The words fall on me like sunshine bursting through the clouds: “Welcome home, Masters family.” Daylight is fading, and our energy levels flagged somewhere in the immigration queue. But as we tumble wearily out of the minibus, having been driven across the island, the smile of Liam the butler is all the greeting party we need.

We haven’t actually stayed at Windjammer Landing before. It’s the first time my children have been to the Caribbean. But as Liam settles us into our three-bedroom beachfront villa, we very quickly feel at home.

It doesn’t take Evie, five, and Harry, four, long to discover a pretty enticing feature of this Ocean Point Residence – a pool on the rooftop. And 20 minutes after our arrival, they are swimming in it, any tiredness swiftly evaporating.

FAMILY AFFAIR

There is a genuine family feel to Windjammer, which can be traced back to its Canadian owners. Four generations of the family have now visited the resort, and they return every year for a holiday.

Windjammer overlooks crescent-shaped Labrelotte Bay – the setting is reminiscent of a Mediterranean village. Terracotta-tiled, white-washed villas are dotted across a tree-filled hillside, each property boasting knock-out views.

We are staying in one of the resort’s newer Ocean Point Residences, added in mid-2023, to meet surging demand for private villa accommodation. There are two and three-bedroom villas available, which have floor-to-ceiling windows framing the beachfront views, multiple outdoor terraces, a fully equipped kitchen, smart technology and more bathrooms than we know what to do with.

Neutral tones dominate the decor from marble floors to white bed linen, with Caribbean-inspired artwork on the walls and a few colour injections of blue. We can walk to the centre of the resort in five minutes, but it’s worth noting that some of the accommodations further up the hillside have more need of the free shuttles provided.

Our favourite perk of staying in the villa is our trio of butlers at our disposal. Liam, Darryl and Keir work a shift pattern, and we can call upon them any time of day. After my husband’s initial unease [“I was born in Peckham, I don’t need a butler”], he embarks on a bromance with them, mostly conducted via WhatsApp, where nothing is too much trouble and the thank yous are effusive on both sides.

A PEACEFUL BEACH

We settle easily into our new lifestyle. Breakfast at the resort’s signature restaurant Dragonfly throws up a lot of questions... table inside or outside at “The Perch”, a new bar / veranda overlooking the beach; Caribbean-style or full English; omelette or waffles; shall we go pool or beach today? Once that’s all decided, we switch into full relaxation mode. Such is the nature of Windjammer’s beach that we parents really can relax. The shoreline is perfect for pre-schoolers, drawn to play in its shallows, and a carpet of seaweed that begins a few metres in conveniently deters our two from being too adventurous.

More competent swimmers can enjoy circular hammocks in the water and an inflatable slide. Equipment hire for non-motorised water sports – such as windsurfing, pedal boating, paddle boarding, snorkelling and kayaking – is included, while there’s an extra charge for kneeboarding, wakeboarding and waterskiing (unless you’re on the all-inclusive package).

You can order lunch straight to your sun lounger on the beach, or relocate to beachfront Jammers (roti, fish and chips, and burgers) and Embers (salads, pizzas and tacos). Options for dinner expand to include a la carte seafood and sushi at Dragonfly, pizza and pasta at Papa Don’s, steak restaurant Upper Deck, and Indian-inspired Masala. They all have children’s menus available. Also – and this is an absolute winner where my ice-cream-guzzling family is concerned – there’s a kiosk dispensing ice cream on the beach. 

Adults can book into the Serene Spa for some “me-time”. There is also a gym, two tennis courts, a yoga deck and six swimming pools – the main pool area is being renovated ahead of this high season. The Jacquot Fun Club provides a programme of activities for children aged 4-12, which has been enhanced in the last year with Kiddy Fruity Mocktail Mixing, Kiddie Creole Dance Classes and Carnival Costume Making. There are beach movie nights and a pre-bookable VIP turndown service that makes a lovely surprise for children to end the day: it includes milk and cookies, a cosmic night light, and a fluffy teddy bear to keep. Our bears are promptly christened Windy and Jammers. 

A green day

From the excursions list, we choose the Rainforest Aerial Tram tour, which takes us into the lush interior, for a different perspective on the island. In the Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve it rains nearly every day – 60 inches falling annually. This sustains a dense green canopy that is home to a rich bounty of flora and fauna. The gondola ride is a gentle experience. Our guide, Lyndon, fills the ride time telling us stories about life from the forest floor to the treetops. We hear about local residents including scorpions, tarantulas the size of human hands, 11 species of lizards, possums and wild pigs. And we learn the names of butterflies that sound like magicians’ spells and plants that cure all kinds of medical problems.

From the heliconia shaped like a champagne glass for hummingbirds to drink from to the science-fiction-like vines that wind their way aggressively around trees, it’s a fascinating and educational tour. “I live in Saint Lucia, and I’m discovering new things about the island all the time,” Lyndon declares.

I wish I could say that his weird and wonderful facts about nature have stuck in the heads of my children. But I do know that Windjammer Landing made a big impression on them. Every afternoon when I collect Harry from his reception class, he can’t remember what he did that day, but six months later he is still asking when we can go back to Windjammer.

Book it: Windjammer Landing is one of Inspiring Travel’s top-selling resorts in Saint Lucia. The luxury tour operator offers seven nights’ B&B at Windjammer Landing Resort from £21,749 per family based on two adults and two children sharing an Ocean Point Two Bedroom Residence. Departs on 22 August 2025, including flights, private transfers and lounge passes; inspiringtravel.co.uk, windjammer-landing.com