If you're looking for an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, I've got an in-depth look at what you can expect from Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa. Unlike some other resorts on the island, this resort is family-friendly and just a short ride from the airport.
I just returned from a visit to Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia and couldn't wait to write this article. I know how daunting it can be to plan a vacation, especially when the location is far away or in another country, so I wanted to get all the information to you while it's still fresh in my mind. Coconut Bay invited me and my 6-year-old son to a media event at the resort last fall, but due to poor planning on my part, I had to reschedule the complimentary visit to Spring Break this year. It actually worked out well since I was also able to bring along my husband and our 3-year-old daughter; all I needed to do was book their airfare. We turned a press trip into a family vacation and made memories that will last a lifetime.
First, let me give you a little background on the resort and the property. Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa sits on 85 acres, just five minutes from Hewanorra International Airport, and is a premium, all-inclusive resort in St. Lucia. Actually, it's more like two-resorts-in-one. On one side of the resort, you’ll find the Harmony wing, which is a quiet retreat for adults-only. On the other side, you’ll find the Splash wing which is a family-friendly destination for fun. No matter which wing you choose, there are several things you can expect when you visit Coconut Bay.
What to expect at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia
Gorgeous ocean views. Thanks to the mile-long beach, you’ll be able to take in sweeping views of the Atlantic ocean and Maria Islands. Even though the resort has 7 pools (2 of which are adult-only), you’ll want to make sure you spend an ample amount of time on the beach. There are a few distinct areas of the beach. Right near the resort, you'll find "Lil' Beach." As you can imagine, it's called "Lil'" because it's a smaller area with a handful of tiki huts and chaise lounge chairs. It's also where you'll find a stand where you can check-out stand-up paddle boards and kayaks (for FREE; they're included with your stay).
If you walk a bit further, you'll find another long stretch of beach with more chaise lounge chairs, tiki huts, private cabanas (which are for the guests of their sister resort, Serenity).
This area also has a great tiki bar and the bartenders are more than happy to whip up your favorite drinks or recommend a new favorite. Walk a little further and you'll come upon Coconut Bay’s Surf Shack.
The surf shack is where you'll find kitesurfing and windsurfing gear available for rent. You can rent them by the hour of the day and you can also enroll in lessons to learn either sport. They've got a certified team of instructors who will work with beginners to advanced kiteboarders.
One thing that was mentioned a few times by locals was that Coconut Bay has a lot of seaweed. As someone who grew up along the Atlantic coast of Florida, this wasn't a huge issue for me. To me, seaweed is a natural part of the beach experience and sometimes it washes up and sometimes it doesn't. From what I could see, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is really trying to make their guests' experience the best it can be by employing a tractor driver who combs the beach at least every hour to sift out the seaweed at the shoreline.
Great food. At Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa you'll have 9 different dining a la carte or buffet options. From casual dining options at Flip Flops to fine dining at La Luna (adults-only and supplemental rates apply), you’ve got a lot of options. With abundant seafood, Italian, Indian, Thai, and Asian options available there is truly something for every palate to enjoy.
One of our favorite meals was at Seaside. This restaurant had an Italian flare and my lasagna was excellent (and I'm picky about my Italian food!). Right next door is Flip Flops, the poolside grill and pizzeria. My kids enjoyed the made-to-order fresh pizza from the Earthstone oven and there were 13 toppings available.
Most of the a la carte restaurants have a signature welcome drink that they offer when you're seated at your table. My husband and I loved this! It was a fun way to experience the flavors of the restaurant and we liked trying something new each evening.
We had another great meal at Calabash, the resort's contemporary Caribbean restaurant. The food was tasty and cooked perfectly and the service was wonderful.
I was a little nervous about finding options that my kids would enjoy, but the restaurants were so accommodating. They even prepared or provided food that wasn't offered on the menu. All we had to do was ask. The only thing lacking at the restaurants was crayons. Each a la carte restaurant has a paper kids' menu but none of them had much to color with. We figured that out early on and brought our own baggie of crayons to dinner with us each night to keep our little ones busy.
Be sure to make your dining reservations as soon as you book your trip since space is limited and the spots fill quickly. We thought the a la carte restaurants were more enjoyable than the general buffet. Although, there were a few special nights with an outdoor buffet that looked fantastic.
Beautiful pools. The property has five different pools for you to enjoy. Two of these pools are adults-only and on the Harmony side of the resort, while the Splash side has 2 large pools and one smaller pool (and this is in addition to the water park - see more on that below!).
As you can see, there are a lot of seating options around the pools. We never went without seating at any of the pools, even at the peak times of the day. The chairs under the huts and large thatch roof filled up quickly, but it usually wasn't hard to find something at least partially shaded if you wanted to get out of the sun.
My kids loved swimming in the huge activity pool and the family-friendly pool on the Splash side of the resort. There's a fun swim-up bar (one for adults only and one for kids only) and there were plenty of restrooms nearby too.
Tons of activities. Every week, the resort publishes a newsletter with a full itinerary of things-to-do at the resort. It’s very reminiscent of being on a cruise. While I enjoy cruises because there is always something to do, my husband has a hard time relaxing while onboard. Apparently, he needs space. Visiting Coconut Bay in St. Lucia was like the best of both worlds. You get that premium, all-inclusive experience, but you have the freedom of exploring the vast resort space. We loved playing pool and ping pong at The Cove and playing corn hole on the lawn.
We like to be active while we’re on vacation, so we were thrilled to see volleyball, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, and snorkeling available for all guests. There are also daily activities for guests like yoga, pilates, basketball, tennis, soccer, aqua-aerobics and more. For additional fees, you can also partake in Kitesurfing and Windsurfing at the Surf Shack and paintball at The Zone.
A Fitness Center. Speaking of staying active, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa offers a fitness center for their guests. My husband and I both used the fitness center and thought it was totally adequate for our needs. There were treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, weight-lifting machines, and free weights.
The air-conditioned gym was perfect for what we wanted to do; run a few miles on the treadmill and use some of the free weights. Having the option to work out really made us feel better about indulging a little more while we were on vacation.
A very cool waterpark. Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is home to St.Lucia’s largest waterpark. CocoLand Waterpark has slides, a Splash Plunge Pool, and a great lazy river. We spent quite a bit of time there and had a ball. Not only were the slides super fun (one even tunnels underground!) there was never a wait! We were able to ride them over and over again. Be sure to keep an eye out for my post about why you should visit Coconut Bay in St. Lucia with your kids to see us in action!
Complimentary wi-fi. While you’re probably going to want to unplug and relax while you’re at Coconut Bay, you will have wi-fi access if you wish to use it. Complimentary wi-fi is available in all rooms and in the lobby. There are even courtesy laptops that you can sign out at the front desk.
Relaxing Spa Services (for adults AND kids!). Kai Mer Spa at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa will rival your favorite spa and it sits right next to the beautiful beach.
The oceanfront spa has 8 indoor treatment rooms, 3 outdoor cabanas, 2 saunas, 2 steam rooms, and a relaxation area for guest to really unwind. The spa also offers salon services like manicures and pedicures, facials, hair, and makeup.
My husband and I enjoyed a couples massage in one of the outdoor cabanas and it was heavenly! The spa is set on the Harmony (adults-only) side of the resort so it's peaceful and quiet and just simply relaxing.
If your kids are into it, there is even a new children’s spa menu for guests ages 5 to 18 where so they can also indulge in mani/pedis, facials, and massages. All of the products used for the children’s menu are FarmHouse Fresh Organics which are cruelty-free, paraben and sulfate free, and mostly gluten-free or vegan. Our kids were a little young for the spa, so they enjoyed an hour at CocoLand Kidz Klub while we relaxed.
A Kids Club. The CocoLand Kidz Klub was something I was excited to see offered for families. It can be hard to vacation with kids, especially when you want to do something that they might not be able or willing to do (like going to the spa for a massage or even snorkeling on the beach). The kids club was a great option for us. CocoLand Kidz Klub is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM and there are evening activities that you can sign up for too. It's all included in your stay.
The kids club has an outdoor playground, a splash pad, a huge covered patio area to play, an indoor play area, and even a special room for babies and toddlers. I've got even more information about the kids' area in my post about visiting Coconut Bay with kids, so keep an eye out for that shortly.
Excursions for everyone. Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has a variety of tours and excursions for everyone in the family. They've partnered with trusted vendors to help their guests experience the island to the fullest. You can book a deep sea fishing charter, a sunset cruise, a snorkeling or SCUBA adventure, a jeep tour through the rainforest, ATV rides, horseback riding and more.
You can even book a car to explore on your own time. We were booked on a catamaran boat ride and snorkeling excursion with the crew of the Majestic and it was truly wonderful. We felt completely safe while we traveled on the island and really enjoyed ourselves on our day trip. I'll have more on this soon!
There is so much more to say about Coconut Bay in St. Lucia, but you really need to see it to get the full experience. I created a Coconut Bay video with a walking tour and a little commentary so you could see more of the resort than I could capture in photos.
Dandi D says
This looks like a lovely place and I'd love to go there with my husband sometime!
Terri says
You left out the paint ball areana. My kids had a blast. Also they have a petting zoo.
Ruth V. says
Hi Terri! I have a post coming up about visiting the resort with kids that mention those things. I do show them in the video but fairly briefly. More to come soon!
Mia E. says
The scenery is so gorgeous and the food options look delicious. I can see why the kids loved the pool. Good to know that their are options for kids meals and activities.
Michelle Gothan says
My husband and I are heading there tomorrow and you just made us that much more excited (and we are having a hard time dealing with ourselves LOL). Thank you for your great overview of the hotel.
Alec says
Thank you for the info! We are considering a trip there in Jan 2020.
How is the water? Is it was calm and clear as you see in Antigua?
Do they have water hammocks?
How is the beach for swimming?
Ruth V. says
The water was not calm or that clear while we visited, but the beaches were very pretty. There was a lot of seaweed, but they had a truck clearing it out hourly. I didn't see any water hammocks while we were there.