Saint Lucia was one of the first destinations to relaunch tourism when the island reopened its borders at the beginning of June, and it’s open to tourists including those from the United States.
What you’ll find in Saint Lucia are many resorts with widely spaced accommodations ideal for social distancing, and strong safety protocols for hotels, transportation, and attractions.
All travelers to Saint Lucia must submit a pre-arrival travel registration form and proof of having received a negative COVID-19 PCR test within seven days of arrival on-island. Visitors must have reservations at (and confie to) a hotel that has been certified as compliant with Saint Lucia’s COVID-19 safety protocols in order to be admitted into the country. (See more on the island’s policies here). Happily, Saint Lucia’s diverse hotel stock specializes in resorts you’ll never want to leave.
So where can you stay if you’re planning to visit? Here are the resorts that have received COVID-19 certification and are open right now.
Ladera: Three-walled suites 1,000 feet above the beach and with spectacular views of the Piton mountains make a stay at Ladera seem otherworldly — in other words, the perfect place for escape. Just 37 rooms means plenty of elbow room for guests.
Anse Chastanet: This luxury resort has two private beaches, an excellent dining program that includes a vegan restaurant and a sustainable dining on invasive lion fish caught daily on local reefs, and its own eco-park on 600 acres of land with extensive hiking and mountain biking trails.
Jade Mountain: The even-more-upscale sister resort to Anse Chastanet shares the beach resort’s many amenities but offers huge, open-air “sanctuaries” for the ultimate in privacy and social distancing — the view of the Pitons and on-demand butler service can literally keep you perfectly content in your room for days.
Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa: An inflatable water park and luxury spa make this a great choice for families or couples looking for a beachfront St. Lucia getaway.
Sandals Grande St Lucian: When you’re restricted to the hotel you checked into there may be no better place to be than an all-inclusive resort, where nearly everything is included in the price of your stay and the goal is to get you to stick around and enjoy all of the experiences, from multiple dining options to water sports, entertainment, and of course the beauty of a resort located on a private St. Lucian peninsula.
Serenity at Coconut Bay: Couples who stay at this adults-only all-inclusive resort enjoy the privacy of all-suite accommodations with individual pools, 24-hour gourmet dining with butler service, and spa services delivered en-suite or in oceanfront treatment rooms.
Stonefield Villa Resort: Tucked away on 27 lush hillside acres near the village of Soufriere are 17 charming French Colonial style villas with private pools and the farm-to-table Mango Tree restaurant.
Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort: At the base of the Pitons you’ll find this upscale beach resort which gets its name from a former sugar plantation but has sand that’s also sweetly smooth. The spa here is one of the best on the island, as is the well-stocked rum bar. The views of the sheer rise of the Pitons from the main pool area are endlessly distracting.
Tet Rouge Resort: With just six suites, this Pitons-adjacent resort keeps interactions with other guests as minimal as you’d like them to be with sea-view suites kitted out with open-air terraces, hammocks, kitchenettes, and a 40-foot saltwater infinity-edge pool. It’s adults-only, too.
In addition to the by-now common mandates for mask-wearing, social distancing, and cleanliness, Saint Lucia is requiring that all hotel guests receive temperature checks at meal times and prohibits guests from leaving their hotels during the length of their stay, although some water-based activities are permitted if they originate at your resort.
Visitors also will be limited to a single hotel for the length of their stay.
Arriving guests will be transported to and from their hotel via a COVID-19 certified taxi service.
Currently available direct flights to Saint Lucia include:
- JetBlue from JFK New York
- American Airlines from Miami
- Delta from Atlanta
- British Airways from Gatwick, London