Candice LandauIn June 2025 I spent 10 wonderful days in St Lucia. Best of all? I did it in style, staying first at Sandals’ Regency La Toc, and then moving on to Anse Chastanet below one of (arguably) the coolest boutique dive resorts I’ve ever seen—Jade Mountain.
Though I’d recently become a little disappointed by Caribbean diving thanks to a number of heat waves that didn’t let up soon enough in time for corals to recover, I was pleasantly surprised by how healthy the reefs looked in St Lucia, especially around the Pitons.
But, what really blew my mind was the number of fish and the number of things available to do topside.
Here’s what I recommend (I was only able to do half of these) but I heard so much good stuff about the others that I had to list them.
1. Climb Gros Piton (or its backup)
The Pitons are two dramatic volcanic spires—Gros Piton and Petit Piton—that rise almost straight out of the Caribbean on St Lucia’s southwest coast. Chances are, you’ve seen them in glossy brochures and on magazine covers (hint, hint). They’re part of a 2,909-hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site prized for its geology, coral reefs and rainforest biodiversity.
I like to think of them as a 2,600-ft stair-master carved out of lava, which is also incidentally why I didn’t do this climb! Guides are mandatory and the round-trip hike clocks four to five hours if you’re fit. Leave by 7 a.m. and you’ll still make the afternoon boat. Remember, you probably don’t want to do this after your mornin of diving thanks to the altitude.
Not sure it’s for you? Check out what others had to say about it on Tripadvisor. And please do NOT forget to take a ton of water.
Short on time? Hit the Tet Paul Nature Trail, a comparatively breezy 45-minute loop that still hands you a postcard-perfect double-Piton panorama. Entry is roughly US $10 and the path’s mellow enough to manage in running shoes or hiking sandals.
2. Soak in a drive-in volcano
Just south of Soufrière the rainforest thins, the air smells like boiled eggs, and…you’ve reached Sulphur Springs. Slide into 100 °F mud pools locals claim zap wetsuit rash and post-fin calf cramps.
Once you’re out of the mineral-rich pool, dip your hand into one of the many clay buckets that surround it and lather your body with the thick white clay. Once you’re done, head on over to the fellow painting designs onto people using black clay. If you’re feeling particularly creative, you can paint your own designs on too.
Entry to this site costs US $10. Bring a dark swimsuit so it doesn’t stain and be prepared to wash your swimsuit multiple times in order to remove the stench. There are change-rooms on-site so don’t feel you have to get in your swimsuit before. Also, take a towel that can stain! You won’t be rinsing here, but likely heading over to a nearby waterfall to do just that.
Take a camera though. The pictures you get out of it are awesome.
Though this experience sounds a bit gimmicky, I really enjoyed it. I got fun photos out of it and it totally different than anything I’d done before.
Dive-safety tip: Do this on a non-diving day, or with a few hours between. Hot water plus nitrogen is a lousy combo.
3. Cannon runs and Caribbean history
Pigeon Island National Landmark isn’t technically an island anymore. A causeway built in 1972 now stitches it to the mainland. Still, it seems like its own world of crumbling gun batteries and reef-rimmed coves. Legend says the French privateer “Jambe de Bois” camped here to raid Spanish galleons. A century later the British piled cannons onto Fort Rodney to keep French fleets in check. Today it’s a national park where you can scramble past rusty guns, scout powder magazines, then knock out a ten-minute summit climb for a windswept view of both the Atlantic and Caribbean. Pack mask and snorkel if you can as I’m told the shallows at the base are great for a fishy snorkel.
Alas, I had to skip this topside distraction as I hadn’t built in enough time for it. I was a little too dive-focused!
4. Snack, haggle, repeat
Castries Central Market is a riot of nutmeg pyramids, cocoa sticks and sauce ladies who’ll talk you into one more bottle (if you’re like me—a sauce person by nature—watch out). Fridays and Saturdays after 10 a.m. are the loudest and the tastiest. Bring small EC$ bills and your own bag to carry out all your purchases.
It’s worth mentioning that all the creative crafts and wares the resorts are selling can be found at a tenth of the price here, at least that’s what my taxi driver told me!
Personally, I’m a huge fan of cocoa tea (a local tea you’ll just have to try for yourself), oh and the local creole spice.
5. Rum straight from the barrel
Near Marigot Bay, St. Lucia Distillers walks you through vintage pot stills and sticky molasses vats before lining up samples of Chairman’s Reserve and local overproof. If you’re not careful you can get seriously toasted here and there are tens of rums to taste with very little control over how much your pour yourself.
Spoiler: they have THE best rum cake I’ve ever tasted. No, I’m not joking. It beats everything I’ve ever had out of England (though I suppose that’s Brandy pudding more than anything). Get the cake.
First tour 9 a.m., last 3 p.m. Book a driver if you plan on more than a polite sip. Get more info on the website.
My favorite pour, initially was the Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum but very quickly became the Admiral Rodney St Lucia Rum. That was a class in and of its own.
6. Grow, grind, eat your own chocolate
At Rabot Estate, Project Chocolat lets you graft a cacao seedling, crack sun-dried beans and hand-temper a bar you’ll probably demolish before reaching the parking lot. Tours run daily. If you want, you can also stay here too though personally I think that would be dangerous…
If you have more self-control than I do, you’ll save some of the chocolate for whatever rum you purchase as they two pair seriously well, depending on the rum and chocolate of course.
Don’t have time to hit Rabot Estate? See if your resort offers a rum and chocolate tasting experience. Anse Chastanet did just this and I learned that chocolate and rum are a heady combination I’d never have thought of.
7. Got time to party?
Come sundown, the fishing lanes of Gros Islet turn into the weekly street party where locals and tourists mix. Think curbside grills cranking lobster and breadfruit, speakers pumping soca (a genre of music from Trinidad and Tobago), and rum coolers every ten steps. Party lights up around 7 p.m. and rolls past midnight. Stash valuables, pace the Piton lagers and you’ll be golden.
Quick logistics
Getting around: With windy mountain roads, 25 miles can take 90 minutes to drive. Pre-book taxis or rent a car if you like hair-pin views. Traffic isn’t too heavy until you near the cities but as always, be careful.
Cash versus card: Tours usually take cards and can often be booked through hotels or resorts. Markets and street vendors prefer cash. Tips can be taxed so it’s better to tip in cash if you can. The conversion for USD to EC (East Caribbean dollar) is approximately 2.7 to 1. Most places accept USD.
Things to pack: Pack reef-safe sunscreen, plenty of water, a micro-fiber or quick-dry towel, shoes with treat (I tool hiking sandals), a light backpack (for stashing things), insect repellant (yes, there are mosquitoes), and cash for tips.
