Saint Lucia in 10 Days: Marigot Bay and Soufrière

One island, two bays and an open-wall suite facing the Pitons.

10 days2 stops

Original illustration

At a glance

A single-island honeymoon with one easy move: four nights on sheltered Marigot Bay, then five in Soufrière facing the twin Pitons. It suits couples who want views, boat days, rainforest and good dinners more than long beach walks, with the splurge saved for last. Go December through May for dry weather, or June and November for value.

By the Honeymoon Huts editors · How we research

Saint Lucia rewards couples who stay put. This 10-day honeymoon uses a single island and a single hotel change: four nights on Marigot Bay, a sheltered harbor of yachts and palms on the west coast, then five in Soufrière, where the twin Pitons rise straight out of the sea.

Marigot Bay is the gentle start. You paddle through mangroves, dive the west coast reefs and watch the sunset over a forest of masts. Soufrière is the headline: open-wall suites framing the Pitons, volcanic mud baths, rainforest gardens and calm snorkeling reefs, all within a few miles. Saving it for last means the trip ends with its best view.

There are no internal flights, no ferries and only one transfer of about an hour. December through May is dry and sunny but priciest. June and November can be excellent value. Expect steep roads, stairs everywhere and a few nights where you never want to leave your terrace.

The route

Best months: December to May, with June and November for value
Trip length: 10 days
Budget: About $350–900 a night for two at Marigot Bay, $500–2,000 or more in Soufrière (approximate)

Day by day

Days 1–4: Marigot Bay

Most US nonstops land at Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) on the southern tip of the island. The drive north to Marigot Bay takes about 1 to 1.5 hours on a winding road through banana valleys and villages. Many hotels arrange transfers. Helicopter shuttles cut it to minutes if you want a dramatic arrival.

Zoëtry Marigot Bay, on the south side of the bay, is a strong honeymoon base with views over the water. Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort on the north side sits close to the palm spit with its own dive center. Ask for a hillside or bay-view room. The view is the reason to stay here.

Spend day two on a slow paddle through the mangroves and a sunset drink as the light hits the masts. That evening view is the romantic moment of this stop.

On day three, dive or snorkel the west coast reefs, or visit a rum distillery. If it is a Friday, go to the Anse La Raye Fish Friday for grilled seafood with locals. Keep day four for the pool and a long lunch by the water.

Days 5–7: Soufrière and the Pitons

Move south to Soufrière by road, about an hour on steep coastal curves, or by boat along the coast if your hotel can arrange it. This is your splurge. Jade Mountain is a kid-free tower of open-wall sanctuaries with private infinity pools high above Anse Chastanet bay. Its sister resort, Anse Chastanet, sits on the beach below with a superb reef at a gentler price. Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, is the only resort set directly between the two Pitons. Ladera Resort perches on the ridge about 1,000 feet above the sea with kid-free open-wall suites and heated plunge pools.

On day five, simply settle in. Open-wall rooms are made for an afternoon of doing nothing.

On day six, snorkel the Anse Chastanet reef in the morning, then visit Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens. On day seven, take a mud bath at the drive-in volcano. Afterward, learn how chocolate goes from bean to bar at a cocoa estate. Book licensed guides through your hotel.

Days 8–10: Slow Days Under the Pitons

These are the slow days. Swim, read and book a couples' treatment at your resort spa. Fit, early-rising couples can climb Gros Piton with a guide, a steep morning hike with huge views from the top. Everyone else can watch it from the terrace with coffee.

The romantic moment comes at the end of the day. Take a sunset sail beneath the Pitons, when the peaks glow gold and the water turns deep blue. If you only book one excursion on this trip, make it this one.

On day ten, the drive back to Hewanorra takes about an hour, or a helicopter does it in about 10 minutes. Leave buffer time for the winding road.

Getting Around the Island

Fly into Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) near Vieux Fort, which has nonstops from Miami, New York, Atlanta and Charlotte, among others. George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU) near Castries handles mostly regional flights and is only about 30 minutes from Marigot Bay, useful if you connect through another island.

Roads on Saint Lucia are narrow, steep and drive on the left, so most couples skip the rental car. Hotel transfers and taxis are the easy choice. Agree on fares in advance. Helicopter transfers turn the hour-long drives into 10-minute hops with a view of the coast.

For day trips, boats beat cars. Water taxis connect beaches and some resorts around Soufrière. A full-day boat trip from Marigot Bay to the Pitons is easier and prettier than driving.

Where to Stay

Around Marigot Bay, lodging is small in number and mostly upscale. Zoëtry Marigot Bay faces the water from the south side. Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort suits divers. Ti Kaye Resort & Spa, a few miles south above Anse Cochon, has cottages with steps down to a snorkeling beach.

In Soufrière, the four resorts we feature each frame the Pitons differently. Jade Mountain is the top-end splurge with infinity pools in open-wall rooms. Anse Chastanet is more relaxed and active, right on the reef. Sugar Beach puts you in the valley between the peaks with plunge-pool villas and butlers. Ladera sits high on the ridge with heated plunge pools.

Expect hillside properties with stairs or shuttles. If mobility is a concern, ask for beach-level rooms.

When to Go

The dry season, roughly December through May, is peak time. Days are sunny and lower in humidity, with highs in the 80s Fahrenheit. It is also when rates are highest and the best suites sell out months ahead. Christmas, New Year and the weeks around Easter are especially busy.

June through November is the wetter season and overlaps with hurricane season, which typically peaks from August to October. Showers are often short and the rainforest is at its greenest. June and November can be excellent value. Some smaller resorts and restaurants close briefly in September or October for maintenance.

Whatever the month, temperatures stay warm. Hillside resorts benefit from cooling breezes, which make open-wall rooms comfortable at night.

Budget and Booking

Saint Lucia spans a wide price range. As an approximate guide, Marigot Bay rooms run about $350 to $900 a night for two in high season. In Soufrière, Anse Chastanet and smaller hotels come in well below the top resorts, where open-wall suites often start in the low four figures a night in peak season.

Splitting the stay this way is a smart way to afford a few nights in a top suite. Book Soufrière first, since the most coveted rooms at Jade Mountain and Ladera fill far in advance for December through April.

Book the sunset sail, a Gros Piton guide and spa treatments through your hotel. Carry small US bills for tips. Unofficial guides in Soufrière town can be persistent. A polite, firm no works.

Staying Comfortable and Safe

Pack light layers and insect repellent. Open-air rooms are a joy, but you will share them with the breeze and the occasional bug. Mosquitoes can carry dengue on Saint Lucia, so if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices before you book.

Use reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes for rocky snorkel spots. Expect stairs and slopes everywhere, so bring shoes with grip for both of you. The Gros Piton hike is steep and hot, which means an early start, plenty of water and a guide.

The roads are the main hazard. Leave driving to taxis and resort drivers, especially after dark. Book dinner reservations on weekends and in high season. Resort-casual dress works for dinner, with collared shirts and light dresses or slacks.

Make It Shorter or Longer

For a 7-day trip, spend two nights at Marigot Bay and four in Soufrière. Or skip the move entirely and stay six nights in Soufrière, taking a boat day north. Couples on a tighter budget can split Soufrière itself, a few nights at Anse Chastanet and the last two at Jade Mountain.

With 12 to 14 days, add three nights in the north of the island, around Gros Islet and Rodney Bay, for a long beach, restaurants and Pigeon Island. Do the north first, then Marigot Bay, then Soufrière, so you move steadily south toward Hewanorra.

Whatever the length, keep the Pitons for last. Ending with that view from an open-wall suite is the reason most couples choose Saint Lucia in the first place.

FAQ

Planning this trip

Is it worth splitting a Saint Lucia honeymoon between two hotels?

Yes. Marigot Bay and Soufrière feel quite different. The move takes only about an hour. Splitting also makes the budget work. A few nights in a gentler-priced Marigot Bay room lets you afford the top open-wall suites in Soufrière for the final stretch.

Which airport should we fly into for Saint Lucia?

Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), where most US nonstops land. It is about an hour from Soufrière and 1 to 1.5 hours from Marigot Bay by road. George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU) near Castries is closer to Marigot but handles mainly regional flights.

Do we need a car in Saint Lucia?

Most couples skip it. Roads are steep, narrow and winding, with driving on the left. Hotel transfers, taxis and water taxis cover everything on this route. Boat trips are the most enjoyable way to travel between Marigot Bay and the Pitons.

What is an open-wall suite?

It is a room with one wall left open to the view, so you wake up facing the Pitons and the sea. Jade Mountain and Ladera in Soufrière are known for them, many with private plunge or infinity pools. Expect breezes, birdsong and the occasional insect.

Can we climb Gros Piton on our honeymoon?

Yes, with a licensed guide and a reasonable level of fitness. It is a steep climb, best started early to beat the heat. Bring water and shoes with grip. If one of you would rather not, a sunset sail beneath the Pitons shows them off beautifully from the water.

Stops on this route

Saint Lucia

Marigot Bay

Saint Lucia

Soufrière

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