Saint Lucia Hiking – A Natural “Stair Climber” of a Trail
Saint Lucia can be found in the southern Caribbean’s Windward Islands, just south of Martinique and west of Barbados. Exploring St. Lucia will reveal a green mountainous island with the distinctive and easily recognizable volcanic spires called the Pitons. A popular Caribbean destination, best known for romantic getaways, St. Lucia also has plenty to offer adventurous travelers looking to hike in the Caribbean. While the island has a variety of trails, including relaxing short nature walks, no Saint Lucia hiking trip is complete without climbing the iconic and majestic Gros Piton.
One year we decided to hike the Piton while we visited the island as part of a cruise. We had signed up for a boat, beach and hiking tour and our day started by boarding a speedboat at the Castries cruise ship terminal. We sped south along St. Lucia’s west coast towards the popular tourist area of Soufriere. We were motoring fast and had to hold on to our hats to keep from losing them overboard. What would have taken over an hour by car, we traveled in half the time, skipping over the waves. I was trying to check-out the coastline attractions along the way, however it was a constant strain, with the sun sitting so low in the background. Eventually, our tour guide took the boat right up onto the beach just south of the Pitons, near the town of Anse Ivrogne. Now that we were up close and in the shadow of the intimidating Piton, I have to admit I was a little nervous – It looked fairly steep and tall.
Our hiking guide was waiting for us on the beach and after a brief introduction we headed off, first along the shore, then inland towards the mountain. It wasn’t long before we reached the trailhead at the base of the Piton. The trail started out on a nice natural dirt path surrounded by low-growth trees and shrubs. We were walking on a steady and gradual incline, sort of winding around the mountain a bit instead of heading aggressively straight up the side of the Piton. After about half an hour or so I figured we were about a third of the way up the mountain. At this point, the path converged with a trail from the east, which I understand comes from an alternative starting point for the hike, in the village of Fond Gen Libre. OK, now the trail turned towards the piton and took a more direct assault of the mountain. It got much steeper and more challenging in a hurry. It was a pretty tough climb for the next half hour as we gained some serious elevation. We stopped for a short break, drinking some much-needed water and taking some awesome pictures. There was a viewing area where we could see the beautiful south-east coastline of St. Lucia, along with the island of St. Vincent faintly visible in the background. This was a sensational view that got me wondering what the views from the top of the piton would be like.
The next, and final 30 minutes or so of the hike was pretty steep… ok, really steep. It was like being on a stair-climber in a gym with no AC. There were some areas where we literally scrambled and crawled on our hands and feet, up-and-over large rocks and boulders. There were other portions of the path that skirted the eroded mountainside, making it a bit let’s say, interesting. There were rough man-made stairs along with rustic railings consisting of ropes and branches in order to keep us safe. There was no way I was going to put too much faith (or weight) on those hand supports. We stopped again at another look-out area, this time on the other side of the mountain. This spot provided us with an amazing up-close-and-personal view of the Petit Piton. While I heard that it is possible to hike the skinnier piton, it’s obvious from this vantage point that it would be fairly dangerous climbing the slopes of that massive outcrop, which is even steeper than the Gros Piton.
We left the wooded section of the piton and with one more short burst of energy, we made it to the top. While we were catching our breath one more time, we relaxed a while taking in the spectacular views of the south end of the island. There was a nice refreshing breeze at the top which cooled us down from all the physical exertion and sweating we had done to get here. At approximately 2,600 feet (785 meters) above sea level, we could see the outline of the little peninsula Vieux Fort to the south-east, along with a clear view of St. Vincent to the south. I could stay up here all day – This view just doesn’t get old.
The hike had been all up-hill and had tested our leg and cardio conditioning for sure… Our guide, knowing that we were on a schedule, had pushed us all to keep moving. While the path to get here was fairly challenging, the hike wasn’t over yet. The trail down is the same as the way up, this time scrambling down over the rocks and steep sections of the trail. I’ve always found it harder on the legs to go down a mountain than up it, although thankfully this trail really wasn’t very long, so it didn’t cause any problems.
St. Lucia’s Pitons are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is probably one of the most photographed landmarks in the southern Caribbean. As a result, the Gros Piton is by far the most popular hike in St. Lucia, and as an icon of the island, a must-do for the hiking enthusiast! No surprise that we encountered a few other groups on the trail. We eventually made our way back to the boat for the return voyage. This time we took a relaxing cruise northward along the coast. With plenty of time before the cruise ship left port, we stopped at Sugar Beach where we enjoyed some snorkeling and lunch. We also took a little tour of the luxurious Marigot Bay before heading back to port. WOW – What a great day!
ACT Staff
For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Saint Lucia, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):
For an overview of this popular Caribbean Island destination, take a look at our Saint Lucia Vacations page
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Saint Lucia Adventures blog for more great ideas!
For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Saint Lucia blog
