Soufriere, St Lucia
January 30 - February 9, 2023
Oh Soufriere! What a completely different vibe from the northern area of St Lucia....Soufriere is said to be a paradise and it truly lives up to its reputation. Soufriere is located approximately 45 minutes by bus from the capital of Castries. Traveling up and down these mountainous twisty roads, we eventually catch a glimpse of the panoramic view of the village of Soufriere nestled below the majestic petit piton (the small volcano). It is here, that the heart and soul of St Lucia lives. It's where the majority of activities and beaches can be found and where the best views on the island can be seen because of the twin pitons (the twin volcano's - petit piton and grand piton). Soufriere is a working fishing village, though tourism is a major part of its economy. We're very happy to spending some time here, soaking in the views and vibes of this area!
Our Accommodations
Our original accommodations didn't work out, so we moved last minute into a place called Up a Level Guesthouse. Run by a lovely woman named Glenda, we were happy to stumble upon it. Though its a 3 bedroom house with more space than we need, its a reasonable price in a decent location. Set in a very local neighbourhood, its within walking distance to town centre and has a view of petit piton. The house isn't online yet.
Village of Soufriere
There's an eclectic mix of tourists and fishing village life here. People seem friendly and the vibe is chill.
The Soufriere beach itself is a simple black sand beach, a bit rocky and rough, but the view can't be beat.
Soufriere beach, sunset is nearing
Tet Paul Trail - Grand and Petit Piton's
February 1, 2023
There are so many amazing trails in this area but the Tet Paul Nature Trail will arguably give you one of the best views. We hopped on a bus from town and got dropped off at the road junction that leads to the trail. From here, it's a 30 minute walk up a steep incline road to the entrance of the Tet Paul Trail. The entrance fee includes a guide which was helpful in getting the low down on the plants, trees and fruits that grow in the area. From the viewing platform at the top of trail, there are mind blowing views of both pitons, including neighbouring islands of Martinique and St Vincent. We ended up on the same tour as another couple from Texas and enjoyed some laughs and good conversation. We found the guide to be a little rushed, but all in all, it was one of the best days we've had.
Soufriere Sulphur Springs Park
February 1, 2023
After finishing the Tet Paul Trail, we walked back down to the main road where we hitched a ride 2 minutes down the road to the entrance of the Sulphur Springs Park. These mud baths are one of the most visited sites in St Lucia. Known as the worlds only "drive up volcano" because you can drive right up to the volcanic field with its various hues of colors and take in the strong sulphur smell. The volcano is not the classic cone shape you'd imagine, it’s more like what another blogger described as what the inside of a volcano might look like - rugged, sparse, and steaming. All of the tour groups come to do the same thing - get wet, slather grey mud on your body, let it dry, slather black mud on your body to make designs, take photo's, wash off....So naturally, we did the same! The pools are roughly 100-102 degrees and comes straight from the volcano. The rich mineral content of the pools is said to help cure skin conditions and other ailments. The entrance is either for the mud baths only, tour of the volcano field only, or a combo. We opted for the baths only and a nice security guide at the park directed us and helped us with photo's.
Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens and Mineral Baths
February 2, 2023
Located just a 20 minute walk from our apartment, we ventured out for a morning soak to Diamond Falls and Mineral Baths. Set in an estate that dates back to 1784, the original baths were built upon hot springs so that the troops of France's King Louis XVI could take advantage of their therapeutic effects. Today, its a beautifully manicured gardens where a path leads to a waterfall running down the rock face - said to have been used in the film Romancing the Stone. You can also take a dip in the public mineral baths set among the nature of the gardens - three clear pools of varying warmth. You can also do a soak in the private baths which we found unappealing. Set inside a small white house with no windows, you fill the tub with a mixture of warm and cold water to your liking - But there's no ambiance or views and it seemed like too much work to be worth it. Overall, it was a nice way to start the day!
Anse Chastanet and Anse Mamin
February 3, 2023
These two beaches located just a 15 minute drive from Soufriere, are some of the prettiest beaches in the area. They're both beige/black sand beaches with a quiet vibe despite they both front resorts. Getting to Anse Chastanet means travelling a skinny steep road rising above the village and then descending into the pretty bay. Anse Chastanet is known for its snorkeling but we found it to be only mediocre. From Chastanet, there is a short path that leads to the other beach, Anse Mamin which felt even more chill.
Sugar Beach
February 4, 2023
Sugar Beach...its location can't be beat! Nestled between the two pitons, its a magnificent place of beauty that's about as good as it gets in St Lucia. There is a very posh resort here that looks pretty awesome (and very expensive). All beaches in St Lucia are public so there are day trippers splayed out on their towels in between the lovely palapa's and chair loungers....Small boats of tourists come and go, but it never felt overcrowded. There is a small roped off section of the ocean that's part of the marine reserve and the snorkeling there was quite good. The only downside: they ship in white sand from Guyana to mix with the beige sand to please resort goers. The effect is sugary white soft sand that feels as good as it looks, though bloggers and others we spoke with felt mixed on wether that was a good thing or not...However, spending the day here was fantastic!