Fair Winds for a Saint Lucia Resort

Fans of The Real Housewives may already know about Saint Lucia’s Windjammer Landing Resort and Residences, a hillside whitewashed resort in the Northwest Castries area, because the Beverly Hills cast took a televised trip to this Caribbean Leading Hotels of the World. Good thing I don’t need to be caught up on the TV drama, as I had the opportunity to review the resort for myself. Much like the wide audience reeled in by reality television, Windjammer Landing is a destination for a broad group of travelers. 

Checking In:  

Most of the 220 rooms and villas of the resort face the seaside and offer up an enticing picture-perfect view. The pool and beach areas call for daily lounging with their popping navy and white striped umbrellas, an eye-catching decor detail courtesy of the recent multi-million dollar renovations. There’s seven culinary options on-site ranging from standard beach shack offerings to tandoori roti and lamb biriyani at Masala, an Indian spot by night that becomes Embers in the day, a restaurant offering dishes inspired by the diaspora that made their way to the island centuries ago.

Multi-generational is the theme here. I literally kept hearing people say things like, “This is my twentieth year here” as they balanced a grandchild on their hip.  “We came for our honeymoon, and we’ve been back every year since.” You’ll also find a lot of Brits escaping winter doldrums and American east coasters, as it’s an easy jaunt with direct flights in season. 

Between spa treatments, pickle ball matches, and long stretches of time staring out at the ocean views from your villa or hilltop room, catch the complimentary shuttle to bop around the 65-acre property seeped in inclines. At the beach, wade into the water to meet the local boatman serving fresh fruit drinks and cocktails from a little boat adorned with global country flags. There are lots of activities on and off property; the best for families include a healing dip in the Soufrière volcano spring-fed mud bath (my pro tip: wear a black swimsuit and don’t wear any jewelry), taking the rainforest aerial tram (a 130-foot-high gondola allows for up-close bird-watching), and attending the Gros Islet Friday night street party — where locals dance the work week away, local businesses open up with street food, and bars beckon with special rum-laced cocktails. 

Checking Out: La Belle Hélène

It’s nothing but privacy at Saint Lucia’s famed mountains and at La Belle Hélène, a ten suite estate nestled between the UNESCO World Heritage Pitons. It’s a getaway if you’ve got Beyoncé-level like money to spend and need the seclusion and security of a VIP. There’s no paparazzi trolling the Pitons, so you can rest easy alongside the property’s pool (the deepest in the Caribbean), or in the built-in backyard grotto. The estate sits atop a hill overlooking the Sourfrière Bay; Gros Piton is to the immediate left, and Petit Piton is to the right. Both so close and otherworldly, it’s like being immersed in a movie background. When you photograph the landscape, don’t be surprised when your friends ask if it’s AI generated. Sometimes the hyper reality makes for surreality. 

The estate comes with a private chef and full butler with staff to take care of your day-to-day needs, plus there’s a basketball court, a secluded and personal jetty, and a Range Rover on hand to whisk you away to any nearby island activities. After a 2023 restoration, the white marble interiors gleam and sparkle almost as much as the ocean, which you can see from the front entrance all the way to the horizon.

Mood Board: Island Resort Wear 

No need to overpack for the beach. Here's a good base (just add a swim suit).

A hand-woven cotton striped tunic dress that is also one size with one button–the ease!

Ulla Johnson’s cover-up that also doubles up as a dress for those beachside dinners.

Hand-woven in Madagascar, a bucket hat that is packable and retains its chic shape. 

European produced (some of the safest kind of skin products, IYKYK) and backed by skincare experts, ISDIN’s ultra light face sunscreen is the real deal against sun rays. 

Trusty, every-faithful Havaianas flip flops designed with a metallic rubber strap color, so you can wear them day to night.

A cool pair of cat eye shades for that mysterious pool or beach lounge look.

Knit henley sweater that’s not too heavy and not too light, a perfect layer for breezy nights. 

MIRTH’s made in India 100% cotton track shorts that you can slip on (and off) for the quick dip or for the impromptu padel or pickleball match. 

Unintentional conversation starters with accessories like a baroque pearl necklace, a bagel beach bag, and a rainbow towel, they’re all sure to have inquiring minds asking where they’re from.

Beyond The Beach Reads

Some books that help transcend island time but aren’t necessarily for sun-dazed and confused afternoons.

The Book Of Alchemy: A Creative Practice For An Inspired Life, by Suleika Jaouad
A collection of essays that inspire you to try the practice of journaling and prompt you to dream, ideate, and contemplate life in all the tough and heartfelt ways. 

The Poetry of Derek Walcott 1948-2013, by Derek Walcott
Saint Lucia’s lauded poet and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, this poetry collection spans the full arc of Walcott’s career. 

Heart The Lover, by Lily King
A love story that spans decades with some twists along the way, plus some good-measured wit and dialogue that make for an engrossing plot. 

Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
A classic adventure where Long John Silver's character development is as good as gold.

The Correspondent, by Virgina Evans
A saucy septuagenarian narrator revels in the epistolary practice but must confront one of the most painful periods of her past through one unsent letter she’s been writing for years.