Soufriere, ST. Lucia

So–my trip to St. Lucia started off a little rocky. Our flight was delayed and we ended up stuck in Miami for two days, yes, TWO DAYS!! It was not terrible simply because we were in Miami, however, it was a terrible start to what was supposed to be a four day vacation. Needless to say, we are no longer American Airline customers.

When we finally arrived to St. Lucia, we were truly amazed at how beautiful the island was. The Pitons (mountains) were gorgeous and just blew us away. We decided to stay at Ladera Resort in Soufriere, St Lucia. This hotel is amazing because all rooms conform to a 3-walled concept. This means the entire room is essentially outside. We opted to stay in an enclosed unit with a fourth wall. I’m not a fan of wildlife, but still wanted the experience.

We learned that the hotel itself actually sits in an inactive volcano. Most people would be concerned of eruption, but the St. Lucians assured us not to be worried. There are geologist that come to the island every few moths to monitor the islands’ volcanoes.

There is still gas that emerges from the volcano. Surprisingly, the gas smelled awful–worse than rotten eggs.
We spent most of our time at the hotel by our private pool relaxing. We took so many naps, but they were much needed. Each night, we were served dinner at the hotels restaurant, Dasheene. We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this restaurant. Each meal was excellent. I really wanted a chance to mingle with the locals and try some authentic St. Lucian food, but we just ran out of time.

We were able to get out and take a tour of the island. This was great because it gave us a chance to really dive into the culture and see what the island was all about. If you ever visit St. Lucia, Diamond Falls and the Sulfur Springs are a must do! The Sulfur Springs is a mud bath composed of volcanic ash. This bath is believed to have healing properties for the body. The water was naturally warm, which was an added plus .

If I had the chance, I would return to St. Lucia, but go to the North side where there is a little bit more action. Ladera is a once in a lifetime experience and should be on anyone’s bucket list, however, if you are interested in many activities on a resort, this is not the place. Come prepared to relax–read a book kind of relax. I appreciated the tranquility Ladera offered. It is the peace we all need!

If you decide to stay at Ladera, I would recommend staying in a 3-walled room if you can handle an occasional lizard and a few bugs. All beds are covered in a mosquito net, which prevents most pests. Being that Ladera is at a high elevation, there is a lot of wind. Be sure to choose a suite with a heated pool (something we did not do). The weather is nice, but with the added wind, it would have been nice to have a warm pool.

If you do not plan to deviate much from the resort, it may benefit you to obtain an all inclusive package. I only suggest this if you intend to drink a lot. We ate three times a day and it added up, but the all inclusive plan was a lot more than the amount we actually spent on food a drinks per day, so, to each his own.