getting to know

Desert
Island
Delight
I
f you’ve ever listened to Desert
Lush, small, sunny and Island Discs on a gloomy Sunday
unspoilt, St Lucia really is the morning and then tried to picture
the kind of ideal island on which
perfect spot to get away from you’d like to be marooned, you’ll
it all, says Robert Seymour. be pleased to discover that it’s not
just a dream: the mango-shaped, jungle-
covered, warm-watered St Lucia could have
been invented to order.
St. Lucia – just under 30 miles by 14
miles in total and a particularly popular spot
for cruise ships - is one of the Windward
Islands of the Lesser Antilles, north of
Barbados, and seems to have everything you
would want on your ideal island location
checklist…
Dramatic location? Check. ✔ The
Pitons are two 2,000ft coastal peaks covered
in rainforest and home to orchids, birds of
paradise and the local St Lucia parrot, which
were awarded Unesco World Heritage Site
status five years ago. They give their name
to the local beer (www.pitonbeer.com) and
are the island’s most famous landmark. You
have to be pretty much a professional
climber to actually climb them, the best view
being from neighbouring Mount Gimie, the
island’s tallest mountain at over 3,100ft, or
while taking a boat trip out on the sea. But

6 The Travel & Leisure Magazine


there are many more walks you can take
including: Barre de L’isle Rain Forest Trail,
a three-hour trek around the outside of the
rainforest and up to the top of Morne la
Combe (1,500ft); the Frigate Island Nature
Trail which concentrates on the breeding
grounds of the island’s frigate birds but
which is also home to boa constrictors; and
the Union Nature Trail, a network of paths
which is particularly good for those interest-
ed in birds as you’ll see hummingbirds, war-
blers and finches.
Lots to explore? Check. ✔ St Lucia has
some truly glorious forest – there’s more
than 20,000 acres of it - or scubadive and
snorkel around its fabulous reefs, all proudly
protected carefully by the local government.
Mildly scary volcano? Check. ✔ St.
Lucia’s old French capital Soufriere not only
has some gorgeous historic wooden build-
ings but also its own volcano. Still technical-
ly active (though we’re talking gas and
heady sulphur scents rather than rivers of
lava, fortunately), it’s regarded as the world’s
only drive-in volcano as you can drive right
up to it to explore before taking a guided
tour or even try out the water which is said
to ease many ailments.
Beautiful waterfalls and beaches?
Check. ✔ A dip under the Diamond Falls
has been enjoyed by visitors since the days
of King Louis XVI while the very clean
beaches such as Reduit Beach are absolutely
stunning.
Lots of coconuts? Check. ✔
Some similar luxury island locations
have been spoilt by overbuilding, but despite
increasing numbers of tourists in recent
decades, St Lucia has thankfully avoided
going down this route and it retains a lot of
its old glory (next time you watch the origi-
nal Dr Doolittle film shot 40 years ago you
can check for yourself as the island’s
Marigot Bay featured heavily).
Traditional Fayre
Indeed, this is very much still a working
island. Because of its volcanic soil, St Lucia
is particularly fertile so you will see plenty
of mangoes, papayas, pineapples, guavas,
and coconuts as well as vast quantities of
bananas (six different varieties are grown
here). Menus are unsurprisingly then full of
dishes featuring fresh fruit – particularly
bananas, especially in banana bread, salad
and boiled with fish - as well as fresh
seafood, although the national dish is
Callaloo soup whose main ingredient is a
spinach-like leaf. Look out too for pepper-
pot stew (including squash, okra, aubergine,
spinach, pumpkin, pork, beef and grated
cassava) and accras (fried codfish balls in a
spicey sauce). There are plenty of great
restaurants around the island including The
Coal Pot for fine French cuisine which over-
looks the bay at the popular town of
Castries (www.coalpotrestaurant.com)
and The Still, in a family-run working cocoa
and citrus plantation, particularly good for
Creole cuisine (http://thestillresort.com).
If you are interested in seeing these tropi-
cal fruits up close and personal, head for the
Fond Doux Estate (www.fonddoux
estate.com) which is a working hotel and
The Travel & Leisure Magazine 7
 Teri’s
Top
Tips
If you really want to experience the
highs of St Lucia’s nightlife, make a
beeline for one of the many weekly
street parties held on Fridays known as
"jump-ups" where there are as many
locals as tourists.There’s plenty of
dancing at these rum and reggae get-
togethers as well as lots of delicious
food on hand from food stalls serving
freshly barbecued meat and seafood.
You can also try a "sea-moss shake"
which features seaweed, milk, sugar, and
fruit in its ingredients and which is
guaranteed to keep you jumping up all
evening.The best jump-ups are at Gros
Islet and Anse la Raye.

bit more developed and has a busier vibe

with less spectacular scenery. However, it
does have lovelier golden sandy beaches.
The south-west is much more impressive in
terms of landscape - the Pitons are here for a
start - and has better access to the rainforest
and other main sights. But the beaches are
mainly grey volcanic sand. Perhaps the
answer is to split your time or consider a
two-centre holiday.
There is a really wide choice of excellent
accommodation for all budgets and don’t
forget the possibility of staying in a guest-
houses or smaller hotel which have some
great deals and offer a very personal atmos-
phere. Some are even run by ex-pats who
came here on holiday and liked it so much
they wanted to find a way to stay for longer.
Among other possibilities are:
● The Anse le Chastanet Hotel, beautifully
located on the beach and hillside, close to
the slightly faded grandeur of the town of
Soufriere. The highly individual bed-
rooms have no electronic distractions
such as televisions or radios but they do
have plenty of original art and the plush-
est rooms have no fourth wall so you can
really feel close to the nearby Pitons
(www.ansechastanet.com).
● Ladera is very popular for honeymooners
with marvellous views of the Pitons from its
bar and restaurant as well as its two dozen
bedrooms, many of which are also fourth
wall-less. This is the place if you’re after a
four-poster bed, intricate tile work and
plunge pools. (www.ladera-stlucia.com).
● Another luxury choice is the Jalousie
Plantation (www.thejalousieplant
ation.com) which is in a great location
between the two Pitons and particularly
good for scubadiving.
● Windjammer Landing (www.windjam-
mer-landing.com) is popular for fami-
lies with various babysitting services,
nannies, kids and teens clubs and even
special spa treatments for children aged
7-12
● Less expensive but still really rather pleas-
ant is Ginger Lily, a good budget option
in the popular Rodney Bay area of the
island. It has 11l large and stylish decorat-
ed rooms, some with vaulted ceilings and
hammocks on the balconies. There’s also
a really good swimming pool and restau-
rant (www.thegingerlilyhotel.com).
● La Haut Plantation is another technically
‘budget’ choice on a working plantation
above Soufrière with super views of the
Pitons. There are 10 simple rooms (again,
some have vaulted ceilings) and an excel-
lent restaurant specializing in local
Creole dishes (www.lahaut.com).
Spas and spa holidays are becoming
increasingly popular too on the island. Some
of the most popular packages are available at

10 The Travel & Leisure Magazine

Body Holiday in the all inclusive Le Sport St
Lucia. There’s an almost Andalucian feel to
the spa complex which offers a huge number
of treatments. (www.bodyholiday.com).
Though it’s a friendly operation, there is a
varying age limit for children here so do
check before signing on the dotted line.
If you like scubadiving, snorkelling and
other water sports such as water skiing,
windsurfing and kayaking, then you are
bound to love St Lucia, the more sheltered
west coast in particular – the water is warm
and crystal clear so it’s a step up from a
murky quarry in the UK and many of the
hotels offer free tuition. There are plenty of
diving schools around the island which offer
trips, expert guidance and full equipment for
everybody from beginners to experienced
divers: the authorities are keen to encourage
responsible diving tourism too and have
established the interesting Soufriere Marine
Management Area project to ensure that St
Lucia’s coastal environment is properly con-
served.
So what can you expect to see? Pretty
much everything thanks to a mixture of arti-
ficial reefs around sunken ships (look out
for black coral trees and huge barrel
sponges) as well as nurse sharks, angel fish,
and golden spotted eels. And whatever your
diving (or snorkelling) levels, there’s a spot
for you such as the heavily corralled
Keyhole Pinnacles which have four steep
pinnacle tours stretching from very deep
down indeed right up to just a couple of feet
from the surface. Other possibilities include:
● drift diving along the gentle wall of
Superman’s Flight and Anse La Raye
which has enormous rocks on a shallow
slope
● the Coral Gardens, with depths from 15
to 50ft
● Anse Chastenet, where reefs fall away to
140ft
● the Waiwinette freighter, at 90ft down
and with strong currents only for the real-
ly experienced diver
And if you do dive, keep an eye out for
the marvellously-named The Thing which is
a close relative of the Loch Ness Monster
and usually only ‘seen’ at night around Anse
Chastanet. For more details about diving, it’s
well worth having a browse around the very
detailed site at www.scubastlucia.com
The Travel & Leisure Magazine 11
The Travel & Leisure Magazine 13
 A friendly family run hotel with
• Twelve spacious rooms
• 2 self-catering apartments
• Quality restaurant & bar
• Wedding reception facilities
A quiet, tranquil location with tropical
gardens and a magnificent view
overlooking Praslin Bay and Frigate Islands.

www.foxgroveinn.com ROOMS • RESTAURANT • BAR

Tel: 001 758 455 3800 Thirteen rooms. La Haut Restaurant features a varied
menu of Creole cuisine, served by friendly staff. Open daily
for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8am-9pm.
All with magnificent views overlooking the twin peak
Pitons, Soufriere Valley and the Caribbean Sea.

Come join us
Tel: 1-758-459-7008
www.lahaut.com

14 The Travel & Leisure Magazine