Jenna's Magical Adventures

Saint Lucia History

Saint Lucia has a rich and fascinating history. It is commonly called “Helen of the West Indies”. Originally home to the Arawak and then the Caribs, the island was fought over by the French and British 14 times before the British took control for good in 1814. Finally, in 1979, Saint Lucia gained their full independence. Since then, this beautiful country has developed into a vibrant and peaceful nation. You can see influences of British, African, and French cultures while visiting here.

My Adventure to Saint Lucia

I went to Saint Lucia for my honeymoon in November 2023. While I have travelled international before, this was my first time flying internationally. We got to the airport 3 hours early because I was nervous, but our process was pretty much the same as flying domestically. We ending up having to wait about 2 hours before boarding. We flew Jetblue from John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York to Hewanorra International Airport ( UVF) in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. If you are taking a similar route, I highly recommend sitting on the left side of the plane for better views when landing. The airport is very small and we only had one flight before us. We filled out immigration and visitor forms and it only took about 30 to 45 minutes to get through customs and to our resort’s lounge. We took the free shuttle to our resort. I get motion sickness very easily and was worried about how tough this ride might be. I took dramamine and kept eating ginger chews and did not get sick. The roads were definitely very narrow and windy though!

Our Resort

We stayed at Sandal’s Grande St. Lucian for our honeymoon. We stayed in a club level swim up room. Over all, I loved where we stayed. We didn’t really get to check out Sandal’s airport lounge too much, but we did take advantage of their airport shuttle. Although St. Lucia isn’t a very big island, it still can take a long time to travel around. Grande St Lucian is located in Gros Islet which is only about 41 miles from the airport, but it takes about 2 hours to get there. This resort has so much to offer! So many restaurants and pools that it was almost overwhelming. We loved snorkeling at the beach and loved how clear the water was. We also loved having a swim up room because we love to swim! The pools and hot tubs at the resort never close, but it was nice to be able to just walk out of our room and be able to swim.

Experiences

Saint Lucia has some gorgeous beaches! We loved snorkeling at the resort and also got to see other places through an excursion. The water was so blue and clear, but I wouldn’t say it was as light an vibrant as the beaches I went to in the Bahamas. I have read that this could be because St Lucia is a volcano island so the sand is not as white. I have never seen water so clear though! There were many times I was in deep water but felt like I should be able to touch the ground. It was incredible to see all the coral and sea life.

Besides going to different beaches, we also got to see some amazing nature. We drove through a rainforest for the first time which was incredible! We also got to go to the Sulphur Springs, drive in volcano, Diamond Falls, and Pigeon Island National Park. The Pitons are also even more beautiful and incredible in person.

Our Journey Home

At the end of our trip, we took the free airport shuttle and had a different experience. I took dramamine but felt very tired and nauseous. Going through customs took longer because we were both selected to have our carry on and personal item fully checked. In the end, they said it was because of a coaster from the resort for my husband but they weren’t sure why mine was. The aiport had a few cute shops that we were able to pick up more hot sauce and rum. The upstairs was even smaller, but had bathrooms and a few places to eat. There was only one or two flights before us, but there were barely any seats. We got veggie burgers and found seats upstairs, but it was very hot. I am usually someone that is always cold, but I still found it extremely hot inside. When the flights before us left, we were finally able to find seats in a cooler spot. Just like when we arrived, there aren’t any jetways so you will have to board the plane by walking on the tarmac and taking a ramp or steps into the plane.

Overall Experience

I loved the island and thought it was so beautiful, but I would definitely stay at a resort that wasn’t so far from the airport. It added so much time onto our travel day that we couldn’t really do anything else on those day. I have been asked if I would return to Saint Lucia, and my answer would be yes but I would also rather explore more of the Caribbean first. Have you been to St. Lucia? Tell me about your adventure!