By day, the warm breeze rustles through the palm trees and at night the air comes to life with the sound of high pitched whistling. At first, I thought this was the sound of insects but later found it to be the noise of tiny, whistling tree frogs. With it’s white sandy beaches, lush rainforests and mountains Saint Lucia has everything you could dream of in a holiday location and so much more – vibrant market towns, delicious food and friendly people. This was a trip of a lifetime and still feels like a dream. If you’re planning a trip to this Caribbean gem, here’s a round up of what to do and when to go.
Things to do
Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens
Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens is a paradise of tropical plants and a trail leads you through to the impressive waterfall. Before going to St Lucia, I hoped to see hummingbirds. Spotting them flitting between the colourful heliconias, known as lobster claws because that’s exactly what they look like, was something special. I found it really interesting to see produce like cashew apples growing, which we can’t get in the UK as they’re so fragile, as well as the water being black from volcanic mud.
Soufrière Volcano and Mud Baths
Just outside the colourful fishing town of Soufriere sits the sulphur springs, known as the ‘world’s only drive-in volcano’ because you can drive right up to where the lush greenery falls away to burnt crust. Formed by a weak spot in the crust of the collapsed volcano crater, you can see how volatile the area once was. While the last volcanic eruption was in 1766, the remaining sulfur springs bubble at over 100 degrees celsius and aren’t to be messed with. Our guide tells us that you used to be able to walk on the field pictured below, until a tourist named Gabriel fell through and was severly burned. The spot is now known as Gabriel’s Hole.
No trip to the volcano is complete without getting in the mud baths. Said to have medicinal properties, you can dip in pools of varying temperatures. There’s a ritual to this routine which is enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. You soak, cover yourself in volcanic mud from a bucket, let the mud dry, decorate yourself (and each other) with thicker darker mud and then shower off – apparently feeling ten years younger.
Rainforest Ziplining
One of the most exhilarating things you can do in St Lucia is zip through the treetops. Treetop Adventure Park near Dennery offers twelve ziplines, of all different heights and lengths, that take you through the heart of the rainforest. The guides sort you out with a harness and gloves and make the whole experience fun – even the most nervous people in the group managed to tackle all twelve ziplines. We didn’t see any spiders or snakes en route but there was a huge tarantula in one of the lockers at the beginning! Thankfully, this was the first and last spider we saw on the trip. You can take your go-pro or the guides do an amazing job of capturing the views on your phone for you. All in all, it was an experience I’ll never forget.
Hiking Gros Piton
The Pitons are a defining feature of St Lucia. Gros Piton is the taller of the two, at 2,619 feet above sea level, but is easier to climb than Petit Piton and is the only one you’re allowed to hike without a permit.
The climb is not for the faint hearted, you need sturdy shoes and plenty of water and snacks in the heat. The walk is said to take between three and six hours, and we saw lots of people turn back a quarter of the way up, so make sure you’re prepared and start early in the morning to avoid the heat.
At the bottom of the trail, you’ll pay entry fees and be assigned a guide who will talk you through the history of the area and take you up the best route. Many of the guides live at the bottom of the mountain in the small community Fond Gens Libre, ‘Valley of Free People’, which we learned was established by enslaved people who escaped to the mountains. Our guide, Damascus, glided up in crocs with minimal effort but we managed to keep up and were rewarded with stunning views across the island and even saw wild mongoose at the top. This became my favourite hike I’ve done, the scenery was so unique and challenging, at times a verticle scramble up rocks, seeing a 300 year old mango tree on the way and the real sense of achievement on reaching the top.
Des Cartiers Trail
For a more relaxed rainforest hiking experience, head to Des Cartiers Trail. This was our first experience being in the rainforest and we truly felt like we were among giants. This is a lesser used trail, and one that’s slightly difficult to find but it’s so worth it for the views. I recommend going with a guide who can point out the local wildlife (and the wildlife you don’t want to see – the area is meant to be home to lots of snakes, including boa constrictors!). We didn’t spot the elusive St Lucian parrot but definitely heard them flitting between the trees.
Snorkeling at Sugar Beach
The Anse Piton Marine Reserve is a must-visit snorkeling spot. Nestled between the Pitons, Sugar Beach is a gorgeous white sand beach that belongs to a resort. Boat trips will drop you on the sand for a day of exploring the coral reefs. Seeing so many tropical fish, like moray eels, butterfly fish, ocean surgeon fish (and more that I couldn’t name!), was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I could have stayed there watching the under water world all day.
Beaches
The islands beaches speak for themselves, white sand, palm trees and a warm breeze. Wherever you go, it’s sure to be beautiful and many offer activities like kayaking and snorkelling too. Even though we travelled in the shoulder season, I was surprised by how quiet the beaches were during our time here and it felt like a slice of postcard paradise.
When to go
For the best weather, travel to St Lucia between December – February. For cheaper travel, the shoulder season is March – April and you’ll get plenty of sunshine still, as well as the odd rain shower. Showers here are torrential but only last fifteen minutes or so and tend to freshen everything up in the morning or evening. It’s best to avoid the summer months, with hurricane season typically between June – November. Locals told us there’s only two seasons, the wet and the dry and most of the time it’s dry, while hurricanes often don’t make the land, the island was devastated by Hurricane Tomas in 2010 so it’s good to do your research before you book!
I was going to include where to stay in this post too but I think I could write a whole seperate post on that – overall I think St Lucia is a bucket list destination that has so much to offer, whether you’re travelling with family and friends, honeymooning, or even solo.
