Marigot Escape
Back in the sixties, seventies and early eighties, Marigot was a favourite getaway spot for St Lucians with fun and romance in mind. Ask around some of the more ‘senior’ members of your family and mere mention of hot nights down in Marigot will bring a happy smile to a few faces! There’s no doubt about it, Marigot used to be the place to go, but, sadly, over the past ten years or so, the restaurants and night clubs in the north have proved to be a stronger attraction. Or maybe Looshans just got used to liming locally and don’t want to drive so far for a night.out!
MARIGOT’S STILL MAGIC!
But Marigot restaurateurs and bar owners hope to change all that. “We want to see St Lucians coming back to the bay again and experiencing the Marigot magic,” said Chef Jim of Rainforest Hideaway. “There are five restaurants, six bars and a coffee shop right here in the bay – and live entertainment most evenings. And there are some great places to spend a couple of nights as well – from a five star hotel to some unique bed and breakfast inns and beautiful villas – so there’s no need to drive back to Rodney bay until the morning!”
GOURMET GETAWAY
And Chef Jim himself is aiming to start the trend. “We have a great idea to tempt the northerners back to Marigot,” he says. “We call it the Marigot Gourmet Getaway - a dinner at Rainforest Hideaway (one of the best restaurants in the Caribbean according to Trip Advisor) and a night at the historic Mango Beach Inn, a lovely old stone building just half a minute’s walk from the restaurant.”
BEATING THE RECESSION
At a time when hotels and restaurants worldwide are closing for lack of guests, Mango Beach Inn is opening its doors again, “we’re busier than I dared hope,” said proprietor Judith Verity, “and it’s not just us. The smaller guest houses in Marigot seem to be surviving much better than the bigger hotels – I suppose we can keep our prices down and offer the kind of personal service that gives true value for money in these hard times. We’re right by the beach and close to all the restaurants and bars and the Marina Village shopping so there’s no chance of any of our guests getting bored – although a lot of them like to just hang out by the pool anyway! And we love families with kids – I’ll even babysit if the parents want to sneak out for a romantic dinner”
Sounds ideal for stressed out St Lucians, desperately trying to think of last minute ways of giving Mom a special treat around May 10th – or maybe just a family outing to re-discover Marigot!
MARIGOT NIGHTS
It’s going to be a long, hot summer so come back to Marigot for some cool-out time.
THINGS TO DO IN MARIGOT
- Lunching and dining at one of the five restaurants – ranging from Rainforest Hideaway gourmet dining to sandwiches, fabulous fries, pizzas and everything in between
- Relaxing in one of the six bars (including two champagne bars), dancing, betting on the crab races or just listening to sweet jazz, soca and reggae...
- Labas Beach – sandy, safe for swimming and sandcastle building and snorkelling or why not rent a pedalos, a kayak or a sailboat for a change?
- Spas – where else could you visit three wonderful and completely different pampering parlours within minutes of the beach?
- Prefer a swimming pool? There are too many to count! Every guest house and hotel in the bay has one – just take your pick. Mango Beach Inn offers a pool overlooking the famous harbour with a barbeque area where families can hang out and have dinner with the kids if they don’t want to take advantage of the babysitting.
- Celebrity watching – famous faces love Marigot. They come right into the marina on their superyachts and can often be seen sneaking into the coffee shop for a latte and a genuine French croissant. Earlier this year one of the barristas mentioned to a visitor that he looked a lot like Michael Douglas and, guess what...
- For adventurous visitors, Marigot, one of St Lucia’s most famous natural attractions, is criss crossed with nature trails, some of them leading to spectacular views from the surrounding hill tops.
- And last but not least, let’s not forget the shopping! Marigot may be small, but it has everything from a very elegant boutique, a classy jewellery store (for those last minute diamonds), a bookstore and art gallery and lots of souvenir shops, not forgetting a bank and supermarket.
So look us up today - come back to the bay – Relax and enjoy one of Fair Helen’s greatest treasures!
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