Chris Carter stays at Windjammer Landing on the colourful Caribbean island
Whenever I travel to the Caribbean, I’m reminded of the discussion the Greek-Irish travel writer Lafcadio Hearn had aboard a steamboat, travelling from New York to the French West Indian island of Martinique in the summer of 1887. What, asks Hearn, constitutes the colour “tropical blue”? As the ship nears the Antilles, Hearn repeatedly declares he’s seen it only to be rebuffed by a fellow passenger, “a nice old French gentleman from Guadeloupe”. “He tells me I do not yet know what blue water is,” laments Hearn. These days, we fly and we don’t get to see the gradual change in the colour of the sea. By the time my partner and I arrived at Windjammer Landing on Saint Lucia, an island to the south of Martinique, it was already after dark. That was no bad thing. I like the surprise of waking up somewhere new. Besides, Liam, one of the attentive butlers, was on hand to check us in to the room – or rather rooms.
The next morning, I padded into the living room of our spacious three-bedroom villa and peered through the curtains. There it was, tropical blue – once my eyes had adjusted. “Under the sun the sea is a flaming, dazzling lazulite,” Hearn wrote 137 years ago. It had not changed. The views from the seafront villas are spectacular and from the vantage point of our private infinity pool, we watched the ruby sun dissolve into the Caribbean Sea every evening. Inside, the villas are no less impressive. The interiors are all clean white lines, creamy hues and stone floors. In ours, two of the bedrooms open onto the pool terrace and these have the largest bathrooms with his and hers sinks and showers, a standalone tub in each and an outdoor shower in the en-suite attached to the master bedroom. In the main living area, there is a fully equipped kitchen with an induction hob and several wide TVs scattered throughout the villa. But who comes to Saint Lucia to watch TV?
Windjammer Landing runs up the hill facing the water and equally fine views can be had from almost anywhere on the property, not least from Papa Don’s, the resort’s Italian restaurant up the hill. It’s best to take the all-inclusive option as that way you can enjoy Windjammer’s six other eateries without worrying about the bill. Windjammer, located on Labrelotte Bay between the capital Castries to the south and the fascinating colonial-era fort at Pigeon Island to the north – bot
