St Lucia: The Get Off Your Sun-Lounger Guide

 

St Lucia is the perfect destination for relaxation, but when you finally do decide to get up off your sun-lounger and take a look at this incredible island, here are some great places where you can get off-the-beaten-track and discover how truly breathtaking this island is…

 

Get on Your Bike

 

How does mountain biking through the jungle or down the side of a volcano sound? Enough off-the-beaten-track for you? Then get in touch with Bike St Lucia. The company’s custom trails are designed to accommodate both the first time and experienced riders on Cannondale suspension bikes. It also has a training where riders can learn or brush up on their off-road riding skills.

 

Climb Every Mountain

 

Real St Lucia Tours offers full-day hikes up Gros Piton with local guides who know the climb like the back of their hand. It takes between three and six hours to get up Gros Piton, at the top you’ll be rewarded with astonishing views of the Caribbean, Soufriere and Vieux Fort, as well as the colored rooftops of the island’s quaint fishing villages.

 

Go Parrott Spotting

 

Take a walk along the botanic paradise that is the Des Cartiers Rainforest Trail and you could come face to face with the endangered St Lucia Parrot. With a bright blue head, green winds and sunshine-yellow tail, St Lucia’s national bird can only be found in the wild on this island. They particularly like to hang out in the mango trees, so keep your eyes peeled.

 

Feel on Top of the World

 

Head for the 1.5-mile Barre de l’Isle Trail on the Barre de L’Isle ridge, which almost cuts the eastern and western parts of the island into two. From up on the ridge you can see both the Caribbean and the Atlantic. You’ll also be rewarded with fantastic vistas of Mount Gimie, Cul-de-Sac Valley and Mabouya Valley.

 

Stonefield Villa Resort is the perfect accommodation option if you want to get off-the-beaten-track in St Lucia. Cradled in the lush rainforest of the island’s west coast, this stunning resort invites you to immerse yourself in one of the most sublimely beautiful settings in the world. Built in harmony with its natural surroundings, Stonefield Villa Resort offers a unique eco-resort experience that features private, semi-outdoor villas, world-class dining and a full-service spa.