We loved our stay at Sapphire 4! Janus is a wonderful host and we will be back again! We arrived on a national holiday, so a lot of stores were closed. Janus had eggs, milk + orange juice waiting on us when we arrived. Janus was also kind enough to deliver fresh bread at our door the next morning. he also brought us coffee filters after we realized none after our trip to the store! Janus was so kind, and made us feel so welcome during our first trip to Saint Lucia!
Activities
We rented a car and were really happy of that choice because it gave us a lot of flexibility! We will be spending the remainder of our trip at a resort on reduit beach up north. I wish we had more time in Soufriere! This place is truly a gem! Caitlan + Matt 1ST Day - Sugar Beach was nice. We had a rental car. We parked at the entrance for $5 and walked to the beach. Could have paid $50 US to shuttle down and us the $50 towards food etc on the beach. So if you plan on eating a big meal it may be worth the $50 USD. We snorkeled, cost 20$ for 2 sets. The beach is amazing with white sand (imported) and snorkeling was fun. We ate at Petite Peak. Okay price and good food. Every place you eat all week will feel super rustic and adventurous.
2nd Day - Were first people on the Gros Piton Hike. I am 50 and in good shape – good hard stair stepper workout. You will sweat! Cardio workout going up. 50usd per person – plus tipping your assigned guide. Views are pretty cool. Can see vieux fort and Castries. If you aren’t up to a 4 hour strenuous hike-don’t. guide said only 4 heart attacks in the last 20 years. Also went to New Jerusalem Mineral Baths – nice atmosphere 10 EC to get in + super close by. Only went to stay maybe 30 min. then went to Toraille Falls - $8.00 pp to get in. place all to ourselves. Very cold stay 20 min before done entertaining ourselves. Nice to see though. 3rd Day - Pigeon Island, Rodney Fort, Castries. Our one day north was enough. We liked all 3 places. Hiking and shopping. Drive up doesn’t feel long because so much to see and feel. 4th Day – Sulphur Springs. Costs about 5 per person for the bath and $7 for the tour plus tip for the tour. Seeing the volcano is ok baths were more fun and relaxing. Spent the entire afternoon at Anse Mamin Beach. We didn’t do much but put beach towels out and swim. Had a veggie burger which was ok. Probably should have just went for the big burger! Haha road there is bumpy but very easy to drive. Watched the sunset. Day 5 – Went way up above Soufriere to a hike call Enbas Saut Waterfall. Really Really quiet and beautiful. Rainforest rain, a little mud, falls were really awesome. If you like going of the beaten path, no tourist etc – go there! Easier hike than Gro Piton, hike around the base of the biggest St. Lucian Mountain. Thanks Janus and Soufriere. Awesome way to enjoy St. Lucia. We will be back!! Loved doing things early before tourists. Crashed every site! Rachel & Nicole
We absolutely loved our time in Soufriere! The view from the balcony and the breathtaking sunsets were one of the many highlights. The people of St. Lucia were very accommodating and friendly. Ruby’s Pizzeria This is a restaurant we highly recommend. The food is not only extremely delicious but also reasonably priced. The owner, Terrance, makes an effort to greet customers and we found him to be very generous. We ate here ¾ nights we were in Soufriere because we enjoyed it that much. A lot of pride is put into providing customers with food that is fresh and delicious. One night (Friday) they even had a local band that was very talented. Highly recommend! We visited Jade Mountain + Sugar Beach resorts for lunch – just to check them out and visit the beaches. Sugar Beach is our fav. – less rocky + nicer sand. Both had items that were decently priced. ($20.00 for pizza at sugar and pasta $20.00 at Jade). Toraille water fall was ok – Dirty Water – not super great. Food – Fedo’s is close and has nice local food at a good price!
Ruby’s Pizza is Awesome!! All the places in town are touristy. Activities – Sugar Beach is very nice though mostly taken up by a resort. Not really our thing though it is definitely worth a visit. The snorkeling is very good. Take a water taxi from the jetty for $150.00 EC return. Chastanet/Mamin – is a nice walk from Sapphire (approx. 1hour). The beach is nice though again its mostly a resort 😊 go to Mamin for a more chilled swim then go to the restaurant at Chastanet for lunch. The food is very nice (15-20 US per meal) and the view makes it worth it. Sulphur Springs – we took the local bus (2 EC/person) up the hill, ask the driver to drop you at the springs, from there it’s a 10 min walk to the entrance. The baths are a nice experience though avoid the touristy middle part of the day. Locals visit in the mornings and evenings. US$6.00 to enter the baths. Botanical Gardens – are nice to visit (-7USD) and is an easy walk from Sapphire. Tips - The people are very friendly, don’t be put off by the few guys in town trying to convince you to use them as a guide. Thanks Janus Dylan and Aurelie We rented a car at the George Charles Airport because we wanted freedom to explore the island on our own. The drive down to Soufriere was very scenic. There are many view points along the way where you can stop and enjoy the ocean vistas. Our First meal was at the hummingbird Beach Resort. They have a nice selection of dishes. We opted for the Piton Burger, which was good.
Our main reason for coming to St. Lucia was to relax and snorkel. Our first snorkeling site was at Sugar Beach Resort. The resort operates a voucher system which gives you access to the beach as well as food and drinks. The off season price for the voucher was $25.00 US PP. The snorkeling trip at Sugar Beach was Fantastic. We saw many different fish and coral species. We were amazed at the size of the sponges which were huge!! If you’re not into snorkeling, the views of Gros Piton will take your breath away. There are also free beach chairs to use at Sugar Beach. Our next Snorkeling Adventure was at Anse Chastanet Beach Resort. At the resort you get free access to the beach. There is a designated area just for snorkeling. Anse Chastanet was the Best, there were a lot of large colorful fish following us. The beach is also calm enough for just floating and enjoying the cool waters. We also visited Anse Mamin, which is approximately 10 minutes walk from Anse Chastanet. Our snorkeling experience was a little different here. The reef was covered with tall fern-like soft corals which we had never seen before. On our last day, the rains came so we stayed at the apartment and just relaxed. In the evening, we decided to do a bit of fishing at the pier next to the Hummingbird Beach Resort. The staff will allow you access to the beach through their compound. Fishing was really exciting. The water is so clear you can see fish from the Surface. We also caught two small needle fish but the highlight was when some local kids caught a 2lb red snapper!! All in all we had a wonderful, relaxing experience here at the apartment in St. Lucia. Have fun!! Robert + Marjury
Miami + FL Keys, FL, USA July 8- 13 Tet Paul Trail: Amazing views! The trail was easy + the tour didn’t take too long, which left plenty of time for other activities. It was a beautiful day + we got lots of great photos from the trail. The view of Petit Piton and Sugar Beach from the top of the trail is something you can’t miss. Sulphur Springs: Our tour guide was fun. She shared a ton of interesting information about the volcano + St. Lucia. Very cool to see the boiling hot minerals exiting from the volcanos core. The mud baths felt great and so will your skin. Be prepared to have mud on everything. Well worth it! Diamond Botanical Gardens + Waterfalls: Beautiful garden + nice waterfall. You can’t go in the waterfall but there are a few private mineral baths if you’re interested, we passed. Worth a visit. Since it was low season we had the place to ourselves. If it was high season + packed, I might skip it. Good place to kill an hour though. Sugar Beach: I was excited to go because of past reviews I read + the beaches location between the pitons, but we did not have the same experience as many previous guests. Maybe we were spoiled after visiting Pigeon Island + Reduit Beach. The resort has covered every inch of the swimming area with chairs that they charge $50 US each for. It appears to be done in an effort to monopolize the beach + discourage non-guests from visiting it. Your only opinion is to put down a towel in front of the no swimming area or right next to a chair. We also found the hotel staff to be poor representation of the people of St. Lucia. We were told if we let the gate guard know we were having drinks at the beach we would be allowed to use the shuttle. This particular guard requested a $100 US deposit to ensure we spent that much before he would allow us to use the shuttle. We chose to walk the beach is not worth the hike. Upon arriving to the beach, we were told by another employee we would have to pay $15 US per chair for the “free” chairs. We took some photos, had a drink then left. Also in the short time we were there seven tour boats stopped in too snorkel. There had to be 100 plus more people snorkeling in their little area. You’re much better off taking a day trip to Reduit Beach or Pigeon Island. Janus can arrange transportation. Anse Mamin: Way better than Sugar Beach if you’re looking for a beach in the south. Much more secluded, very peaceful. Still it’s nothing like the post cards beaches you will find in Rodney Bay area. The water near Soufriere are nowhere near as calm. Feel Good Water Taxi $ Tours: Janus recommended feel good + it was great advise. We chose the Marigot Bay Cruise + Snorkel. The ride up the coast was beautiful. Not something everyone who visits the island gets to see. Captain Daniel managed the wheel and Levi gave the tour. Levi was one of the great St. Lucians we met on our trip. His tour was excellent and getting to know him was fun. In Marigot Bay we were able to get out of the boat to check out the shops and beach. They gave us a private tour I should add. All other tour boats that entered the Bay had about 20 guests on board and them and were not allowed to check out the area. They got to take a look at the Bay area then exited. After looking around Marigot Bay, we snorkeled at Anse Cochon and Anse Chastanet. Both of these were great snorkel locations and weren’t many others there. Nothing like what we saw at Sugar Beach. After snorkeling we enjoyed a few cold ones as we cruised back down the coast to Soufriere. Highly recommend feel good tours! En Bais Saut Trail: Definitely one of my favorite parts on the trip. I came across a local farmer named mango who lives just outside the trail. He served as our guide. I must say it was one of the best decisions. Other tours targeted at Cruise shippers and charged an outrageous price for taking you down half the trail with lunch and pick up, but Mango provides a truly authentic experience for a fraction of the cost. Mango’s farm land has been passed down from generation to generation so he knows everything about the forest. He taught us about all the beautiful flowers and trees and pointed out the sound of the parrot so we could stop and listen. He showed us a tree with sap that contains healing properties and loaded us up with that also. He taught us all the ways they can be used and how to use them. When we arrived at the waterfall we shared fresh fruits provided by Mango from his farm and enjoyed the cool waterfall. Not only is the waterfall much larger than the other commercialized ones on the island but it is also secluded. We had the falls all to ourselves. After we completed the trail Mango gave us a bonus tour of his farm and loaded us up with fresh vegetables. Majury used them all to cook an amazing dinner our last night. Mango is definitely one of the people I won’t forget from this trip. He does a variety of tours and I can’t advise you enough to use him as your guide. You will not regret it. When I return to St. Lucia, after Janus. Mango will be the first person I call. You can reach Mango at 7158542 on a local phone. Island ATV: After hiking En Bais Saut we took an ATV tour on the southern coast. Our guide took us through plantations and shoed us all the different fruits and vegetables growing in the area. Many we hadn’t seen in other parts of the island. We took the bikes through trails all created by Itum, touring black sand beaches, drove through a river about 20 mins etc. It was a blast. The scenery was beautiful as ever with many colorful birds long the way. At the second beach you are given time to swim or let loose on your ATV. The tour goes through an area of St. Lucia that many visitors will never see. Pick up is provided and it is much closer to Soufriere than other ATV tours on the island. Petit Peak Restaurant: Our first meal on the island. It was incredibly busy when we went so a little slow, but the food was good. We had a fish roti plus the fish steak plate. Pier 28: Went to dinner around 8pm one night and most places were closed or had stopped serving food. Went to pier because they were open, unfortunately they were out of most of the items on the menu so we ordered a couple of burgers which were excellent. The menu selection wasn’t worth another trip in my opinion but you can’t complain about the food. Boucan Restaurant: If there is one meal you splurge on, then this is the place. Incredible views from the restaurant and the food is just as good. Tuna Tartare, Fillet steak, lamb shank and chocolate Lava Cake were all phenomenal. There were also a few complimentary items provided throughout dinner. Everything was great. Very good night at Boucan. Stone Yard Restaurant: One of my favorite meals on island. Recommended by Captain Daniel after our tour. We both got the local food plate, which is packed with different local items like a thanksgiving. Dinner comes with your choice of meat and we chose grilled tuna. It was perfect. Meal was very affordable and authentic meal. We loved it! Ruby’s: Great spot. Loved the ambience. Loved the music, loved the food. No pizza so we got calamari, fish fingers and the summer pasta. Everything was flawless. Also, some of the best cocktails I had while here. Highly recommend. Tips: - Rent a 4x4 trough Janus. You can do a lot more w/wheels, and if you’re from the US and concerned about driving, you only drive on your left. - Don’t trust google or TripAdvisor for business hours, they were wrong on multiple occasions. - As many others said, Soufriere is a lunch town, many restaurants close early. - If you want to go to the other side of the island in a short amount of time or don’t want to drive consider a water taxi. An hour and a half drive Is a 30 mins boat ride and the views don’t compare. - Go to the Gros Islet street party on Friday night. Great food, liquor and beer stations flood the streets and there is dancing throughout the streets. We absolutely enjoyed our time at Sapphire in St. Lucia. It was a joy to be around the great people of St. Lucia. So friendly, helpful and hospitable. Janus is the cream of the crop. He is an incredible resource so take advantage. Thank you, Janus and Fabian, for everything. We’ll be back for that sexy villa at the top of the hill! Rob + Marj Eleni & Brian
June 28- July 4, 2018 Bonita Springs, FL, USA DAY 1: Got into Airbnb around 5:30pm. Relaxed with some Pitons we got at Masseys, showered and went into town for dinner. We went to Ruby’s based on previous suggestions. Very good and moderately priced 😊 DAY 2: Started out at Tet Paul Nature Trail $10 USD per person. We opted out of guide, very easy trail and wonderful views. Highly recommend if not in best physical shape! If you are up for a challenge, Gros Piton hike is a must! $50 USD per person and you must go up with a guide. We are in decent shape and have hiked before but this was way challenging than expected, but still worth it. We then went to Sugar Beach. We parked outside and walked in to save some money, but ended up eating lunch at the highly overpriced resort anyway. Decent food just very expensive. We loved relaxing and snorkeling there though. Dinner at the apartment then went to town for a Friday night in Soufriere. DAY 3: Went into town for Saturday market in the morning, got some snacks and refreshments then headed to Anse Chastanet beach. The most wonderful relaxing beach ever and awesome snorkeling! Watched the sunset in Soufriere and ate dinner at Pier 28 (Amazing Wings) and very affordable 😊. DAY 4: Started our morning at the Sulphur Springs and mud baths. $14 USD per person for tour and baths. So much fun!! Then went to Diamond Falls and Botanical Gardens $7 USD per person, beautiful flowers and scenery. Mineral baths are an extra $6 pp so we opted out since we already took a mud bath, but they did not look tempting. Then we went up to Toraille Waterfalls $3 USD pp. Very refreshing and beautiful. Had smoothies at Zaka’s (so good) then went to Anse Mamin beach for the rest of the night! Had burgers at the beach bar, which was great just a little pricey. Friday night there was a baptism party at the house next door and the kids were so cute and funny, they kept on knocking on our door asking for us to play. We really enjoyed sitting on our balcony and listening to the music. DAY 5: Went to Zaka’s for breakfast cause we had to try the coffee… It Is incredible. Then we planned a Simon says snorkeling tour which did not go as expected. Simon told us everything would be included and we would be going with 2-3 couples. They did not provide flippers only masks and snorkel and just Brian and I went out with one of the local taxi guys. No drinks provided on the boat and the meal was already prepared in a restaurant, not in front of us on the beach as promised. The food was still amazing but snorkeling was not worth it as they only took us to Sugar Beach and Anse Chastanet which we already snorkeled ourselves (cannot deny that the snorkeling is incredible just not worth the extra $60 USD pp for something we could’ve done for free. Rested for the day and went to Anse Chastanet for sunset and night time swim. DAY 6: Had Janus delicious homemade bread for breakfast. Mostly a rainy day, so we decided to check out Hotel Chocolat. We weren’t able to tour without pre- booking but we still bought some chocolate to bring back home. Stopped at Petit warm mineral waterfalls, by far our favorite spot so far! $3 USD pp beautiful view of the pitons on a short easy hike and delightful warm baths! We spent just about an hour just hanging out in the rain under the falls for our last night. We went on a mystic man sunset cruise. Highly recommend!! $60 USD pp for unlimited drinks, light food and breathtaking views! We saw so many dolphins and a full rainbow over both pitons, so incredible. DAY 7: We are so sad to leave ☹Janus has been an awesome host and Sapphire has been the perfect giveaway spot for us to enjoy this beautiful island! Heading to Balenbouche estate for the day before our afternoon flight. THANK YOU, JANUS, !! Maggie and I had an amazing stay here at Sapphire! We are two college kids from St. Louis, Missouri, USA, so everything was a budget for us. Janus helped us stay within our means while here, so shout out to him! (also, we had no car)
Okay we had Jermal (he’s our fav) pick us up in Castries and basically had a tour guide for the ride down. We stopped at the grocery store and picked us all the goods we needed (Massy is where you go). Jermal hooked us up with the coconut candy so we snagged 3 for $10 EC before arriving to Sapphire. We did not eat out often because Maggie is a phenomenal cook, but we do have some suggestions! - Petit Peak- over on the coast, more toward the mountain, 25 mins walk. We had a few cocktails which came around $36 US. The staff were nice and friendly, and we loved watching the boats coming in and out. - Humming Bird- We stopped in after a day with Chester. Peter was our Bartender, he was lovely! This place was a little more pricey, but the drinks and food was exquisite! We ended up getting another round, so four drinks plus two lunch meals for roughly $75 US + TIP. Meal was large so we took left overs. - Ti Tak- small little café, sweet bartenders, incredible drinks. Food was good to the menu is small, 2 drinks and 2 sandwiches. $31 US + Tip. Adventures Keep in mind Mags and I walked pretty much everywhere! - [ Scuba with Chester] Amazing experience. Mags was already certified, so I figured I’d get my certification while I was here. Chester is a wonderful human, great energy and extremely knowledgeable of the reefs. I seat here now, open water certified and it’s all thanks to him. $65 US a dive, price drops if you take more. I suggest at least doing two. The reefs are gorgeous, Chester will also teach you about them. Action Adventure Sports by Humming Bird Resort. - [ Toraille Waterfall] 23- 30-minute walk from the apartment. It’s like 47 US for a dip in the waterfall. It’s just cool + picturesque - [ Diamond Gardens] 20-25 minutes’ walk. Flowers are out of the world!! The garden is set up nicely and they teach you a lot about the garden and beauty within. Theirs a beautiful Sulphur waterfall! - [Sugar Beach] We read a lot about it so we figured we’d check it out! We paid $50 US pp which sounds ridiculous but that’s a credit toward food and drinks (which are both out of this world) Didn’t sit by the beach in the fancy chairs by the beach because apparently, they charge $50 US FOR A DAMN CHAIR!! Wil. You do have access to their infinity pool as well, it's gorgeous for it seats at the base of petit piton. Recommend it for the day. - [Gros Piton] Beautiful, adventurous and strenuous. Mags and I are 23, so this wasn’t the most wild thing we’ve climbed, but with the added heat, it’s not easy! Be prepared for a 2 hour climb up and 2 hour climb down. Bring all the water and snacks needed (lots of water). You can do it if you put your mind to it it’s a great climb! Highly recommend. P.S. Do this one before hoping on Petit Piton which is more difficult. Summary: Most beautiful topography that even if you do nothing you still feel like you’re in Sapphire! Janus is a wonderful host, anything you need don’t hesitate to ask. Scuba dive with Chester you won’t be disappointed. Climb Gros Piton if you are able to ( it's not easy bring lots of water). Go to Massy for your groceries (Bounty rum is the local rum). Buy coconuts, eat the mangoes. Get a cocktail at Ti Tak. Locals are very kind, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Stay on the left side of the road, and lastly leave free. Cheers! Maggie + Taylor After spending the first 3 days of our trip at the Serrana Villa ( one of Janus’ other lovely Airbnbs), Sapphire 4, has been a great home base for the rest of our stay on St. Lucia. It’s been the perfect honeymoon getaway!
Monday June 11: We spent the late morning (early afternoon at the Morne Coubaril for Zip lining and Buffet lunch. $$75.00 each for zip-lining and $15.00 each for lunch. (We booked online and ended up paying $10.00 extra for a service charge, so we recommend waiting to book till you arrive in person). Zip-lining was fun with great guides. There were 8 lines, and weren’t too high, for those afraid of heights. Because our zip-lining lasted 10:30-11:15, and lunch didn’t begin till 12:00, we had to wait for a while on nearby benches. We would book zip-lining closer to lunchtime, now that we know their timeline! After, I tried their freshly homemade coconut candy (made right next to the souvenir shop) and bought a bag for $2.00 (I think). It was delicious! Lunch was great, too!! Tuesday June 12: Anse Mamin/Mango Tree Dinner One of our favorite days! We rented a car, so my husband braved the drive to Anse Chastanet/Anse Mamin. We’d heard the road was awful. It was bumpy (similar to the roads to get up here to Sapphire), and the first bit was narrow and steep, but doesn’t last too long. The destination makes it totally worth it! Free parking at the entrance to Anse Chastanet (Jade Mountain’s beach). We didn’t stay at Anse Chastanet, but walked the way to the right side of the beach and followed the dirt road for about 5 minutes to arrive at Anse Mamin. Beautiful beach! Not crowded 😊 you can pay for beach chairs, but we just used our towels on the sand. The burger place on the beach was great lunch! My husband really liked his crispy chicken burger and I was really impressed with their vegetarian burger! Later, in the evening, we left Sapphire 4 to have dinner at The Mango Tree restaurant (Located at Stonefield Resort). Make a reservation ahead of time! the restaurant opens at 6:30, but we arrived around 5:45 to watch the sunset – the view of Petit Piton and Caribbean sea from the restaurant is gorgeous! The staff were so lovely and welcoming. Dinner was wonderful! We shared the coconut cheesecake for dessert. Oh my goodness, so good! Wednesday June 13: Sugar Beach Today we drove to sugar beach. We parked in the dirt lot just outside the main entrance/gate to the resort and walked down the (steep) hill to the beach. Took about 20 mins to walk down. The beach was beautiful and since we arrived a little before 10am, it wasn’t crowed. We caved and splurged on comfy beach chairs for $50.00 USD each – you can pay the resort C Card. We enjoyed our time there! Brought our own snacks so we wouldn’t have to spend more money. If you buy chairs and/or food/drinks you qualify to get a shuttle ride back to the top of the hill (worth it!!). Thursday June 14: Tet Paul Nature Trail & Mud Baths A short drive away, the Tet Paul Nature Trail is a short hike (45 ish minutes ata very slow pace and stopping to take pictures) with gorgeous views. Entrance fee was $10.00 USD/person. Beautiful plants, butterflies, and 360 degree view from the top of the trail. Back in Soufriere, we found a souvenir shop just a few stores north of the first Caribbean international bank on Bridge street. The souvenir shop had widest selection and best prices we’ve seen! (For example; hats were $10.00 USD compared to all other tourist attraction shops where they were $20.00 USD). Very nice owner as well. at 4:30, we arrived at the Sulphur springs for a mud bath/tour. For the Mud Bath, we had the whole spot to ourselves! The only thing was that no one told us that tours stop at 5pm, so by the time we were done with the baths/rinsed off (wear dark swimsuits so they don’t stain), all workers were heading home. The supervisor just told us to bring our tickets back in the morning to redeem our tour, so it worked out! Friday June 15: Sulphur Springs Tours Our last day ☹ we just got back from our 25 minute Sulphur springs tour, where we learned about the volcano/caldera. The tour was informative, and you get to see the crater, but the tour itself wasn’t necessary. Time to pack up and head back to the airport. We’ve loved our week in paradise! Thank you, Janus, for your hospitality and for running the best Airbnb’s!! Can’t wait to come back to St. Lucia Justin & Emily We really enjoyed staying here at Janus’s place! He is the most hospitable host and really enhanced our St. Lucia experience! He helped us get an amazing guide to hike the petit piton. Let me tell you that was not a hike…. It was definitely a mountain (climbing) very hard but rewarding. A guide is 100% necessary!
We enjoyed the Botanical Gardens, Sulphur mud baths, drive in volcano & waterfalls here. Oh! and at Anse Chastenet beach, try the coconut ceviche at the restaurant there. IT WAS AMAZING & GENEROUS PORTION TOO! Today is our last day and we are sad to go. We will hike Tet Paul since we heard it was a leisurely hike (and I am so sore from petit piton). I hope you all enjoy your stay here as much as we did! KIM & ZACK |
WEATHER IN SAINT LUCIA
While most places in the world have four well-defined seasons, its proximity to the equator means that this is not really the case for the island of St. Lucia. Archives
March 2020
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