Make a Break for Calabash Cove, St. Lucia

You may recognize St. Lucia's Calabash Cove from Jake Pavelka’s season of ABC’s “The Bachelor.” As soon as I stepped onto the five-star resort’s open-air lobby, I understood why a company with a reputation for selecting the most breathtaking locations would choose it. Calabash shimmers with understated elegance and exudes romance in an intoxicating Caribbean setting.

Nestled along the Bay of Bonaire on the northwest coast of St. Lucia (an hour drive from the airport), Calabash treats guests to a private beach, an infinity pool and a full service spa. Accommodations are comprised of four swim-up junior suites, 13 sunset ocean view suites and nine Balinese mahogany watersedge cottages. Handcrafted from exotic teak and mahogany woods, each cottage includes a secluded private pool, outdoor rain shower and hammocks cocooned in tropical flora.

Calabash’s intimate size allows for nearly complete seclusion or the opportunity to make acquaintances with other guests. Travelers choose the resort for the peace and serenity a visit offers, not for binge drinking and 3a.m. toga parties. There are plenty of resort companies with those offerings. Choose a junior suite if you want to interact at the infinity pool and book a cottage when you want ultimate privacy (perfect for honeymooners).

Windsong, the resort’s restaurant, serves a delicious blend of West Indian and Asian cuisines. The menu’s large selection of diversified dishes, including a chef’s menu that changes daily, ensures guests a variety of choices at every meal. Alternatively, room service is available for those couples who opt to remain in their rooms.

No Caribbean vacation is complete without a spa visit. In addition to the massage you will book (because you deserve it), spare time for an invigorating body scrub. The Ti Spa’s pumpkin pie scrub, an excellent source of beta-carotene I was told, left my skin completely clean and clear.

While you’re on the island, plan a visit to Soufriere to view the magnificent Pitons, the botanical garden and the volcano at Sulphur Springs. Locals host weekly fish fry’s and other gatherings for tourists to experience a slice of St. Lucian culture and living.

St. Lucia’s extraordinary beauty combined with Calabash Cove’s serene ambiance, top-notch hospitality and unmatched services, land the resort and the island on my top list of most romantic places.

Visit www.calabashcove.com for more information.

Photo courtesy of Calabash Cove