Ladera Resort

Rabot Estate , P.O. Box 225

Soufrière , St. Lucia http://www.ladera.com/

758 459 6600

While the open-walled rooms and mountainside perch are not for the faint of heart, the 32-cottage resort has some of the most astonishing vistas of any resort in the Caribbean. You’ll wake up to St. Lucia’s twin Piton hills—massive green mounds that emerge 2,400 feet high from the teal ocean—and you’ll dine eye level with them, too, at the excellent Dasheene restaurant. While every room is open air, cooled only by breeze and ceiling fans, their tiered arrangement on the hillside ensures privacy. Wooded interiors and mosquito-netting lend an authentic, cabin-in-the-sky vibe, and the stunning stargazing from the private pool is surreally romantic. With no electronic amenities (televisions, phones), this is an escapist’s dream.