For the scenery as much as to flop on the beach. Much of St Lucia is mountainous and covered in a blanket of thick rainforest, and the south-west corner has arguably the most arresting sight in the whole Caribbean: of the green and precipitous volcanic cones of the Petit Piton and Gros Piton rising out of a blue ocean. That is not to say that St Lucia doesn't have some lovely beaches - they are golden in the north, and mostly silvery in the volcanic south. It's just that they are rather outshone by the island's other natural assets.  St Lucia is also as good a choice as anywhere in the Caribbean for secluded, upmarket, romantic places to stay. Your hotel room might have an outdoor garden shower, a private plunge pool, a hammock for two on its balcony, and a view of the thrusting Pitons. Nature and fertility will be all around you.  Several hotels have featured prominently in the US and, more recently, UK versions of The Bachelor television series, and wherever you go, you trip over wedding ceremonies and loved-up honeymooning couples. That said, a week on St Lucia doesn't have to be all about candlelit meals for two every night. There are also good family-oriented hotels, and you can party the night away in Rodney Bay Village, the island's only resort.  Though St Lucia was badly hit by Hurricane Tomas in late October 2010 and you can still see the effects of the storm in roadside landslips, from a visitors' point of view everything is back to normal.  Peak season on St Lucia runs from mid-December to April. In these months, accommodation rates are generally significantly higher than at other times of the year, but the weather is usually at its best. Rates are cheaper in the summer and autumn months, when it's stickier and wetter - and note that St Lucia gets more rain than other less mountainous Caribbean islands such as Barbados or Antigua.  Also bear in mind that the hurricane season runs from June to November, with September and October statistically the likeliest months for major storms. Taking into account prices and weather, May is a good month to visit - and the island's major annual jazz festival is taking place in 2013 (May 4-8).  Two airlines fly non-stop from the UK to St Lucia's Hewanorra International Airport, in the far south of the island: British Airways (0844 493 0787; www.ba.com) and Virgin Atlantic (0844 209 7777; www.virgin-atlantic.com), both from Gatwick. Fares vary considerably according to the time of year, and whether or not the airlines are offering discounted deals. You can also book flights through agents such as Trailfinders (020 7368 1200; www.trailfinders.com), and online through www.expedia.co.uk.  Inter-island flights - for example, with Liat (www.liat.com) - arrive at the much smaller George FL Charles Airport just north of Castries.  Transfers from Hewanorra airport to hotels in the north of the island are long - around 90 minutes - and to the Soufrière area take around 40 minutes. A taxi from Hewanorra to Rodney Bay costs around £50, and to Soufrière around £45, for up to three passengers.  You can cut down transfer times to/from the north of the island by taking a helicopter transfer between Hewanorra and George FL Charles Airport. The flight takes around 10 minutes and costs US$145 (£94) each way, per person - more information on www.stluciahelicopters.com.  Booking a package combining the flight with a hotel can often work out cheaper than booking the flight and accommodation separately. It can also save hassle - amongst other things, the tour operator can sort out airport-to-hotel transfers - and you get back up if things go wrong.  Shop around for best deals, as prices can vary considerably between companies. Some operators sometimes use their clout with hotels to get a room upgrade and/or a freebie or two, such a spa treatment - ask to see what might be possible.  Caribbean specialists featuring a wide selection of hotels on St Lucia include: Caribtours (020 7751 0660; www.caribtours.co.uk), Complete Caribbean (01423 531031; www.completecaribbean.co.uk), Simply St Lucia (01732 811043; www.simplystluciaholidays.co.uk) and Tropic Breeze (01752 880880; www.tropicbreeze.co.uk).  For packages staying at upmarket hotels, also consider: Carrier (0161 491 7620; www.carrier.co.uk); Elegant Resorts (01244 897991; www.elegantresorts.co.uk); ITC Classics (01244 355550; www.itcclassics.co.uk) and Seasons (01244 202002; www.seasons.co.uk).  For a wider price range of packages, turn to British Airways (0844 493 0758; www.ba.com), Kuoni (01306 747008; www.kuoni.co.uk), Trailfinders (020 7368 1200; www.trailfinders.com), Tropical Sky (0843 636 7127; www.tropicalsky.co.uk) and Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3865; www.virginholidays.co.uk).  Car hire: driving on St Lucia can be quite challenging. Some hotels are reached along awful, rutted tracks. Roads can pot-holed, and, particularly south of Castries, steep and very windy. Moreover, the main road north of Castries is jam packed with traffic at rush-hour times.  But if you're a fairly confident driver, having a car is highly recommended as it's the best way of getting to see plenty of the island. Rental firms' fleets include Jeeps, and though more expensive, having a vehicle with high clearance is a good idea given the state of many roads. You'll need a temporary driving permit, which costs US$20 (£13).  For a week's rental from Hewanorra airport, Holiday Autos (0800 093 3111; www.holidayautos.co.uk) recently quoted around £268 for the cheapest budget-sized car, and £360 for a Jeep. The state of the roads means the likelihood of dents and scratches is fairly high. So it's a good idea to take out first a policy that covers the excess on the car hire insurance - see www.insurance4carhire.com.  Buses: these come in the form of minibuses, and can get you to pretty much anywhere on the island. Services along the main road between the northern corner of the island and Castries are frequent. Rodney Bay to Castries costs EC$2.25 (55p), and Soufrière to Castries EC$8 (£1.85).  Taxis: point-to-point fares are fixed, but it still makes sense to establish the cost of the journey before setting off. To rent a taxi for a day-long island tour will cost £100-£130.  Boats: various excursions are on offer along the spectacular west coast. At Soufrière, you can also pick up a water taxi to take you to nearby beaches: US$15 (£10) return per person to Anse Chastanet, US$20 (£13) return to Anse des Pitons (at The Jalousie Plantation).  Flight time: Around nine hours from London, and eight hours to London.  Currency: The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar - written EC$. It's pegged to the US dollar at US$1 to EC$2.70. You can pay for most things in US dollars as well as EC dollars, though you'll be given change in EC dollars, and establishments normally use a rate of EC$2.60 to $1. Some things, such as hotel rates, and sometimes food and drink in hotels, are quoted in US dollars. Cash points issue EC dollars.  Emergency numbers: the British High Commission - 001 758 452 2484; police - 999; fire - 911; ambulance - 911.  Most electrical sockets in hotels take three-pin, square UK-standard plugs - British travellers don't need adaptors.  While St Lucia feels easy-going and pretty safe, violent crimes on the island do happen. There have been armed robberies of tourists at waterfalls in the Anse La Raye area in the recent past. Also be particularly careful on isolated beaches, and at "jump up" street parties.  All St. Lucia beaches form part of the "Queen's Chain" and are therefore public - though some recent hotel developments have made the issue a hot potato.  It's against the law for anyone - including children - to wear camouflage clothing.
An essential guide to the Caribbean island of St Lucia, including the best attractions, hotels, restaurants and bars, chosen by our expert Fred Mawer.