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Pristine beaches, a lush 19,000-acre tropical rainforest and some of the best all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean are just a few of the reasons St. Lucia has become a popular choice among honeymooners. Many of the resorts on the island also offer Weddingmoon packages where you can combine your wedding and honeymoon in one. Located southeast of Florida, between Martinique and St. Vincent, St. Lucia is one of the larger of the British Windward Islands. In addition to offering an exotic locale for a honeymoon, St. Lucia also offers an abundance of watersports from snorkeling to parasailing.

Weather:
The weather in St. Lucia, like most of the Caribbean, ranges from the mid-70s to 80s with higher temperatures in the summer. Rainy season runs from Sept. - Nov.

Beaches: There are many beautiful beaches on St. Lucia. If you plan to stay at a beachfront all-inclusive resort you may choose to just stay on the beach at the resort. If, however, you opt for a day trip, Pigeon Island National Park is a small 40-acre island with two beautiful beaches just off the north shore connected to the mainland by a causeway.
Another interesting beach is La Toc at Soufrière which features black volcanic sand. Overall, beaches on the western coast are said to be preferable for swimming; surf on the windward side of the island can make swimming dangerous at times.

Diving & Snorkeling:

While not as popular as The Cayman Islands for diving, there are many scenic spots around St. Lucia for diving and snorkeling, particularly around Soufrière. If you're staying at one of the luxurious all-inclusive resorts, scuba-diving and snorkeling are often included in your package. If you choose to stay elsewhere on the island and plan your own meals and day-trips, you may want to look into some of the larger schooners which offer day-long trips with steel bands, a swim stop, rum punch and soda.

Hiking:
Two spots of particular interest for hikers are St. Lucia's National Rainforest and Mamiku Gardens. St. Lucia's 19,000-acre tropical rainforest is home to exotic wildlife and plants; guided tours are available as well as a seven-mile nature walk. Mamiku Gardens, which overlooks the Frigate Islands along the eastern coast, offers 12 acres of tropical gardens along with the archeological ruins of a 17th-century plantation.

Sightseeing:
If you're looking for other things to do besides the beach and the numerous water sports available, there are quite a few options.

St. Lucia is home to a wide variety of rare and unusual tropical birds. Two national parks offer sightseers a rare view of these birds. The Frigate Islands, offshore along the eastern coast, and the Maria Islands, off the island's southern tip near Vieux Fort, offer guided tours. However, you can view many of these birds without a guide from a nature trail on the mainland near the Frigate Islands.

Another scenic point of interest is Marigot Bay. This remote, secluded lagoon has also been popular with movie crews. In fact, many scenes from "Dr. Doolittle" were filmed there.

Perhaps one of the most popular attractions in St. Lucia is the "drive-in" volcano in Soufrière. While there, be sure to take a walk around the scenic fishing port in Soufrière which is home to "Les Pitons" - twin volcanic peaks (Petit Piton and Gros Piton) which rise out of the sea. These two volcanic peaks are so striking they have become a symbol of St. Lucia.

Banana Plantation Tours are also big on the island since bananas are one of the island's leading exports. One of the largest plantations offering tours is The Marquis Plantation.

Other Sports:

Besides diving and snorkeling, you can enjoy deep sea fishing, golf, parasailing, windsurfing, waterskiing, tennis and mountain biking. Many of the all-inclusive resorts also have hobie cats, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats available as part of their packages. If you plan to look into an all-inclusive package be sure to ask what is included. Some of the recent newlyweds from our Wedding Spotlights have highly recommended the all-inclusive packages and said that everything really was included other than a few side trips.

Dining:
For dining you'll find that all your meals are included if you stay at an all-inclusive resort. Around the island there are quite a few restaurants where you can sample creole-style cooking as well as traditional American dishes and Italian fare. Capone's in Rodney Bay has been written up by quite a few of the travel guides for its 1930s speakeasy Art Deco atmosphere. The Lime features dining and some live entertainment as well. For more info visit this restaurant guide put together by the St. Lucia Tourist Board or try this well-presented site www.stluciatravelnet.com/dining.html

Nightlife:
From our search on the internet and a review of the guide books, nightlife outside of the resorts seems to be a bit scarce. After all, there's really nothing like putting your feet up, sipping on a tropical beverage while listening to a little calypso or reggae. You'll most likely find this at one of the larger all-inclusive resorts that offer nightly entertainment. Sandals Halcyon St. Lucia, for example, has nightly entertainment and karaoke, a piano bar and a discotheque/nightclub. One restaurant that often has entertainment is The Lime in Rodney Bay. Liming, by the way, is the islanders term for "hanging out."

Shopping:
According to many of the travel books, the capital city of Castries is where you'll find most of the shopping and some duty-free items in select stores. To get a real taste of island life, visit Castries on Saturday morning - on Jeremy St., a market is held offering fresh fruits, vegetables and handcrafts.

Special Events:
The St. Lucia Jazz Festival, held in May, is one of the biggest events all year and features many top-name jazz musicians. For 2001 the festival is scheduled for May 4th-13th.
Carnival, usually held in July (also off-season for the Caribbean) would be another great time to visit St. Lucia. Calypso music, dancing in the street and many other activities lead up to the climax of Carnival. For additional information on special events in St. Lucia visit www.stlucia.org/events.htm.

Recipes:
An interesting selection of authentic island recipes, including one for Caribbean Pumpkin Soup, can be found on the Caribbean Island Imports web site in their recipes section.

Currency /Language:
The official currency of St. Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar. The exchange rate is roughly $2.7 EC Dollars to $1 US Dollar. According to the travel books, most hotels, restaurants and shops do accept American currency. The official language of the island is English, however you will also hear French, and creole dialects of French, throughout the island.

Where to Stay:
Without a doubt, the most popular places to stay on the island are the larger all-inclusive resorts that cater to honeymooners. Sandals, Club St. Lucia by Splash and Wyndham Morgan Bay Resort are just a few of the many choices. If you prefer something a little different and perhaps less expensive, Frommer's, Caribbean from $60 a Day has many great suggestions on where to stay. You still may want to consult with a travel agent for the best airfares. One of the other differences in choosing an all-inclusive resort is that you can see what the rooms look like beforehand via web sites or brochure. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience such as a honeymoon, a nice room is important to say the least.

What to Pack:
Rather than include a complete list of items to pack, we're highlighting just a few of the necessities for a trip to the Caribbean. Sunscreen and a cool, long-sleeve white shirt in case of sunburn or to cover up to prevent sunburn. Insect repellant, hiking shoes, bathing suits, lingerie, sweater and/or windbreaker for evening, snorkeling equipment, wet suits, fins (or you can rent these on the island), jacket and tie for fine dining, and still more sunscreen.

When to Go:
It pretty much depends on when you're planning your honeymoon. Throughout the Caribbean you'll usually find better, off-peak rates during the summertime June-Aug. Rainy season runs Sept. - Nov.

Sources:
Sources used in researching this article include numerous internet sites from our Links Section, books including Fodor's Caribbean & Frommer's Caribbean From $60 A Day.