The Pitons UNESCO Heritage Site as seen from Cosmos St Lucia

A vacation in St Lucia can be as relaxing or as active as you choose, depending on your interests, ability and mood. But where to start? We’re here to help you make the most of your vacation in St Lucia, by drawing on our knowledge of the island, our experience with guests and our relationships with trusted local service providers. Read on to be inspired by diverse experiences and activities available in St Lucia.

St Lucia is recognised as one of the best vacation destinations in the world. It’s celebrated for its famous twin Piton peaks, black sand beaches, coral reefs, lush mountainous rainforests and colourful Creole villages. From your vacation base at Cosmos, local activities can be done in a half day or less (other than the Gros Piton Trail) , whilst those further afield take a full day. To help you plan, each recommendation notes the journey time by car from Cosmos. And if you need help deciding what to do, once you’ve arrived at Cosmos our House Manager can suggest itineraries that range from gentle excursions to more active and far-flung adventures.

Soufriere in St Lucia as seen from the road to Cosmos St Lucia

Local activities around Soufrière

Cosmos St Lucia is located high on a ridge just south of Anse Chastanet Beach with its natural marine reserve, and just north of St Lucia’s old French capital, Soufrière.  In the immediate vicinity are rainforests, hot springs, glistening seas, beaches and protected coral reefs.

BEACHES, SNORKELLING AND SCUBA DIVING

• Only one kilometre from Cosmos is Anse Chastanet and Anse Mamin Beaches. Reserve lounge chairs on the beach, take a picnic or enjoy the hotel bar and restaurant, and the best fish burgers at Jungle Grill beach barbecue restaurant on Anse Mamin . (10 mins from Cosmos)
• The famous reef off Anse Chastanet is easily accessible from the shore, and has been buoyed off for snorkelling. There is a vast variety of corals and sea life including sea turtles, parrotfish, trumpet fish, needlefish, sergeant majors and many more.
• Join the locals at Hummingbird Beach Park in Soufrière, dotted with bars, gift shops and food shacks. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• Paradise Beach, at the foot of the Petit Piton, has excellent snorkelling and watersports, a cocktail bar and serves casual meals on their open-air terrace. Both the vegetarian and fish rotis are recommended. (20 mins from Cosmos)
• Scuba St Lucia is based at Anse Chastanet and Action Adventure Divers is based at Hummingbird Beach; both are PADI approved operations. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• Take a short water taxi from Soufriere town to Sugar Beach, a five star retreat with multiple restaurants, shops and a white sand beach with an excellent snorkeling area. There is a charming souvenir market and locals making food on the public beach beside the hotel.

Dive into the big blue of the Caribbean Sea

SAILING, YACHTING, FISHING, DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING

• Book a half or full day sailing, boating or fishing trip aboard a monohull yacht, catamaran or fishing charter during your vacation is St Lucia. We can prepare a homemade picnic to take with you.
• Based in Soufriere, Mystic Man Boat Tours offer yacht and catamaran trips, and sunset cruises, while Sugar Boat Charters provide water taxi services (10 mins from Cosmos).
• Sail north up the west coast to Marigot Bay, one of the most romantic yachting destinations of the Caribbean, where the classic film Dr Doolittle was shot. Lined with exotic palm trees, this quiet residential marina makes a great lunch destination.
• Further up the West Coast is Rodney Bay, a beach town and marina offering everything from sushi restaurants and gelato bars to waterskiing, tubing and small catamaran hire.
• St Lucia has some of the deepest waters in the Caribbean, which allows for year-round fishing of all the varied, inhabitant species. Book a fishing charter for four, six or eight hours. Frequently caught species include blue marlin, dorado, barracuda and yellowtail snapper, to name a few.

Sailing away in St Lucia

BOTANICAL GARDENS, HOT SPRINGS, WATERFALLS AND BIRDLIFE

• Diamond Falls Botanical Garden and Mineral Baths is a six-acre heritage site in Soufrière, with stunning botanical specimens and a majestic waterfall.  Hot mineral springs fill the historic bath houses with age-old medicinal waters. (15 mins from Cosmos)
• At Soufrière volcano and Sulphur Springs you can bathe in the thermal waters and get messy in the mineral-rich volcanic mud at the world’s only drive-in volcano.  We recommend you bring an old bathing suit! (15 mins from Cosmos)
• Not far from the volcano is Piton Falls.  Rainforest surrounds the warm relaxing baths as hot sprays of mineral water cascade their way down from 30 feet above. (20 minutes from Cosmos)
• Cosmos is home to a fantastic variety of birds so don’t forget to bring your binoculars on vacation in St Lucia. We have a particularly soft spot for hummingbirds, the smallest birds in the world, but you could also see zenaida doves, kingbirds, antillean bullfinches, ruby throated caribs, bananaquits, broad-winged hawks and many more.

Mud baths at Sulphur Springs St Lucia

HISTORIC PLANTATION HOUSES

• Morne Coubaril Plantation Estate is St Lucia’s oldest French Creole Estate, growing cocoa, coconuts and manioc. Learn about traditional agriculture and ride horses around the 250 acre property. The grounds also house a re-creation of a farm worker’s village and a new zip line experience.  Enjoy a generous lunch buffet of traditional Caribbean cuisine. (15 mins from Cosmos)
• Balenbouche Estate is run by a delightful German-Caribbean family.  Enjoy tea and cake on the terrace then explore the impressive plantation and the ruins of an old mill from the sugar and rum making days. (40 mins from Cosmos)
• The Pink Plantation House, overlooking the capital and port of Castries, has a top-rated restaurant and art gallery featuring ceramics made by the owner, surrounded by mature gardens filled with exotic orchids and majestic palms. (60 mins from Cosmos)

AWE INSPIRING HIKES

• The Tet Paul Nature Trail crosses the theatre of the volcanic cauldron of Gros Piton. Sitting at a high altitude, this is a gentle coastal hike on a designated nature trail. (25 mins from Cosmos)
• For the ultimate coastal experience, climb the magnificent Gros Piton, one of two mountainous volcanic plugs, 2,619 feet above sea level. This rigorous hike is a memorable five hour round-trip – the definition of high adventure at 2,619 feet above sea level – and requires a guide. (30 mins from Cosmos)
• Explore high and low rainforests inland, where you can see extraordinary botanicals in their natural setting, such as tree ferns, rainforest lilies and orchids. Visit the New Jerusalem Mineral Baths, set in the rainforest, a short hike crossing a river. (35 mins from Cosmos)

Hiking in St Lucia

GET ACTIVE AND WORK UP A SWEAT

• Swim laps in Cosmos’s 48’ infinity pool and have fun with our underwater window view from the main bedroom.
• Run to the beach from Cosmos. It’s a downhill jog that leads to a swim at the beach before the uphill return, and a welcome flop into our pool. (20 mins each way)
• Stretch and practice your favourite yoga poses at Cosmos or at the yoga studio on the beach at Anse Chastanet. Don’t forget to bring your mat. (10 mins from Cosmos).
• Work out in the local air conditioned gym in Soufrière.  Book a personal trainer to get the full benefit. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• Mountain bike at Bike St Lucia at nearby Anse Mamin. Start with a short intro at the Mountain Biking School before getting to grips with the trails in the seaside forest. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• Take an All Terrain Vehicle (AVT) for an action packed journey on quad bikes to Touraille Falls, through rainforest and the lush greenery of an old sugarcane estate road. Friendly guides share their local knowledge along the way. (15 mins from Cosmos)
• Go horse riding at Morne Coubaril with a guide leading the way. Enjoy a gentle trail ride across the 250 acre property, through the plantation (duck to avoid the mangoes  hanging from the trees) and rainforest. Or trot to the beach and enjoy a swim with your horse below the Pitons. Yes really. Choose English or Western saddles. (15 mins from Cosmos)

Practise yoga while overlooking the sea at Cosmos St Lucia

TASTE THE FLAVOURS OF THE CARIBBEAN

• Explore the farmers market in Soufrière. Look for locally grown produce, like plump vanilla pods and fresh spices, while enjoying a fresh jelly coconut and homemade fish cake for breakfast.  Get there early on a Saturday for the ultimate show of local growers. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• There is also a Soufrière fish market Monday to Saturday, where tuna, marlin, mahi mahi and other local catch is filleted to order. While you’re there, have a wander around the colourful town, soaking up the relaxed, low key atmosphere. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• Project Chocolate at Rabot Estate, home of the famous Hotel Chocolat, offers a “Tree to Bar” chocolate experience across their six-acre site, connecting the process of cacao-growing with chocolate-lovers in a uniquely immersive experience. Finish by crafting your very own handmade bar of chocolate to take home from your vacation in St Lucia.(15 mins from Cosmos)
• Book into a cookery class at Jade Mountain, a nearby top rated hotel which runs short courses throughout the year. Based on the sustainable farm to fork concept, the Chefs at Jade Mountain will teach you how to make the most of Caribbean ingredients. (10 mins from Cosmos)

Local produce at Soufriere farmers market

DINING OUT, MUSIC, FESTIVALS AND STREET PARTIES

• Unwind with music, drinks and dinner at local venues. Our favourites are Trou au Diable on Anse Chastanet Beach, Dasheen at Ladera Resort and Rabot Restaurant at Hotel Chocolat. Cosmos has a variety of excellent restaurants within a short drive, see our Dining Out blog post to see our guests’ favourites around Soufrière.
• On any given evening, and all day on Sundays, locals in Soufrière set up barbecues and sell street food. Follow your nose as you wander the area and try some local home cooking. (10 mins from Cosmos)
• For bigger street parties featuring mouthwatering fish and seafood barbecues, head to the famous Gros Islet “jump-up” with its pop-up rum bars, craft stalls and inspired Caribbean music (75 mins from Cosmos). For a late night revel, book a taxi to get you there and back.

Colourful streetlife in Soufriere St Lucia

Activity highlights across St Lucia

St Lucia is a small and mountainous island; nowhere is more than a 90 minute drive from Cosmos St Lucia.  If you fancy a jaunt, check out some of these experiences that are a bit further afield.

• The Reef Kitesurfing School on the Southern tip of St Lucia, lessons and rentals in kitesurfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and catamaran sailing. (60 mins from Cosmos)
• Rainforest Adventures offers a canopy zip line in the forest at Babonneau, aerial tram and nature trails. (75 mins from Cosmos)
• Pigeon Island National Park is a cultural and historical monument of West Indian history. (75 mins from Cosmos)
• The Millet Bird Sanctuary Trail, home to over 30 species of birds, includes the famous St Lucia parrot. (60 mins from Cosmos)
• Grande Anse Beach on the East coast is a seasonal nesting site for endangered leatherback turtles. From March to August you can join a patrol with the Desbarra Grande Anse Turtle Watch Programme. (90 mins from Cosmos)
• Join in the fun of thoroughbred horse racing at the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club and try your luck picking a winner. (70 mins from Cosmos)
• Take in a cricket match at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Gros Islet, with a capacity of 13,000; it is the home of the St Lucia Stars, and hosts a ongoing matches, both national and international (90 minutes from Cosmos)
• Check out more island events where the famous St. Lucian hospitality is at full volume: Food and Rum Festival – January; Jazz and Arts Festival – May; Summer Carnival – July; Arts and Heritage Festival – October; Atlantic Rally for Cruisers Sailing – November/December; National Day – December

All the colours of the rainbow are on show in this sunset at Cosmos St Lucia. Photograph by Nicole Stringer

At the end of the day, vacations are about relaxation and restoration in whatever way that works best for you. We hope this blog post gets you excited about this beautiful island and helps you make the most of your vacation in St Lucia.