Donkey at Two Foot Bay, Barbuda (Textor)
Budget-seekers should love Villa Caribbean Dream. The nightly rates are low and the location, in the neighborhood of Moule-a-Chique in the hills adjacent to Vieux-Fort, is beautiful and green and quiet. Owner Brigitte, a German expat who's been in St. Lucia for several decades, is friendly and knows a great deal about the island. She's full of advice and information.
The four rooms are outfitted simply, and represent a very good deal. In the off-season, a couple can stay here for $50 per night. There is a kitchen for guests and daytime access to a big beautiful terrace ...
The Reef itself consists of a restaurant, a surf shop, and four basic guest rooms popular with a windsurfing and kite-surfing crowd. It's a great place for a budget-conscious beach-bum, or, given its proximity to the airport, anyone in transit.
The beach is, needless to say, the main attraction. It's lovely but not mind-blowing and mercifully uncrowded. Located on the Atlantic side of the island, it's about a kilometer long, mostly narrow, and has a view across to the Maria Islands Preserve -- home to some unusual species of small (and not deadly!) animals, and within reach of ...