hot springs and coral reefs, and is worth a visit, even if you’re not quite up to walking up one of the spires!
For our first snorkelling stop, situated next to Jalousie Beach, we get kitted up in our gear and navigate the seaweed to spot our first brightly coloured fish. It’s fun, but we are ready for a rum punch, and we tuck into that as we set off to our next stop. It’s such fun swimming out from the catamaran in the warm Caribbean waters, it could be the rum, but the day does feel like it’s going very well, and it’s not even lunchtime yet. Once the boat returns to shore, we head up into the hills for a lovely local lunch and local beer, aptly named Piton. Then it’s time for the world’s only ‘drive in volcano’.
Although it sounds more like something you might find in Jurassic Park, it’s much less daunting, and we park up and stroll down to the sulphur baths. If you don’t know your travelling companions well before this trip, you certainly will by the end of the visit! We dip into the hot, bubbling pools and then cover ourselves, and each other, with sulphur and mud. Incredibly good for the skin, legend has it that it can knock ten years off you, so I’m tempted to move in.
There are lots of other excursions you can book, such as checking out Hotel Chocolat’s base just up the road, or for the more adventurous, check out the ATV tours.
WEDDINGS
Known as one of the island’s standout wedding destinations, Coconut Bay has a breathtaking infinity edge backdrop, the first of its kind on the island, setting the scene for truly unique, unforgettable, and definitely Instagrammable ceremonies. There is also a beautiful pavilion available, so there are options, and with only one wedding held a day, it will be very special and there’s no likelihood of bumping into another bride in the lobby! From a simple two people ceremony to a full-on three-day event with rehearsal dinner, bonfires and catamarans, it couldn’t be more bespoke.
SERENITY 5* LUXURY
For the ultimate honeymoon, or just a lovely holiday, Serenity, the 5* arm of the resort, consists of 36 luxury suites for couples only, complete with butlers, private plunge pools and personalised itineraries. It’s an oasis of calm, with an award-winning pool deck and stunning restaurant. There is a reason that this always rates so highly on Tripadvisor as it’s a dream setting.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
The resort raises money for local causes and has contributed an astonishing $3 million towards local scholarships and initiatives. Not only donating money, but helping out the community, on our stay we spot a group of school children who are allowed to train in one of the pools, saving them hours of travel to the only available public swimming pool on the other side of the island. This only further adds to the warm, family friendly vibe at the resort.
Not only that, but finally, and possibly most importantly, a big shout out has to go to the resort’s petting zoo and rescue centre. It takes in stray cats and dogs and will help sort out the adoption paperwork so guests can literally take a beating heart of Saint Lucia home with them! I have to make a conscious decision not to visit as otherwise I’d have a fuller home than I can manage by now.
ROOM RATES:
British Airways Holidays offers a seven-night stay at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa for £1,380 per person, departing 17th May 2025 (based on two adults and one child under 12), inclusive of a Splash Deluxe Garden View Room and return flights from London Gatwick.
Book with British Airways: britishairways.com
Email: [email protected]
UK & Europe Reservations: +44 1582 792260
