After three years of development, St Lucia is launching a groundbreaking initiative for spring 2026 that is dedicated to community-based tourism. The island is inviting luxury travellers to move beyond the ordinary and enjoy privileged access to the island's authentic traditions, transforming the visit into an engaged act of discovery.
As with many of the Caribbean islands, St Lucia is renowned for being scenic, with picturesque beaches among its natural beauty. This exciting new vision places local people telling local stories at the forefront of the travel experience. It's a crucial shift that provides bespoke journeys, leading to genuine, hands-on encounters as enriching as they are rare.
A leading example of St Lucia's commitment to experiential luxury is the opportunity for exclusive encounters. You can secure a privileged kayaking excursion to meet the island's all-female sea moss farmers collective. This immersive journey allows you to assist in harvesting the sea moss, followed by a private session to learn about the wide array of wellness and culinary products created from this sustainable resource. This deep dive into a homegrown industry is seamlessly combined with a private snorkelling experience, bridging culture and nature perfectly.
The initiative unveils a wealth of curated encounters that offer a deeper connection to the island, enriching your holiday through authentic discovery and personal indulgence of your interests.
With over 1,300 different species of wild flowering plants and 150 species of fern in just 620 square kilometres, St Lucia truly is a botanical paradise. Yet, often outshone by the island's palm-fringed shores that make it so popular with beach lovers.
As part of this new approach to island experiences, St Lucia welcomes its visitors to discover the many plants and trees that have been part of traditional St. Lucian medicine for generations by taking a guided hike through the lush rainforest.
The island's natural wellbeing practices take influence from the incredible variety of its landscapes: cover your skin in the therapeutic volcanic mud, take a dip in the hot baths at Sulphur Springs, or plunge into one of the island's refreshing waterfalls.
One of the island's more well-known draws, St Lucia is revered as a world-class dive and snorkelling destination. Offshore reefs are a diver's paradise, showcasing extraordinary biodiversity and vibrant protected marine reserves.
Discerning guests at celebrated resorts such as
Jade Mountain and
Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, benefit from unparalleled access to the island's marine life with reefs just off the resorts' beaches. Many properties boast their own professional, on-site dive schools (often PADI-certified), ensuring not only seamless access to the best sites, but a more connected experience of them.
Each spring, the annual St Lucia Jazz Festival brings world-class performances to the Caribbean stage. Held at the end of April or beginning of May every year, this festival is the perfect opportunity to find yourself swaying to the rhythm of the island. Incredible performances unfold in open-air venues, allowing the music to mingle with the natural beauty of St Lucia's shores and gardens. Bringing the island to life, it remains an exciting event to experience.
Creating space for the people, communities and heritage in your luxury holiday to
St Lucia grants a deeper way to connect to the destination. Doing so with Elegant Resorts elevates your experience: making travel truly rewarding through personalisation and connection, making memories destined to linger long after you return home.