Resort at a Glance: Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort

White-sand beaches, bathwater-warm turquoise water, and palm trees are par for the course at Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort, an upscale resort set down on Labrelotte Bay on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. In your one-bedroom villa, you’ll be able to walk outside and into the surf, as well as snorkel, scuba dive, and windsurf.

• Villas on the shore: Walk out the doors of your villa and you’re on the beach in no time, where you can take advantage of free rentals for windsurfing, banana tube rides, and snorkeling.
• Five restaurants are onsite, ranging from the casual Embers on the beach—which serves fresh BBQ—to the romantic Upper Deck restaurant, which serves Angus beef steaks and seafood, all with a stunning view of the bay.
• Multiple pools dot the resort; do some tanning or enjoy a swim in the uncrowded waters.
• The spacious villas have everything you’ll need for an extended stay, including private terraces, air-conditioning, fully equipped kitchens, and separate living, dining, and sleeping spaces.

Saint Lucia: French-Inspired Cuisine and Spectacular Volcanoes

Located in between Martinique and Saint Vincent in the eastern Caribbean, Saint Lucia was coveted by the British and French, who quarreled over the island for more than a century. Although English is now Saint Lucia’s official language, the French seem to have left a more noticeable influence on its arts and cuisine. Along the coast, a string of marinas exhibits a cultural blend through restaurants ranging from fried-fish shacks to upscale French eateries. Grab a table to sample meaty pepperpot stew, spinach-like callaloo soup, or the country’s national dish of green fig—a Caribbean term for small, unripe bananas—and salt fish.

With several beaches, Saint Lucia attracts those looking for snorkeling excursions, dolphin-watching tours, or deep-sea fishing trips in search of blue marlin, barracuda, and mako shark. Crowds descend on the popular Reduit Beach at Rodney Bay, not too far from the 18th-century British forts at Pigeon Island National Park. For a less hectic scene, head south down the coast to Anse Chastanet, a more secluded beach with giant palm trees and undulating green hills.

A vacation in Saint Lucia is not complete without a visit to one of its volcanoes. Considered the country’s unofficial symbol, the Pitons are two vegetation-covered volcanic plugs rising more than 2,000 feet above the western coast. Nearby Saint Lucia Volcano is considered “the world’s only drive-in volcano,” as you can drive your car close to the volcanic crater to see its steaming sulfur springs.

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