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Hike, Snorkel, Bike and Kayak in St. Lucia

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Active things to do in St. Lucia include Hiking the Gros Piton

6 Things to do in St. Lucia – A Top Caribbean Destination for Adventure

Saint Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s ‘Windward’ islands. Found near the southern end of the Caribbean islands chain, St. Lucia is just south of Martinique with Barbados to its east.  Saint Lucia is a mountainous island covered in green rain-forest and home to the iconic Gros and Petit Pitons (mountains), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  A very popular Caribbean vacation destination traditionally focused on romantic getaways, there are plenty of adventurous things to do in St. Lucia.  Our favourite active vacation activities include:

Saint Lucia Hiking on a Diverse Assortment of Trails

There are a variety of trails on the island, offering something for everyone – From short nature walks to intermediate hikes along with a couple of challenging hikes.  While no hiking trip to Saint Lucia is complete without climbing the majestic Gros Piton, the island has about half a dozen mountains above 1,500 feet (500m) tall, the tallest being Mount Gimie at just over 3,000 feet (950m). You should know that a Saint Lucia Forestry Department day-pass, along with a local guide, is officially required to hike on the island.

The best hiking trails in the south end of St. Lucia include:

Active things to do in St. Lucia include Hiking Morne / Mount Gimie

Mount/Morne Gimie Trail in the Edmund Forest Reserve – Plan a full day for this fairly challenging hike covering 5-6 miles (8-10km) of occasionally extreme up and down terrain, as well as a waterfall. This diverse trail will reward you with amazing views along the way, including a really unique perspective of the island from the top

For more information, including hiking guides to show you the way, check out our Hike St. Lucia – Mount/Morne Gimie page

While we’re talking about it…  The Edmund Forest Reserve is the final destination for a couple of ‘cross-country’ trails of note.  The Des Cartiers to Edmund Trail is an approximately 5 mile (8km) long easy-to-intermediate level hike, while the Barre D’Isle to Edmund Trail is a more challenging 10 mile (16km) hike venturing across a nice ridge requiring 4-6 hours to complete.

Gros Piton Trail – This challenging hike consists of a pretty much constant climb to get to the top.  While less than 3 miles (4.4km) round trip, it can take anywhere from 3-6 hours to complete.  Once you catch your breath, amazing Caribbean sea views await.

For a more detailed review of the hike, click on our Hike St. Lucia – Gros Piton page

Active things to do in St. Lucia include Hiking Enbas Saut Falls

Enbas Saut Falls Trail – This is an intermediate level hike with lots of rustic wooden/natural stairs to first descend, then climb on the return journey.  Depending on your starting point, the hike can cover over 5 miles (9km), requiring 3-4 hours to get to and from the fun and amazing cascading waterfalls.

For more info, including hiking guides to make it happen, check out Hike St. Lucia – Enbas Saut Falls

The best hikes in the north part of Saint Lucia include the Intermediate level Piton Flore Trail and the interesting Barre D’Isle Ridge / Mount La Combe Area Trails.  On the east side of island, the Eastern Nature Trail is a fairly easy, but somewhat long trail that takes you along the remote eastern coastline of St. Lucia.

One of the funnest things to do in Saint Lucia, find more information about the trails on the island, including hiking guides who will help you get the most out of your day, click on St. Lucia Hiking

St. Lucia Snorkeling – With or without a Boat!

One of the better islands in the Caribbean for snorkeling, Saint Lucia offers half a dozen locations along the west coast of the island to explore clear blue waters full of diverse coral and colourful fish.  Slip into the warm Caribbean sea and snorkel right off the beach – A unique underwater world you just can’t experience on land.  One of the most enjoyable things to do in Saint Lucia, the best snorkeling sites in Saint Lucia include:

Active things to do in St. Lucia include Snorkeling right off the beach

Saline Point – This small bay has a sand bottom and is protected from the wind. A reef runs parallel to the beach where plenty of fish can be seen.

Smugglers’ Cove – This large protected bay features underwater ridges which are home to a variety of crustaceans and fish. A great place for beginners…

Anse Cochon – Another large bay well protected from the wind and waves. This spot has a nice reef for exploring coral boulders along with fish, turtles, eels and more. A great location for beginners as well as more experienced snorkelers looking for underwater photography and night dives.

Anse Chastanet – This shallow reef is teeming with a rich diversity of marine life including fish and turtles. This is one of the best snorkeling sites and a favourite spot for underwater photography on the island.

Coral Gardens / Gros Piton – The island’s longest and one of it’s most popular reefs. There’s plenty of coral to explore along with a variety of fish and eels.

For those who want longer and deeper underwater exploring time, but don’t have scuba diving experience, Snuba (Mask and mouthpiece with air-tube) and Sea Trek (Full face ‘helmet’ with air-tube) tours are available.

For more information on visiting the island’s underwater world, check out our St. Lucia Snorkeling page

Golf in a Warm Tropical Setting in Saint Lucia

Looking for one of the more relaxing things to do in Saint Lucia? There are two golf courses on the island, an 18 hole / par 71 and a 9 hole / par 33.  The St. Lucia Golf Club is an 18-hole course that plays to 6,685 yards with great views of the island and the Caribbean Sea.  Close to the capital Castries, the Sandals Regency La Toc resort has a 9-hole course that plays to 3,141 yards.

For more information, click on our St. Lucia Golf page

Saint Lucia Diving – Explore a Unique Underwater World

One of the better islands in the Caribbean for scuba diving, Saint Lucia offers a variety of dive sites along the western coast of the island.  There are close to two dozen dive sites with reefs, wrecks and walls to explore. If you’ve always wanted to try scuba diving, Saint Lucia is a great place to get started – there is a dive school on the island and a number of hotels on the island offer diving PADI certification as well.  Some of the best dive sites off Saint Lucia’s coast include:

Smugglers’ Cove – This large bay is well protected from the wind and with a maximum depth around 40 feet (12m), this a great place for beginners. Underwater ridges are home to a variety of crustaceans and tropical fish.

Pigeon Island / Pigeon Point – This popular dive site includes a mixed terrain of sand, coral and boulders with a depth varying from 15 to 60 feet (5m – 18m). A variety of tropical fish, along with rays, barracuda, eels, lobster and even seahorse can be found here. A good dive site for underwater photography and night dives.

Bone Yard – A World War II era wreck can be found in about 40 feet (12m) of water. A variety of marine life, including tropical fish and lobster live in the area.

Active things to do in St. Lucia include Scuba Diving

Anse La Raye Wall – This fairly deep dive site features volcanic boulders and a coral wall with a depth varying from 60 to 110 feet (18m – 34m). The wall is home to a variety of marine life, including corals and tropical fish, along with rays. A good site for wall diving and drift dives.  

Lesleen M Wreck – A cargo vessel was sunk here for an artificial reef in about 65 feet (20m) of water on a sandy bottom. A variety of marine life, including reef fish, eels and lobster can be found here. This a good dive site for beginners.

Daini Koyomaru Wreck – A dredger sits on its side a mile offshore, making an artificial reef in about 244 feet (75m) of water. A variety of marine life, including tropical fish and barracuda call this place home. This deep dive site is for advanced divers only.

Fairyland – This deep dive site features boulders and coral walls with a depth varying from 40 to 200 feet (12m – 61m). A variety of corals and sponges are the main attraction, although turtles can be found here as well. This a good site for drift diving.

Superman’s Flight – In the shadow of the Petit Piton, this deep wall dive can take you to a depth of 1500 feet (460m). An assortment of corals, gorgonians and sponges, along with tropical fish and turtles can be found here. A good dive site for drift diving and deep diving.

For more detailed info on dive sites, boat operators and how you can enjoy one of the more adventurous things to do in Saint Lucia, click on our St. Lucia Diving page

Saint Lucia Cycling and Mountain Biking

Active things to do in St. Lucia include Mountain Biking and Cycling

Mountain biking in St. Lucia is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise while gazing across jaw-dropping views of the mountainous island and Caribbean sea. There’s different terrain and trail styles to explore on St. Lucia, including some man-made courses and several nature trails that lead to waterfalls – It doesn’t get much better than this!  Some local resorts also offer Mountain Biking lessons on trails made specifically for different experience levels.

You can take a leisurely Fat Bike tour around a town, through the rain-forest, or even on a beach! Other MTB tours take you on rain-forest trails that lead to gorgeous waterfalls, where you can relax and soak-in the beauty of your natural surroundings.  Talking about nature… There’s even an organized tour in one of the island’s protected coastal areas.

Of course, you can also find cycling tours and  bicycle rentals for taking on St. Lucia’s mountainous roads.

For more information on one of the funnest things to do in Saint Lucia, including tour operators and bike rental shops who will get you outfitted, check out our St. Lucia Cycling & Biking page

Saint Lucia Kayaking – Enjoy the Island From the Tops of the Waves

Active things to do in St. Lucia include Kayaking the coast and bays

There’s nothing like exploring St. Lucia’s waterways and shorelines by kayak. Floating around on your single or tandem kayak, you can see the island from a unique perspective and it’s the perfect speed for sightseeing.  Kayaking is something that can be enjoyed by anyone, enabling the whole family to get up close and personal with nature. You can find active or relaxing routes for vigorous or gentle paddling, it’s up to you.

There’s a number of kayak tours available in the Marigot Bay area, either along the coastline, or up a river to explore the island’s interior.  Some kayak tours include short town visits with a locally prepared lunch, while others combine a relaxing fishing or bird watching experience.  Kayaking is also available in the Soufriere area, below the towering Pitons, bringing new meaning to the peaks that are measured in ‘above sea level’.  For a unique nature experience, kayaking is also available in the remote Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area.  For the avid paddler, there are even multi-day kayak packages available ensuring an amazing and rewarding vacation experience!

For more information about one of the more adventurous things to do in Saint Lucia, including tour operators who will get you on the water, click on our St. Lucia Water Sports page

Have Fun!

ACT Staff

If you’re looking for more of a relaxing vacation, take a look at our St. Lucia Attractions blog

For an overview of the beautiful island of St. Lucia, click on our St. Lucia Vacations page

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Antigua’s Hidden Gem – Hike Monk’s Hill to Fort George

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Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!

Antigua Hiking – A Great Reward for a Little Effort

When I heard about a short but rewarding hike up to a hilltop in Antigua that had stunning views of Falmouth Harbour, I had to check it out. Part of Antigua’s National Park system, the remains of Fort George, sits atop Monk’s Hill – The English fortification, built on the island in the 17th century, can be found just north of the popular English Harbour, located along the south coast of Antigua.

As there aren’t any trail signs on the local roads, or on the trail itself for that matter, so it’s not easy to find. Luckily for us, someone provided basic directions, so that I could find the trail-head. Sure enough, after stopping for confirmation from another local, we found the trail not far behind Cobbs Cross Primary School.

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!


We followed the road until it gradually degraded into a stone covered dirt road. The road has some seriously large ruts it in, making it near impossible to drive up it very far. After my car scraped bottom a couple of times I pulled over and parked to the side of the road, kind of sticking it in a bush to allow others to go by. There are a few houses further up the road, so I’m sure that a Rover or Jeep would be able to climb further than our car, however it’s really not worth the aggravation, just to shave a couple of minutes off an enjoyable hike.

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!
The antenna marks the location of Monk’s Hill

OK, our Antigua hiking jaunt was on… We walked leisurely up the narrow track hoping that it was the actual trail – it turned out it was. We took our time, stopping every few hundred feet or so to take-in some nice views of the ocean and south coast that we could see over the rooftops of a few houses perched on the side of the hill. Wow – they must have great views from their backyards!

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!
Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!
The fortification starting to come into view


We were walking steadily uphill, but it was a fairly gentle incline, making this a very pleasant stroll. Oh ya, it’s also nice when you’re enjoying beautiful warm Caribbean weather like we were. We had only walked about 10 minutes or so when we came across a split in the road. We decided to stay left, assuming that Monk’s Hill was the hilltop we could see to our left. We found out later that going the other way would have taken us to another hilltop, slightly lower than Monk’s Hill. I understand that trail continues down the other side of the hill, to a different road further east of Cobbs Cross School – I suppose this could provide an alternative, longer route to Fort George if someone is looking for a longer Antigua hiking experience.


Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!


On the sides of the road we noticed that the area’s flora is an interesting combination of tropical forest and dry scrub desert. There’s a lot of lush greenery, although there’s plenty of large and small varieties of cacti dotting the landscape as well.


As we neared the top of the mountain the road took a hairpin turn and ran parallel to a stone wall. This is actually the outer wall of the old fortification, which runs further to the east, providing a defensive perimeter for the north side of Fort George. This is a pretty long wall, so this must have been a formidable fortress in it’s day. The road takes another turn here, this time to the right leading us under and through a stone archway in the wall – This must be the entrance to the fort. From this vantage point, standing just inside the fort, we could actually see all the way to the north-east coast and Atlantic Ocean way off in the distance.

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!
Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!



There was still a little more walking to do before reaching the hilltop. Eventually, we passed the remains of what appears to have been a stone gatehouse or something. Once we passed that, the peak sort of opens up to flatter surfaces. We could feel the wind getting stronger here so we knew we were at or near the peak. Our day of Antigua hiking was about to get exhilarating…



We then stumbled across the remains of a stone building, although we didn’t pay much attention to it as we were immediately drawn to the south, with glimpses of the Caribbean Sea. The wind was really picking up here and it was at this moment that I realized that we were on the edge of an escarpment. As we walked closer to the precipice, the southern Antigua shoreline opened up in front of us revealing the amazing bays and natural harbours below. I sat down on the edge of the cliff and savoured the stunning views – The scene of Falmouth Harbour was wonderful, as were the green rolling hills off to the right.

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!

There was no-one else here, so we had the place to ourselves – I could have just sat there all day and soaked it in! This was one of those places where you just want to hang-out, relax and lose yourself in the moment. After a while, I started to think about the hike up here… I could imagine what it must have been like here a few hundred years ago – English soldiers transporting weapons and goods from ships in the harbour up to the fort. I don’t envy them. Dressed in their heavy cotton uniforms, they must have been itchy and uncomfortably hot under the midday sun – Not pleasant at all. Meanwhile, here we were today, just kicking-back in our lightweight and breathable shorts and Ts, without a care in the world, watching a regatta unfold below us. It was fun watching several small sailboats racing back and forth across the large bay.

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!

Eventually, we decided to get up and look around some more. A short walk to the other side of the mountain top provided us with spectacular views to the north-east. The sights included the stone remains of an old mill, as well as a fairly large solar farm off in the distance. Once we had exhausted the views, we took some final pictures before journeying back down to the car. We encountered one other small group on our way down, so apparently this place hasn’t been entirely forgotten.

Antigua Hiking at it's finest - Monk's Hill to Fort George provides great views!

I can’t imagine a better way to spend a morning! This was a very pleasant, moderately steep and relatively short hike that culminates with the remains of a 17th-century fortification with stunning views of Antigua’s southern coastline. If you plan to do this hike, remember to bring water and wear a hat – It’s pretty much full exposure to the sun up on the peak.

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on Antigua & Barbuda Hiking, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

To Hike Antigua’s Monk’s Hill (Fort George), these local Tour Operators will take good care of you:

For an overview of the “land of sun and sea”, take a look at our Antigua & Barbuda Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Antigua Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Antigua and Barbuda blog

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What’s in a name? Dominica’s Boiling Lake & Valley of Desolation

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Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail

Epic Dominica Hiking – A Scene from Another World…

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail

The Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation trail is iconic Dominica hiking. We met our guide in the town of Laudat and feeling adventurous, our guide rode the spare tire on the back of our rented Jimny’s (small SUV) a short distance to a parking lot near the popular Titou Gorge attraction. We got to the actual trail-head by crossing a narrow pedestrian bridge overlooking the river that feeds the gorge. Some workers were below us, drilling into the earth, apparently testing the geothermic energy potential of the island.

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail



Our hike started off in the shadow of Morne Macaque, a magnificent mountain that foreshadowed some of the terrain that we were heading into. The first hour or so went by at a leisurely pace – We enjoyed the lush rain-forest and it’s natural rocky trail. As we walked, our guide identified the various tree and plant species we encountered along the way. I was particularly fascinated by the giant tree trunks (Banyon, Chataignier or Burrwood trees perhaps?), fiddleheads and the large variety of ferns, lichens and tree stranglers. A great start to the hike!

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail

Eventually, we came to a sign that read “You are now entering the Morne Trois Pitons National Park”. OK – Apparently the trail-head and the first section of the trail are outside of the park. The trail started to get a little steeper at this stage and it was muddy in spots. There were steps in some sections, made by small tree trunks stuck in the mud. Once we had reached the top of the hill, we descending steeply down to the Trois Piton river.

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail


After the river crossing, the trail got steeper as our guide informed us that we would soon be entering the Montane (or Cloud) forest section of the hike. For the next hour or so, we crossed all sorts of different and beautiful terrain. The trail consisted of mostly natural paths, along with a number of wooden stairs built into the sides of the mountain. These really helped us get down and up the really steep sections. The engineers did a great job – I can’t imagine what it would be like without the stairs.

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail
Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail


We stopped a couple of times at clearings to take some pictures of the Caribbean sea, Roseau and the Western coastline. Eventually, we came to the top of Morne Nicholls, which has a nice flat area on top and some room to move around. Epic Dominica hiking! We took a break to have a snack and appreciate the magnificent views of the southern half of the island’s mountainous terrain. We also got a glimpse of the steam coming from Boiling lake – Hinting at what awaits us just a couple of valleys and ridges away. What an amazing feeling it is to see the island from this vantage point!


Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail



From there we traveled down some fairly steep gorges, between mountains. It was slow going as we picked our way over the rocks in what was reminiscent of a dried-out river bed. There were also sections of really muddy wooden stairs in some ‘near vertical’ areas – Not for the faint of heart for sure! It took us a half-hour or so to reach the aptly named “Valley of Desolation”… WOW – I felt like I was on another planet. It was totally surreal!

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail

In sharp contrast to the lush green flora and terrain we had hiked to this point, this new area was wide open, barren and without vegetation. The ground was rocky and an eerie grey colour – Dotted with blues and greens, along with patches of orange-yellow-gold. It seemed like water was bubbling out of the ground, pretty much everywhere. Being we were on part of an active volcano, it shouldn’t have surprised us that the sulfur in the air was colouring the rocks rusty and the mineral-rich water was a rich grey. We were thankful for the constant breeze and gusts of wind that blew the nasty smell of sulfur away. This was a unique Dominica hiking experience for sure.

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail

We had to be careful of where we stepped and what we touched as previously mentioned, water was actually boiling out of the ground. Apparently some folks bring eggs here to boil in the natural hot spots – Not sure I would eat that. Anyways, we found a stream that was not too hot and our guide dug into the bed and pulled up handfuls of warm grey mud that we applied to our faces – Some people pay good money to go to a spa for this type of treatment 🙂 The warm mud mask felt good, although it was at his time when I realized that wearing a white shirt into a volcanic area was not a good idea. The yellow stains I got on my shirt would turn out to be a “souvenir”, as it would later turn out to be un-cleanable, even with bleach. No big deal…

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail


We left Desolation Valley and walked past a small waterfall and crossed another river. OK, we had been hiking now for a while, and after the thrill of the amazingly freaky volcanic water / mud bath area had subsided, we were ready for the main event – The Boiling Lake…

We hiked some more… Down another rocky trail followed by going up another ridge. We repeated this a couple more times, like a slow-motion roller-coaster ride, until we eventually reached a flat plateau that overlooks the lake. Again – This just didn’t seem real.

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail

Another ‘unworldly’ site. At this one, we gazed at a tall thin stream of water falling dozens of feet into a 200 foot (60m) wide pool of grey water, which was yes – literally boiling in the centre. With steam rising off the surface of the water everywhere it looked like the world’s largest outdoor sauna. Our guide informed us that we were not in the volcano’s crater, but rather this was actually a flooded ‘fumerole’. Boiling Lake is fed by a couple of streams, whose water seeps deep down through cracks in the rocky ground, where it meets the volcanic lava which boils the water forcing it back up to the surface, where it continues to boil and evaporate. We just stood there for a while, trying to soak in and come to grips with what we were seeing.

Dominica Hiking at it's best - Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation Trail
Yes – The lake is ‘boiling’

After a rest break and lunch, we headed back down the same way we came. I gotta tell you, this hike “started to get old” when we reached the final stretch of the trail, especially the long wooden stair sections. My legs were a little wobbly and my hiking partner was having problems with her knees. It’s interesting how that same section of trail at the beginning of the hike was so enjoyable, yet on the way back we never thought it would end – Dominica hiking is not for the faint of heart (or stamina).

A few minutes later however and we were in for a treat. At the end of the hike, we reached a shallow section of Titou Gorge where we took off our hiking shoes and socks and waded into the refreshing shallow pool to cool our burning feet – very soothing and revitalizing!

Wow – What an ‘epic’ hike – A Caribbean bucket-list experience for sure! We really enjoyed the diversity of the trail – Sometimes we were on ridges and mountain tops with spectacular views, other times we were hiking between them in gorges, ruts and bizarre valleys… We experienced hot mineral springs and mud pools and of course saw a lake that was literally “boiling”. A once in a lifetime experience!

ACT Staff

* Please note that this review was done prior to Hurricane Maria in 2017 – The trail conditions/characteristics may have changed as the island recovered *

For the complete hiking report, hiking guides, as well as much more information on traveling to Dominica, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

Dominica Hiking – Boiling Lake & the Valley of Desolation Trail

Dominica Hiking Trails

Dominica Vacations

For an overview of what the Caribbean has to offer intrepid vacationers, take a look at our Active Caribbean Travel home page

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6 St. Lucia Attractions You Don’t Want to Miss

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Things to Do in Saint Lucia – Get Muddy, Explore Nature & Relax on a Sunset Sail


You’ll find Saint Lucia in the southern Caribbean, just south of Martinique, with Barbados to its east. St. Lucia is a mountainous island covered in lush green rain-forest and is home to the distinctive and easily recognizable Pitons (mountains), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  A very popular Caribbean vacation destination known for romantic getaways, there’s also plenty of things to do in Saint Lucia for active travelers – If you know where to look….  You can enjoy time outdoors with a walk through a botanical gardens or on a nature trail.  Thrill seekers can zip-line through the rain-forest or motor through the jungle on an ATV or Dune Buggy.

Our personal favourites include:

Saint Lucia Nature – Explore and Enjoy!

Things to do in Saint Lucia include exploring Nature on the Tet Paul Trail

Saint Lucia is a gorgeous island, full of nature’s wonders…

The Tet Paul Nature Trail is a “must do” on the island. The hour long guided tour can be enjoyed by folks of all ages and physical ability.  You will be treated with amazing views of the Pitons, as well as the south coast of the island. Your guide will also share his knowledge of local plant life on display there.

Things to do in Saint Lucia include exploring Nature

For another quiet day in nature, journey to the remote east side of the island to experience Mamiku Botanical Gardens which offers a variety of forest and plantation tours that feature birds, humming birds and butterflies along with flowers and plant life, including medicinal herbs.

The Millet bird Sanctuary is located just outside of Roseau and provides birdwatchers with a 2-mile loop trail through a rich jungle environment that is home to 30 species of birds.

If you’re really serious about nature, take a scenic boat ride over to the Fregate Islands Nature Reserve, an important nesting site for the amazing Frigate bird, or to the Maria Islands Nature Reserve – Home to two endemic species found nowhere else in the world: the Kouwès grass snake and the Zandoli tè ground lizard.

For the more adventurous, take a trip to the Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve (Rainforest Adventures) for amazing views and a few thrills, from riding their aerial tram or zip-line. They also have rain-forest trails to explore. Enjoy some of the more fun and active things to do in Saint Lucia…

For more information check out our Things to do in St. Lucia – Land Excursions page

Visit St. Lucia’s Waterfalls, Mud Baths and more…

Things to do in Saint Lucia include mud baths, sulphur springs and waterfalls

Of course, your trip to St. Lucia is not complete without seeing the multitude of things to do in Soufriere – The most popular attractions include the sulphur springs, therapeutic mud-baths and mineral water pools, along with enjoying a refreshing shower under one of the island’s many waterfalls.

Things to do in Saint Lucia include mud baths, sulphur springs and waterfalls

Coined ‘the only drive-in volcano in the world’, Saint Lucia’s sulphur springs feature small boiling and steaming mud and water holes near the top of the volcano.  Once you’ve seen (and smelled 😉 that area, it’s time to get more interactive – Take a warm mud bath, then rinse off in a nearby mountain fed stream of water – Choose from a number of waterfalls in the area including the Sapphire, Toraille and Latille waterfalls.

Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens provide a guided tour of their gardens and colourful waterfalls, along with an opportunity to relax in their Mineral Baths.

A number of Island Tours include a combination of the sulphur springs, Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls along with other island attractions such as a banana plantation, an estate plantation, a beach stop and a local Lunch.  Zip-lining, horseback riding and ATV tours are also available.

For more info on some of the more popular things to do in Saint Lucia, including tour operators who will help you get the most out of your day, check out our Things to do in Saint Lucia – Land Excursions page

Saint Lucia Sight-Seaing by Boat Tour 😉

Things to do in Saint Lucia include sail the coast to see dolphins and whales as well as Marigot Bay

For a unique perspective of St. Lucia, cruise down the west coast in a boat to check out Marigot Bay, the ‘tunnel of love’ and the majestic Pitons.  You can take a speedboat, a cruiser, or sailboat, both catamarans and mono-hull yachts are available.  You can even journey by glass bottom boat or pirate galleon.

It’s an amazing sight when cruising alongside dolphins and whales – Yes that’s a thing.  You can also relax and feel the caribbean sea breeze in your face when you it’s sail under the power of the wind – What a great feeling!

Of course it wouldn’t be St. Lucia without a romantic sunset cruise.

For a change of view, you can reach the Soufriere attractions via the water, and boat tours usually include a beach BBQ or Plantation lunch. You can also find party boats and pirate themed tours for the kid in all of us 🙂

For more details, including boat/tour operators who will help you get the most out of your day on the sea, check out our Things to do in Saint Lucia – Ocean Excursions page

Re-live St. Lucia’s Colourful History

Wander around historic Fort Rodney & Signal Peak in beautiful Pigeon Island National Park, and recall how this strategically important island changed hands between the French and the English more than a dozen times over a three hundred year span.

Things to do in Saint Lucia include a visit to Rodney Bay National Park and Pigeon Island

Located on the north-west tip of Saint Lucia, near Gros Islet, remains of the old stone fort are perched on a peak that juts out into the ocean.  Feel the warm breeze while you take in spectacular panoramic views of the island and Caribbean sea.  When you’re ready, travel to nearby Rodney bay where you’ll enjoy having lunch at a restaurant on Reduit Beach. Great relaxing things to do in Saint Lucia for sure…

For more information on the island, click on our St. Lucia Vacations page

Saint Lucia Rum – Sample Some Excellent Stuff!

Located in the west coast town of Roseau, 20 minutes from the capital Castries, you can find the island’s only official rum producer.  Perhaps not that well-known, St. Lucia Distillers produce some of the best rum in the Caribbean, winning dozens of awards from various spirits competitions around the world.  They produce over ten different rums, including varieties of white, flavoured, spiced and aged spirits, as well as rum based liqueurs/cremes. Their aged and spiced rums are excellent, including some great premium sipping rums.  You can visit the St. Lucia Distillers retail store front, which includes a rum sampling room and they offer factory tours as well. Its worth the trip to Roseau to check out these fine Saint Lucian rums.

Things to do in Saint Lucia include a visit to the St. Lucia Distillers for rum tasting

For more information, including tour operators who can get you there and back safely, click on our St. Lucia Rum page

Enjoy Saint Lucia’s SOLEIL Summer Festival

There’s a number of festivals on the island, pretty much year round.  There’s culinary events during the Food & Rum Festival, the St. Lucia ‘Carnival’ and plenty of outstanding music festivals.  St. Lucia’s Jazz Festival culminates with a concert on majestic Pigeon Island, while the Roots and Soul Festival features reggae, conscious hip-hop, Afro-punk and R&B music. You can also experience Saint Lucia’s rich cultural, ethnic and artistic heritage during the island’s Arts and Heritage Festival.  Oh, did I mention…  St. Lucia celebrates Chocolate Heritage Month every August, with a number of local events, including chocolate based meals and beverages – Yum!

For more information, check out our St. Lucia’s Festivals and Events Calendar page

Enjoy!

ACT Staff

Want to see an overview collage of things to do in St. Lucia? Check out our Saint Lucia Sights & Attractions video on YouTube!

If you’re looking for more of a physical adventure, check out our Adventure Activities in Saint Lucia blog

For an overview of this beautiful island, take a look at our St. Lucia Vacations page

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Yearning for a Caribbean Vacation Sooner than Later?

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Covid-19 and the Caribbean. These Caribbean Islands are open as of July 20, 2020

Covid-19 and the Caribbean


As global travel is slowly starting to re-emerge post Covid-19, the Caribbean Islands are doing their best to provide tourists with a safe vacation environment.

A Covid-19 Caribbean Tourism Task Force has been working since February to ensure member islands are ready to welcome guests back to a safe and healthy Caribbean. With leadership from the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Caribbean Tourism Organization, Caribbean Public Health Agency and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, over 400 industry stakeholders in the Caribbean have participated in a wide variety of sessions related to Covid-19 health & safety. Consistent with World Health Organization guidelines that we’re probably all familiar with by now, new guidelines covering operations, training and communication, have been rolled out to help businesses and workers re-establish confidence in the Caribbean tourism industry.

Caribbean tourism will be safe for both workers and vacationers with new protocols & procedures in-place focusing on re-organizing venues to accommodate physical distancing along with additional cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting regiments. These new protocols are being applied to businesses in the fields of Transportation, Accommodation (and Facilities), Food and Beverage as well as Entertainment and Recreation (Sites and Attractions). Inspections and certification of all businesses are being done prior to re-opening. For an example of physical distancing, hotel restaurants are restricting capacity and maximizing the use of outdoor venues over indoor settings wherever possible. Tables are spaced at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart and buffets are no longer self-serve, guests will be served by restaurant staff.

Caribbean Islands You Can Visit Now

As of July 20th 2020, the following Caribbean Destinations are welcoming tourist flights back to their fabulous islands. A summary of their Covid-19 situation is also shown:

 Total # of Covid-19 CasesNew Cases in the Past WeekOfficial Links for more information
Antigua & Barbuda762https://visitantiguabarbuda.com/travel-advisory/
Aruba1159https://www.aruba.com/us/traveler-health-requirements
The Bahamas15342https://www.bahamas.com/tourism-reopening
https://www.bahamas.com/sites/default/files/articles/trrc_plan_public.pdf
Barbados1052https://www.visitbarbados.org/covid-19-travel-guidelines-2020
https://www.onecaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/BTMI-TRAVEL-PROTOCOLS-060720.pdf
Curacao283https://www.curacao.com/en/questions/health-and-vaccinations/response-to-novel-coronavirus-covid-19
Dominica180http://dominicaupdate.com/ https://www.onecaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/TravelProtocols_port_Dominica.pdf
Grenada230https://online.fliphtml5.com/mxxb/pqce/#p=1
https://www.puregrenada.com/travel-advisory/
Jamaica79032https://www.visitjamaica.com/travelauthorization/
https://www.tpdco.org/covid-19healthprotocols/
https://www.tpdco.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jamaica-Tourism-Covid-19-Resilience-Protocols_vFF.pdf
Saint Lucia231https://www.stlucia.org/en/covid-19/
https://www.covid19response.lc/p/reopening-saint-lucia
St.  Vincent & the Grenadines5015https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.87/7f6.57f.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SVG-travel-protocols-air-entry-July-1-31.pdf
Turks & Caicos819https://www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/
US Virgin Islands30455https://www.visitusvi.com/

Related Notes:

  • The above list is based on commercial airline arrivals. Different rules exist for private yacht access…
  • The Bahamas are currently only accepting visitors from Canada, the UK and EU
  • Aruba is currently only accepting visitors from Canada, the UK, USA and Europe
  • Bonaire is only allowing flights from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany
  • Jamaica is only allowing tourist movement along their “Resilient Corridor” – The coastline from Negril to Port Antonio
  • Puerto Rico is accepting international flights, however officially they are “postponing its official inbound tourism reopening in order to safeguard visitors and residents”
  • The Dominican Republic is also open to tourists, however they have experienced >50k Covid-19 cases in total, with >9k new cases in the past week

Other Things to Know

Covid-19 and the Caribbean. These Caribbean Islands are open as of July 20, 2020

Again, consistent with the WHO Covid-19 guidelines, each island has implemented new protocols for tourists to follow before and during their visit to the Caribbean. All islands are requiring some form of Travel Authorization form to be completed prior to travelling. Most islands now require a valid Covid-19 PCR Test Report (with a ‘negative result’) to be provided to Island authorities upon arrival. Actually, some islands are currently requesting citizens of ‘High Risk’ Countries (and specific US States) to provide test results prior to travelling. Some island nations are allowing tests to be performed upon arrival, however if you are a citizen of a ‘High Risk’ Country/State you will be held at the airport until negative test results are obtained. In addition, Health Screening/Assessments, including temperature checks are being performed at most islands upon arrival. Proof of ‘Travel Insurance’ is also required now by many islands. Once on the island, physical distancing, mask-wearing, as well as increased personal hygiene regiments are mandatory in all public places. For watersports and beach activities where physical distancing requirements are met, face masks are not required.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE OFFICIAL CARIBBEAN ISLAND LINKS ABOVE TO DETERMINE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT EACH ISLAND CURRENTLY HAS IN EFFECT

Covid-19 and the Caribbean. These Caribbean Islands are open as of July 20, 2020

Other considerations to be aware of as the Caribbean tourism gradually re-opens during the current Covid-19 situation: While most businesses on the above-listed islands have reopened, some off-resort restaurants are only open for takeaway and delivery service. Parks, attractions and tours are re-opening in phases as they are inspected and certified, therefore some may not be open at the time of your vacation. Some islands have also implemented evening curfews outside of resort properties.

You are advised to check into these details thoroughly before booking your trip…

Looking For a Recommendation?

Personally, if I was to travel now, I would choose a destination based on personal preference (reference Islands Overview and Caribbean Adventures for assistance), along with a look at each island’s latest Covid-19 numbers. Right now, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and Curacao look appealing to me. I would stay at a small CTHAS (Caribbean Travel Health Assurance Stamp) approved resort, with individual cottages or villas and a large beach-front if possible. It is also prudent to have adequate Travel/Medical Insurance to cover a Covid-19 related incident while away from home. While I typically like to use local guides and/or small tour operators for excursions, right now I would only use certified ground transportation and well-established certified tour operators. I would also be booking reservations well in advance for just about everything, including Restaurants & Tours. Oh, and bring plenty of re-usable cloth face masks…

ACT Staff