It was an island-hopping tour across seven islands – Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Union Island, Grenada, Barbados, and Martinique. From Cuba we arrived in Martinique by Cuban Airlines and immediately departed to Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia has beautiful (according to the world standard, but average for the Caribbean) beaches. I am kidding, they are great, just let’s say several shades darker than what the Grenadines offer. We found sandy white beaches on the Caribbean Sea coast; the other side of the island on the Atlantic coast is excellent for wind sports, but often muddy and covered with rocks. The photo shows Plantation Beach on the Atlantic coast, a very isolated resort with a horse riding ranch.

In general, it is a very touristic place. The nature and the weather are amazing. In early October it was so hot that we did not dare to stay in the sun during midday; despite all my sun protection I got suntanned immediately, and this was supposedly still the rainy season (it goes without saying that we did not see any rain, though we even hoped for it).

Beyond beaches and sunny weather, in my memory, Saint Lucia is the capital of drugs, dreadlocks and reggae music. Not in a bad way, in a funny way. It was like seeing many Bob Marleys around. It is a peaceful, very relaxed island, but during our evening walks along the partying streets of the town, the smell of weed seemed the most natural scent of the town. Once, when we were walking the streets of Gros Islet town, a local sales guy, as if it was the most common offer on earth, was shouting out loud from a distance, “Weed, cocaine, women, men, we have everything!” So now you know, you can get everything in Saint Lucia, and I am not sure why it is called a saint.

You are not so much into the party scene? No worries, it takes just a blink to escape. We stayed in a wonderful hotel on top of the hill in Gros Islet town. Within a 10-min walk, we were in or out of the entertainment zone, having fun at the huge evening picnic across all the central streets or enjoying the absolute calmness of our heavenly view and the sweetness of Caribbean papayas. All around the island, you would see the slogans “Welcome to paradise!” and in certain moments we did indeed believe ourselves to have dropped into one.

For moving around on the island, there is a form of public transport, or should I say local discos on wheels. They look peaceful in photos, but actually they are shockingly loud inside. Half of the minibus will be dedicated to some massive speakers installed for the passengers’ (or just the driver’s) entertainment. Unless you prefer a peaceful private taxi, enjoy the reggae ride!

Reggae music, originating in Jamaica, is very popular across all the islands. While I knew only Bob Marley songs, here we found a vast playlist, with many new artists being played.

Read about other Caribbean islands we visited:

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
• Grenada,
• Barbados,
• Martinique. Is it worth going to the Caribbean?