PRESS RELEASES

There's a beautiful word they use in the Caribbean to describe simply kicking back and relaxing: “liming” is the activity – or non-activity – that any visitor to the region will most be looking forward to, and the island of St Lucia is one of the most splendid places to do it.

With its sun drenched beaches and genuinely friendly people, this tiny slice of paradise offers the perfect antidote to a greying City skyline. It’s to St Lucia’s benefit that, for the time being, it’s not as developed or overrun with tourists as some of its Caribbean neighbours.

However, investment is flowing into the island and many of the world’s top hotel and resort companies are setting up shop there. If you want to experience the best of St Lucia’s rustic charm and easygoing atmosphere, as well as the benefits of luxury living, now is the time to head there.

BEAUTIFUL DRIVE

The Landings is a fantastic new resort set in the recently redeveloped Marina at Rodney Bay, about a two-hour drive north from the island’s airport, Hewanorra International. That drive is a beautiful thing to enjoy in itself, twisting and turning along the coastline.

If you just can’t wait to get busy with the luxury relaxation, however, The Landings offers a 30-minute helicopter transfer package from the airport to Rodney Bay – certainly beats the Gatwick Express.

SERIOUSLY SMART APARTMENTS

The resort opened in December last year, and like many such places in the brave new world where luxury travel and property investments converge, offers freehold waterfront apartments. These are seriously smart places built in a colonial style and fitted out to the highest standards.

Particularly impressive are the large beach view balconies that provide beautiful outdoor living space and a great place to watch the Caribbean sun set over a few rum cocktails. You wouldn’t expect such surroundings to come cheap, and the beachfront apartments are hardly a snip at $1.4m (£787,000).

Nevertheless, the first block has already been sold, even though the resort isn’t due to be completed until 2010. When it is finished, a total of 231 apartments will be set alongside a restaurant, bar, luxury gym and a spa. Plans are also underway for a sensational gourmet restaurant, which could become an attraction in itself .

The complex is a short distance from the Rodney Bay shops, where you’ll find a duty free shopping mall and obligatory souvenir market. For something a little more authentic and local in style, the tiny village of Gros Islet is within walking distance.

FISH FRY

Among its atmospheric offerings is a fantastically enjoyable “fish fry” – a street party that takes place every Friday night, which is a great opportunity to sample the day’s catch and soak up the local cheer and the St Lucian beats. If you want to test your golf swing in a Caribbean environment, The Landings is located conveniently near the St Lucia Golf & Country club.

But the really indulgent way to relax here is in the resort’s first rate spa, which offers a range of therapies including its signature St Lucia mud wrap, which is made from bubbling volcanic mud which is sourced from the island. Following that with a “lime down” massage ensures you are left feeling beautifully refreshed and infused with energy.

GO AND EXPLORE

You can’t come half-way round the world and simply recline on a beautiful beach or sit swaddled in mud wraps for the whole time. Okay, so you can, and we were tempted, but it’s worth having a bit of an explore around St Lucia too, since there’s much to discover.

One of the best ways to take the place in is to cruise down the coast in a catamaran to the iconic twin peaks of Gros Piton and Petit Piton, two giant volcanic plugs jutting out of the sea. Gros Piton towers more almost 3,000 feet high, and is possible to climb if you’ve got a bit of rock climbing experience, and picturesque cocoa plantations and an array of tiny resorts nestle in their shadows.

RESORT IN THE MOUNTAINS

Nearby, the resort of Ladera is unusual among the Caribbean’s new generation of luxury destinations – instead of overlooking a stretch of wondrous beach, it rests up in the mountains with unique views over the Pitons and out to sea. It’s a boutique resort that’s perfect for honeymooners since each open-air room comes with its own private pool and romantic swing.

Halfway between the Pitons in the south and Gros Islet in the north, a few miles from the St Lucian capital city of Castries, is the coconut tree-fringed Marigot Bay, one of the most stunning spots on the island. It’s also a well-known haunt for jet-setting celebrities.

If you feel like venturing into the island’s hilly interior take a rainforest safari. I recommend using local operators Island Tours, whose friendly guides will keep you entertained and well-informed through their intimate knowledge of the island’s ecology.

For the best St Lucian dining experience, head to The Edge restaurant in Rodney Bay, where the award-winning, Swedish-born chef, Bobo Bergstrom, has pioneered his trademark “Euribbean” cuisine – a blend of European and local fare. St Lucian cuisine is based on simple, fresh foods such as seafood, plantain, rice and beans, which Bergstrom turns into a terrific foodie experience.

Dishes include such lip-smackers as lobster bisque with saffron, and calypso rack of lamb with garlic confit, served up with a variety of foams and creams, as is the modern style. Interestingly, Bergstrom’s restaurant also offers St Lucia’s only sushi bar.

FRIENDLY PEOPLE

The island’s best asset, however, is its always-friendly people. Their smiles and attitude are so infectious that after a couple of days around them you’ll find yourself shedding your usual head-down, hurried and harried demeanour in favour of a wide, Caribbean smile. A few days liming with the locals in the sun will leave you without a care in the world.

By: Anusha Bradley, CITY A.M. - London, England, UK