This post is sponsored by Sugar Beach.
Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort in St. Lucia is an exquisite Caribbean destination and a must for any traveler.
In a land where honking your horn is a friendly gesture instead of a negative one, and where there’s green leafy-foilage almost as far as the eye can see followed by the ocean, ringed with turquoise waters that one dreams of, one of the finest resorts can be found nestled between one of St. Lucia’s most iconic landmarks.
Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort offers its visitors various types of villas nestled in the rainforest jungle that gives way to sugary-white sandy beaches framed by the Petit and Gros Piton, met by crystal-clear turquoise waters. When I imagine paradise, a vision of Sugar Beach in St. Lucia comes to mind.
Upon arriving at Sugar Beach, we’re taken directly to our room where we are met by our butler, Ethan, and welcome drinks that are concocted of local fruit juice (they were very delicious). He shows us to our room that’s beyond anything that I imagined. After a detailed tour of the villa that reflects the crisp, clean-white taste of the original owner of the property, Lord Glenconner, who was known to only dress in white from head to toe. Nearly all of the villas are white, and are adorned internally with white walls and furniture, and finished with teak wood floors. There’s also eclectic art to be found throughout the room, as well as the entire property. Ethan asks where he could make us reservations for the evening after we gently decline unpacking services. My husband and I decided that we would like to spend our first night dining on sushi at the Cane Bar.
The Cane Bar shares a modern vibe with big-back cushioned chairs and high-top tables offered for dining. We order a couple of appetizers, as well as some main dishes to share from the menu. In complete honesty, the restaurant boasts some of the best sushi I have ever had.
The next day we decide that we want to spend our time on the beach relaxing and enjoying the waves of the ocean. A very friendly and attentive waitstaff is available if you wish to order something to eat or drink. A local beer called, Piton Lager Beer, is offered resort-wide and is a drink that’s chosen by many during their stay at Sugar Beach. Lunch is offered on the sand or at the Bayside Restaurant. We decided that we would like to have lunch under our palapas, and order from the menu that offers light bites and something heartier, like a hamburger. Everything is fresh and local – ranging from fish and meat to fruit and vegetables. Local fruit juices and a complimentary snack – ranging from frozen jelly to jelly-filled donuts – are offered on the beach daily, as well as lavender-scented towels (a very popular item amongst visitors).
The resort offers many excursions on and off the property. One activity that we love to partake in is snorkeling, and of course lounging in the yellow rafts that are provided by the resort for its guests’ pleasure to soak up the sun while floating in the ocean. Another one is spending time in the pool with a 360° view, a literal feast for your eyes between the Gros and Petit Piton, the ocean or the greenery lining the property.
Another activity that we embarked on was the Tet Paul Nature Trail. We heard that the Gros Piton’s a difficult hike, and the Petit Piton is even more difficult and only manageable to rock climbers. The nature trail was rewarding for us, however, with the spectacular views and indigenous flowers. One thing that the tour guides points out to us along the way to the top are the fruits and vegetables peppering the trail, grown and tended to by the guides when they’re not giving tours.
Each Friday night, the beach comes to life for a BBQ party at the Bayside Restaurant. Guests are invited to dine on local cuisine, harvested and prepared especially for the BBQ. Sushi rollers can be seen at their station, preparing rolls for guests. There’s a ceviche station that offers a customizable dish, a salad bar, fish and meat grilling stations tended to by chefs that are waiting to grill the meat right in front of you, as well as side dishes that range from grilled vegetables to deep-fried plantains. Plus, one of the most important stations is the dessert table, a rum sampling table and a station where bananas fosters are flambéd right in front of you. Music fills the air as popular songs with a Caribbean twist are played by the house band.
Sugar Beach offers many different dining options including the Terrace for breakfast, Cane Bar, the Bayside Restaurant, the Great Room, in-room dining, as well as the Bayside Bar and cocktails outside the Great Room.
The Terrace offers breakfast items ranging from local favorites to fresh juices and eggs prepared to your liking. There’s also the option for the continental breakfast offering pastries, cold cut meats, cereal, fresh fruit and more.
The Great Room is an upscale Caribbean, fine dining experience – offering a wide-range of food options. These are executed with upmost detail and a must-do for any visitor staying at Sugar Beach.
The Bayside Restaurant’s great for casual dining, influenced with St. Lucian flair and still very appetizing menu options.
My husband and I spent the rest of our visit exploring the property, enjoying the ocean and soaking up the sun. One morning after breakfast, we decided to explore the Rainforest Walk. The man made walkway transports you through the jungle that instantly makes me feel like I’m at a completely different location. Taking this walk makes me not feel so guilty about what I ate for breakfast because the humidity instantly makes me break into a sweat. We also checked out the remains of the old sugar mill that’s on the property – an inspiration for the resort’s name. Sugar Beach also offers complimentary water activities – we wanted to go paddle boarding but never made it out; however, we did take a canoe out one afternoon which was fun to see the beach from a different view.
Sugar Beach is a place where ‘Tuk Tuks’ whisk you away to where ever you want to go on the resort, and winding roads leave you unsure of where you are. It’s a place where the stars are brighter at night because of the island, as much as it is developed, is still a place safe from modernism. A place that farming is literally done by hand, but the fruits of the labor are that much more pleasurable. Sugar Beach is a place where you can forget the stresses of your everyday life and are able to relax, both mind and body.
The island’s one of the last splendors and the locals are some of the friendliest people that I’ve ever met – wanting to share their island with you and its history. Just like our butlers, Ethan, Kelan and Keitha – always there to help – and the man that looks after one of the island churches, he just wants to impart his knowledge so that we might have a better understanding of this majestic island.
When it comes to describing the island and resort, one of our butler’s, Kelan, said it best, there’s something about St. Lucia and Sugar Beach that’s indescribable and simply magical.
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