Why the Caribbean’s ‘honeymoon capital’ is more than just for lovers

I’m standing on a beach in St Lucia, watching a kite the size of a small car whip across the sky, waiting to kitesurf for the very first time.

My mind is in scream-if-you-wanna-go-faster mode, while my body wants to wet itself, from fear or excitement, I do not know.

Because there’s nothing quite like the promise of being dragged across water at high speed while attached to what is essentially a parachute in a windstorm.

To be fair, it takes around two to three days to be let loose on the water.

But today, I’m going to piggyback my instructor and get a taste of what it’s like to be a pro. So, while he sits on the beach and instructs me to wrap my limbs around him like an octopus, I’m just trying to remember if I updated my travel insurance…

But here’s the thing about St Lucia – and the place I’m staying at, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, in particular – it’s the perfect place for adrenaline junkies like me, who love jumping in feet first while everyone else looks on vaguely concerned for their safety.

Why St Lucia?

When you think of St Lucia, you might picture honeymooners sipping rum punch beneath the Pitons.

And, for sure, you can do that from sun up til sunset – whether you’re single, married, coupled, divorced, caught on a Coldplay cam, or living it up on a mates’ trip.

With dramatic volcanic hillsides and lunar-like beaches, there are good reasons that it’s known as the ‘honeymoon capital of the Caribbean’.

But there is more to this place than meets the eye.

In fact, what I love about Coconut Bay – which I always think is the biggest pain in the arsenal when holidaying with anyone, whether you love them or not – is that we all want different things.

For those who want to fly and flop, you’ve got a mile-long beach, five pools, and eight restaurants serving everything from fresh seafood to proper Creole cuisine (with plenty of live music and entertainment at night). Park yourself by the pool – or in a hammock hung over the ocean – with a cocktail and don’t move for a week. No one will judge you.

And for those who can’t sit still for more than five minutes, there’s a water park, tennis, basketball, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, wind foiling, and even pickleball courts.

Or – like me – you can try to scale random coconut trees, which may or may not have been rum-induced.

But what I’m actually here for is kitesurfing, because St Lucia is one of the best places in the world to do it.

The conditions (they’re absolutely perfect)

From November to July, Coconut Bay’s shoreline transforms into a kitesurfer’s paradise with the onshore winds blowing at a consistently balmy 15-25 knots.

Inside the reef, there’s a protected bay with steady winds and flat, shallow water.

This is where beginners, like me, spend their time learning to control the kite without being immediately swept out to sea.

But about 300 metres out from shore? That’s where the experienced riders face the Atlantic swell with clean lines of waves and the kind of wind that keeps you airborne.

Watching them execute back rolls and kiteloops made me want to be them. Immediately.

The piggyback situation

So, back to me, wrapped around my instructor like an overexcited koala.

He’s explaining something about body position and keeping my weight centred, but I’m mostly concentrating on what the right level of grip with my thighs is, without it being too weird. Or pulling a muscle.

Once in place, we wait for the wind to pull us forward into the water, like some human backpack situation, and then suddenly, the kite catches, and we’re off.

And, oh my God.

The acceleration is instant. We’re skimming the surface like a stone, spray hitting my face — it lasts only seconds, but it feels like I’m flying.

We work with the wind, zigzagging back and forth, with me shrieking like a banshee. It’s exhilarating. If I lived here, I’d be doing it all the time.

When we finally stop, and I peel myself off him, my face is aching from grinning, and I’m already calculating how quickly I can learn to do this on my own.

Learning to fly (sort of)

Because these smaller kites have enough power to drag you across the sand if you’re not paying attention, it’s important to know what you’re doing.

Which is why resort guests over ten years old can take a complimentary ‘taster session’ on the beach with a trainer kite, while paid lessons are for the golden oldies from 16 and up.

Proper lessons start with theory on the beach (there are worse places to learn).

Wind windows, safety systems, how not to kill yourself or anyone else…followed by flying progressively bigger kites until the instructors trust you won’t be a danger to society.

The instructors at Coconut Bay’s Surf Shack are brilliant, funny, and patient while I’m struggling with the basics of balancing.

And they’ve got all the gear you could possibly want to rent by the hour, day, or multiple days. There are even special Surf and Stay packages for those who want to commit more than my last boyfriend did.

I watched a family take their first lesson together. The teenage son was attempting to look cool while clearly being just as terrified as his dad.

But, by day three, he was up on the board, his mum cheering him on as though he’d just won an Olympic medal.

And that’s the thing about kitesurfing – the learning curve is steep but, when you finally get it – even for a few seconds, it feels incredible.

When you need a break (and you will)

The thing about throwing yourself around in wind and waves all day is that eventually your body stages a full rebellion.

So, after absolutely battering myself, I admitted defeat and ‘dragged’ myself to the Sanctuary Spa for a massage in an ocean-front cabana where the lull of the waves lures you into some seriously deep, restful shuteye in no time.

I can also highly recommend the Chocolate ‘Cocoa Tea’ Sugar Scrub – made with Lucian chocolate, warm tropical oils, and nutmeg – as I can the amount of drool I found on my pillow after my masseuse gently woke me like an ogre from my slumber.

Beyond the beach

St Lucia itself is, of course, stunning. Who would have thought it from a Caribbean island.

So, when you need a break from attempting to master the elements, there’s plenty to explore.

The island has the world’s only drive-in volcano, which is exactly what it sounds like and brilliantly bizarre.

There’s also the second-highest lighthouse in the world at Moule-à-Chique, and let’s not forget those Pixar-perfect Piton Mountains.

Being the water baby that I am, I opted for a whirl on a catamaran, snorkelling in water so clear you could see the side eye from every fish that swam by.

Another day, I lolled around like a hippo in a hot spring, after lathering myself in some detoxifying mud, at the sulphur springs, followed by some waterfall action.

The verdict

I came to Coconut Bay specifically to throw myself into kitesurfing and see how quickly I could get decent at it.

It turns out – like most things in life – that’ll take more than 72 hours to achieve.

However, whether you’re already obsessed with kitesurfing and want some seriously ideal weather conditions, or you’re a complete beginner who needs somewhere forgiving to learn, St Lucia delivers.

And the best part is that it’s just five minutes from the airport, which means you can be face-down in a cocktail – or up on a kiteboard – within an hour of landing.

And if you’re travelling with people who think you’re mental? You can leave them by the pool while you’re out living your best life. Everyone wins.

And if it all goes horribly wrong? Well, there’s always the spa. And the rum. Quite a lot of rum.

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