Hotel at a Glance: All-Inclusive Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa

On the western side of Saint Lucia, the crescent-shaped Rodney Bay gives way to a smaller cove. Here, tucked between palm trees, stands Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa. This all-inclusive resort spans 45 acres and encompasses four restaurants, five bars, and seven floodlit tennis courts. The tranquil cove in the hotel’s front yard is a great spot for guests to try kayaking, snorkeling, or windsurfing.

• Step into the tropics from the terrace of your deluxe garden room, which features satellite TV, air conditioning, and tea and coffeemakers.
• Splish splash in one of seven pools, two of which are adults only; one kid-friendly pool is equipped with a 100-foot water slide.
• Pamper yourself with outdoor massages at the spa.
• All-inclusive meal plan: Enjoy unlimited meals at four onsite restaurants, where offerings include an international buffet as well as Pan-Asian, Italian, and creole seafood.
• Kid-friendly activities: cooking lessons, pool volleyball, and archery competitions <p>

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.<p>

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