Costa Rica and St. Lucia are both popular honeymoon destinations, and they look pretty much the same on paper: rainforest, volcanoes, tropical weather, warm water. So, we get this question a lot – which one is better? The truth is, they’re both beautiful, and we’d be happy to recommend either location to any couple who asked. But the right fit for you really comes down to the type of honeymoon you’re looking for, and your priorities.
From a travel advisor’s desk, let’s walk through the differences (and similarities) between Costa Rica and St. Lucia.
At a high level, there are a couple of things that set Costa Rica and St. Lucia apart from one another. Costa Rica is more adventurous in nature, and our favorite trips there entail hopping from one spot to the next, usually two destinations at least, with a few days in each. Jungle to cloud forest to beach. If you’re looking for a typical beach vacation, this isn’t it. Or, it could be, but there are honestly other places that do that better. You’re missing out if you go to Costa Rica and park yourself at an all-inclusive resort for seven days. St. Lucia is a tiny island, so there’s no moving around required – just choose one of the island’s exceptional resorts and you’re set for a week of swimming, snorkeling and beach time.
| Destination | Best for | Ideal trip length | Budget (per person) | What makes it a “wow” | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | Adventure, wildlife, and a rainforest-and-beach honeymoon | 7–10 nights | US$3,500–7,000+ | Waking up somewhere different every few days | Plenty of direct flights into San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR) |
| St. Lucia | Water activities, beach time, and one stay-put resort | 5–7 nights | US$3,500–10,000 | The same view of the Pitons every morning | Fewer nonstop flights, into Hewanorra (UVF) |
The landscape
Costa Rica is bigger, and more varied. Its 800 miles of coastline stretch along the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, with black- and white-sand beaches, thick swaths of lowland rainforest, misty cloud forest in the highlands, and volcanoes in between.
St. Lucia mainly amounts to the iconic picture you see on postcards (yes, it’s really that pretty): the Pitons, two volcanic spires that rise from the Caribbean Sea, with beautiful white-sand beaches between them.
Logistics
Getting there
In general, you have more direct flight options to Costa Rica than to St. Lucia from North America, with broad coverage from several Canadian and American cities, east and west. Costa Rica has two international airports: Liberia (LIR), in the northwestern corner of the country, and San José (SJO), the capital, in the center. San José is generally more convenient for exploring, but many direct flights land in Liberia, especially from western Canada (hi, WestJet).
St. Lucia, on the other hand, only has a few nonstop flights from Toronto, Chicago, and a handful of large East Coast American cities (Boston, New York, Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta). You’d fly into Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), near Vieux Fort.
Getting around in the country
Once you land in Costa Rica, there are more logistics required – transfers between regions, domestic flights. In St. Lucia, you can drive the entire island tip to tail in less than two hours, so once you’re there, you’re there, and there’s not a lot of moving about required.
Things to do and what your days could look like
People are generally drawn to Costa Rica for three things: beaches, adventure activities, and wildlife. It has a well-earned reputation as one of the best adventure destinations in Latin America, with unforgettable whitewater rafting through lush rainforest canyons, waterfall rappelling, and zip lining with a volcano or cloud forest view. Beaches are plentiful and varied: white sand and volcanic black sand, protected coves for swimming and crashing waves for surfing. And to talk about Costa Rica’s activities without mentioning wildlife would be remiss – lots of people come to Costa Rica specifically for this: sloths, toucans, monkeys and more. It’s one of the best places in the world to see such varied wildlife so easily. Just sit on your balcony with a coffee and watch the natural world go by.
St. Lucia is the opposite, in many ways. This is the kind of place where you pick a resort, unpack, and settle in. Aside from some serious R&R, the beaches are sublime, snorkeling is top-notch (check out Anse Chastanet), and there’s nothing quite like the view of the Pitons from a sailboat at sunset over a glass of champagne. If you’re a water baby, or you’ve just spent a year planning a wedding and need a week with nothing scheduled, this is the one for you.
Our favorite stays in St. Lucia and Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, the best honeymoon hotels and resorts are intimate, curated, and thoughtfully designed, often bringing the outside in and celebrating their setting. If you’re more interested in sprawling resorts and all-inclusives, look elsewhere – that’s not what Costa Rica does best.
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is the big-name newcomer to the Papagayo Peninsula, opening in 2025 on a 1,400-acre private reserve of tropical dry forest. It’s only 45 minutes from Liberia’s international airport, so it’s an easy win for couples with limited time, and the ocean-view suites (some with plunge pools), excellent service, and private beach club make Nekajui a destination in and of itself.
Nayara Tented Camp is perched above the rainforest with a view of Arenal Volcano: a collection of luxury safari-inspired tents, each with a private plunge pool set into the jungle canopy. Travel + Leisure readers named it the top resort in Central America in their 2026 World’s Best Awards.
Head south and you’ll find Makanda by the Sea, an adults-only hideaway with a handful of plunge-pool and jacuzzi studios and villas nestled partway between Manuel Antonio National Park and Biesanz Beach. Ultra-private, yet close enough that guests can easily explore town and the beach, plus great sunset views.
Farther south along the Pacific coast, Kurá Boutique Hotel is adults-only and very intimate: just eight suites and an infinity pool overlooking Uvita’s Whale’s Tail sandbar. From December through March, and again from July through October, you can watch for humpback whales on the horizon from the pool.
In St. Lucia, the honeymoon standouts are right at the base of the Pitons, with most of them revolving around the dramatic Piton view.
Jade Mountain is the honeymoon icon. This is the one you’ve seen – on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok – with beautiful open-concept (like, no wall between you and the outdoors) sanctuaries with bedrooms that open straight onto a Piton & Caribbean Sea view. Most come with private plunge pools – just one more way to enjoy that breathtaking view.
On a volcanic ridge between the Pitons, Ladera is the only resort inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s adults-only, and each of its 37 open-air suites has a private heated plunge pool.
If being right on the sand is a priority, choose Sugar Beach, nestled at the feet of the Pitons with two white-sand beaches and 100 acres of rainforest beyond them. Some villas and bungalows have plunge pools. This is the most traditional resort on this list, with several restaurants and bars onsite, plus a kids’ club, so it works for families as well.
Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat is on a working cocoa estate, with hillside views of Petit Piton. It’s adults-only, with 25 lodges on a 140-acre estate, but the highlight is its Tree to Bar experience: you harvest cacao pods on the plantation, process them, and make your own chocolate bar.
Bang for your buck
As a rule, the Caribbean is more expensive than Central America, and that applies here, too. Costa Rica has more range, with a wide spread of places to stay, from mid-range eco-lodges up to the Nekajui end of the scale. It also depends what time of year you go – if you take advantage of shoulder season (May & November), you get the benefit of great pricing, with the maybe-sacrifice of an occasional rain shower. On average, our typical honeymooner spends anywhere from US$3,500 per person to $7,000+ for a 7–10 day stay with transfers and guided activities.
St. Lucia’s honeymoon resorts are almost exclusively top-end, though a handful of value-priced options also make for a very nice stay in St. Lucia. If you want the Piton view, though, expect to pay for it. Usually, there are fewer activities and less money spent on transportation, so that can offset the accommodation prices a bit. A similar budget, from US$3,500 to $10,000 per person, might get you 5–7 nights here.
Best time to go
Dry season in Costa Rica is from December through April, with little rain throughout most of the country, though in rainforest and cloud forest regions, you can expect a bit of rain every now and again, even in dry season. Green season starts in May, and May is a little sweet spot we always urge clients to consider if they’re flexible. It’s “shoulder season,” so the weather is just starting to edge over into green season, but come May 1, you immediately get low season pricing, so the tradeoff is worth it.
St. Lucia’s weather is also best December through April, with hurricane risk starting in June, and peaking from August through October. Our favorite time to go is early December before the Christmas rush. Great weather, fewer people, and if you’re lucky, a little bit of a price lull before the holiday-makers arrive.
The verdict: which one is right for you
A quick recap: Costa Rica for adventure, longer stays with more going on, and a “best of both worlds” (rainforest and beach) kind of honeymoon. St. Lucia for more water activities, predictably beautiful, swimmable beaches, and a more traditional resort vibe.
Frequently asked questions
Is Costa Rica mostly rainforest, or can we do a beach honeymoon there?
Costa Rica has both beach and rainforest, and the best honeymoon itineraries in Costa Rica pair a few rainforest days with a coastal stay. But, if all you care about is a great beach experience, go somewhere where that’s the bread & butter: Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, or somewhere in the Caribbean. Costa Rica can’t compete with the long, powdery white sand beaches that you find there.
Are there all-inclusives in Costa Rica or St. Lucia?
Yes. In Costa Rica, the all-inclusive properties are clustered in the northwestern region of the country, near Liberia airport. These are more similar to destination resorts, where you plan to go and stay for a week without moving around. If you’re hoping for an all-inclusive resort in Arenal, for example, you’ll be disappointed.
All-inclusive offerings are a bigger part of the market in St. Lucia. Sandals has several couples-only properties on the island, among others. Some of the luxury boutique hotels also offer food plans that you can add on top of your stay.
Do the honeymoon suites near the Pitons in St. Lucia have private pools?
At the top tier, they do. Jade Mountain and Sugar Beach both have plunge pool options, and there are a handful of other properties nearby with private pool villas and suites at various price points.
Is St. Lucia safe for a honeymoon?
St. Lucia is safe in general, and especially around Soufrière and Rodney Bay where most of the popular resorts are located. As with anywhere, common sense is your friend: arrange transfers and outings through your hotel or your travel advisor, don’t walk around in dark or isolated places alone, keep valuables out of sight, and only swim at beaches where you know there aren’t riptides – there are no lifeguards here.
Which is more affordable, Costa Rica or St. Lucia?
Costa Rica has a lower starting point with a wider range of available accommodations, so this is a place you could travel on a shoestring if you want to. St. Lucia is a more upscale destination in general, so expect to pay more for everything here, from accommodation to transportation to food and drink.
How long do I need for my honeymoon?
In Costa Rica, we recommend six nights minimum, but nine or ten is better, giving you time for a couple of stops in the country (rainforest + beach, rainforest + cloud forest + beach, volcano + beach, etc.) Aim for a minimum stay of three nights in each place you go.
For St. Lucia, you can get away with four nights, though we usually recommend five to seven.
If you need help deciding which suits you better, or want some real pricing to help you put it all together, book a chat with us. We’ve booked hundreds of honeymoons throughout Latin America & the Caribbean, and we’d love to send you somewhere special, too.