St. Lucia: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Jazz!

  Known for its balmy tropical weather and sparkling beaches, St. Lucia also boasts world-class scuba diving, dense rainforests teeming with life, the Pitons (the twin peaks of the Caribbean), the world’s only drive in volcano Sulphur  Springs, and an incredible diversity of culture and geography. This diversity presents itself in all aspects of life on St. Lucia. The official language of St. Lucia is English, but many of the natives speak a French-based Creole  language called Kweyol. There are modern towns that cater to tourism as well as villages that are virtually unchanged from when they were first settled.                

     The mountains and steep hills of the north give way to the level plains of the south. The Atlantic side of the island has rough, cold waters that are not amenable to SCUBA diving, while the warm, calm waters of the Caribbean side of the island possess some of the finest SCUBA diving of all the Caribbean islands. Every year around early May the natural elements make room for an element of a different nature. St. Lucia happens to host one of the World’s best Jazz festivals, as music lovers from around the globe flock to the small island to hear the sounds of major headliners to a collective group of St. Lucian Jazz icons that play locally year round. In essence, this tiny paradise has it all!

Note: the following is a sample itinerary. We are able to alter any aspects of the trip to fit the client’s needs and wishes as long as they are possible.

Arrive on St. Lucia

We will pick our guests up at the airport and drive them to their accommodations. Depending on the size of the party, we will either stay in a hotel, or rent a villa for larger parties. Guests will have some time to get acclimated before we meet up to get oriented and acquainted. We will give our guests a brief history of the island and discuss the upcoming activities for the week. After dinner, guests are invited to retire to their rooms to rest up for the busy and exciting week ahead.

SCUBA at Anse Chastanet

Close to the Pitons on the Southwest coast is the town of Anse Chastanet, one of the finest beach entry dive spots on the island. The reef boasts an amazing wall that drops off from 20 feet to nearly 140 feet deep. We will spot a variety of schooling fish, spotted eels, stingrays, and sea turtles. Itinerary: After breakfast we will get together for an overview of the dive. We will load the boat and proceed to the dive location. We will have our first dive at Anse Chastanet, exploring the magnificence of the reef wall. After our first dive, we will enjoy a boxed lunch before returning to the reef for a second dive. After the second dive, we will take a break and discuss the adventure so far, sharing the many different marine wildlife sightings we experienced. Depending on the length of the first two dives, we may enjoy a third dive. After spending the day in the water, we will return to the hotel to clean up and change. Guests are then free to explore the town, have dinner and enjoy the local culture.

Mid Island Tour

Although St. Lucia is better known for its dramatic mountain scenery and its exceptional diving, the island also offerssome of the most unique cultural and geological wonders in the Caribbean. This tour highlights these wonders in a two part journey. The first leg is a tour of the Diamond Botanical Gardens and hike to the Diamond Waterfall, known for its many colors caused by the sulphur content of the water. The gardens are part of a 2000 — acre estate presented to The Devaux Brothers by King Louis XVI in 1713 for services to the state. The gardens are filled with a variety of bird and plant life. Some examples include the endemic St. Lucia parrot, the St. Lucia Oriole, and the St. Lucia Finch. Non- native trees such as Mahogany and Teak can also be seen. The second leg is a tour of a local plantation and a visit to the famous “drive-in” volcano. Itinerary: After breakfast we will meet for an overview of our day’s journey. After our meeting, we will depart for the town of Soufriere, where we will begin part one of our two part adventure: the Botanical Gardens. We will then walk along the cultural trail leading back to the taxi that will take us to the second leg of our journey: the plantation and volcano tour. We will enjoy lunch and a brief tour of an old cocoa and fruit plantation before heading to the “drive in” volcano for a half hour guided walk to explore all 20 bubbling pools of sulphuric mud and water. Following the volcano tour we will have time to enjoy the shopping and sights of the town of Soufriere before boarding the bus back to the hotel. The evening will be free to have dinner, relax and rest for the next day’s adventure. 

SCUBA at the Pitons

At the base of Petit Piton, one of the two mountains overlooking Soufriere Bay is a stunning 200 ft. drop off wall. This stunning dive site boasts huge barrel sponges, black coral trees, and marine life on a massive scale. The strong currents along the wall mean crystal clear water and a great chance to see some pelagic fish species such as dolphinfish, wahoo, tuna and possibly even some billfish. We may even be lucky enough to encounter dolphin and whale. Itinerary: After breakfast we will meet for a dive overview. We will load the boat and head to the dive site. After the first dive, we will break for lunch and share with the group our various aquatic sightings. After lunch we will enjoy a second dive, exploring more of this stunning underwater paradise. We will take a break and, depending on the length of the first 2 dives, may have a third before returning to the hotel. Your evening is again free to enjoy a leisurely dinner, relax and prepare for the next day’s journey. 

Rainforest Hike

Day 5 will be the most strenuous activity of our journey, but the rewards will be well worth the work! We will be hiking the famous EnbasSaut Waterfalls Trail in the Central Forest Reserve, a 19,000 acre rainforest reserve at the base of Mount Gimie. This 5 km trail takes you deep into the wildest and most scenic part of the reserve. You will feel completely removed from modern life in this dense wilderness area. The Waterfall trail traverses rain forest, cloud forest, and Elfin woodlands. You may catch sightings of the rare St. Lucia parrot, St. Lucia oriole, black finch, blue hooded euphonia, and mountain whister. The majesty of this unspoiled wilderness is unparalleled as you enjoy scenic views of the nearby mountains. At the end of the trail is its namesake, two cascading waterfalls and pools at the head of the Troumassee River, where you can bathe in the purest rainforest water. Itinerary: We will meet for breakfast and discuss the upcoming day’s adventure. After breakfast we will load into the bus for the journey to the trailhead. We will hike along the trail, enjoying incredible vistas and bird watching along the way. When we reach the falls we will have lunch and then enjoy a swim in the crystal clear pools. After swimming, we will head back down the trail to the bus, and return to our hotel. After washing up, guests are free for dinner and relaxation

Hiking Gros Pitons

Gros Piton and Petit Piton together have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are the symbols of St. Lucia. At 2,461 ft, the hike to the summit is a strenuous one, but the views at the top are spectacular-well worth the 10 hours of hiking for the day! Itinerary: We will meet for an early breakfast before loading on the bus and head to the trailhead. After a few hours of hiking we will stop for lunch at one of the trail’s many scenic vista points. After lunch we will continue our hike to the summit. Once at the summit, we will spend time enjoying the breathtaking views of the island. We will then head back down the mountain to the trailhead. After a bus ride back to the hotel, we will clean up and meet for a special farewell dinner

Departure Day

On this day we will say our goodbyes as you prepare for your departure. It is our hope that you will be leaving with some unforgettable memories of this fantastic journey we took together. We will provide you transportation to the airport and say our goodbyes

Trip Details Our St. Lucia Mountain and Water Journey includes 6 day accommodations in a double room, 6 boxed lunches, 6 dives over 3 days including tanks and weights, boat trips, transportation throughout the island, taxes, park entrance fees, transportation between airport and hotel and back, guided hikes, and video documentaries of all the dives and hikes. We also will provide sun block, and a medical kit for emergencies.

Airfare

For cancellation up to 3 days, a full refund will be given. For cancellation up to 1 days, 50% refund will be given.