The Caribbean island of St Lucia has gorgeous beaches and great golf, and it is still relatively new to the Irish, writes Alanna Gallagher.

ST LUCIA is, as they say in fashion circles, having a moment. The location for the top-rated US TV show The Bachelor, this tiny island has finally made it onto the international tourist radar.

The Landings, situated in the north of the island, offers a slice of that tropical life. This polished, gated residential resort is offering freehold beachfront apartments from approximately €1.28 million.

Built on reclaimed land created by the government in the early 1970s to connect Pigeon Island to the St Lucian mainland, the Landings is freehold and beachfront, which is unusual in St Lucia.

Situated just outside the main resort of Rodney Bay, with its white sand beach, these properties make up the final phase of the Landings development.

From this ritzy location you can spy superyachts of the rich and famous docking. Roman Abramovich’s boat was docked here last summer and Bono was papped aboard another. Verdant peaks frame the bay while waiters tend to your every need on the beach. “The value of the real estate cannot be replicated,” says marketing manager Oliver Gobat. “This is an offer that can never be repeated.”

The Landings is ultra-luxurious, offering interiors with an American rather than a European aesthetic. Launched in 2005, the property is extensively landscaped and already feels established.

These new apartments offer the sound of the water as aural wallpaper and a west-facing orientation so you can watch the sun set from your balcony.

For the most part, the apartments have open-plan kitchen, living and diningrooms. All rooms are air-conditioned separately and decorated using Caribbean and shell motifs in both artwork and objets.

Super-sleek period-style windows, which are both sound and hurricane proof, frame the vista and Louvered shutters in the living room can also be used to shut out light and sound.

The kitchen is fully fitted and equipped with a microwave, oven, hob, dishwasher and granite counter-tops. The washing machine and drier are located in the guest toilet.

The bedrooms are five-star right down to the choice of mattress and each has a big walk-in, internally-lit closet.

The bathrooms are beautifully finished, with Kohler bath ware, recessed sinks, and bath and separate shower.

Limestone flooring both indoors and out on the terraces knits the spaces together.

All ground floor and top floor apartments have outdoor heated, jetted plunge pools, where owners can sit and drink in the views.

The ambiance at the resort is relaxed. The pineapple, the symbol of welcome in the Caribbean, is everywhere.

Two striking supersize specimens flank the entrance to the hotel’s lobby. The pineapple is also apparent in all the ironmongery on the balconies. Glamorous French navy pools grace the grounds and Dedon outdoor furniture features throughout.

There is also a full- service hair salon, a state-of-the-art fitness club and a spa.

The resort has a beachfront club lounge and restaurant with beautiful views over the bay and a fine dining restaurant that overlooks the marina where there are 50 yacht and motor boat moorings.

Entry level apartments at The Landings start at around €435,000 while larger beachfront apartments are priced from €1.28 million. A four-bedroom duplex of 344sq m (3,700sq ft), which has its own private pool, will cost upwards of €1.083 million.

The apartment prices exclude monthly service charges. Construction is underway and will be finished by the end of 2011. Owners at The Landings also have membership at the St Lucia Golf and Country Club, a three-minute drive from the resort.

A couple of well-known Irish business people have already bought here, and British broadcaster Trevor Nelson has invested in a three-bedroom penthouse with a Jacuzzi on the terrace.

The resort, run by Rock Resorts, is situated next to Sandals Grande St Lucian, one of three properties already operated by the group here. Sandals also own the land on the other side of Landings. This is earmarked for development.

Development plans elsewhere on the island include the redevelopment of the port of Castries, where the large cruise ships dock, which is due to start later this year.

A memorandum has now been signed, says Allan Chastenet, the island’s minister for tourism Plans include a sea-front boardwalk with three miles of promenade.

A new airport terminal is also in the planning stages and work on a new highway is also in the pipeline. Several St Lucian developments have been on hold as a result of the global downturn. These include the Ritz Carlton site, run by Irish developers Roebuck International, and Westin Le Paradis. Works on both are due to resume later this year.

For further information telephone 0044-207-192811 or see thelandingsstlucia.com