St. Lucia & The Pitons

St. Lucia is a breathtaking sovereign island nation in the Eastern Caribbean that is famous for its twin volcanic peaks known as the Pitons. The terrain is lush, mountainous, and it has spectacular and often dramatic sunsets to the west from the town of Soufriere where we stayed.

 

I landed in St. Lucia with only a little knowledge of the history of the island and the hiking trails that are on it. The island is a former British and French-contested territory that gained independence in 1979 after changing hands numerous times over the last few centuries. St. Lucia is now known for its eco-tourism industry which includes volcanic springs, rainforests, waterfalls, beaches, and jagged peaks that make it a fantastic destination for the outdoor adventurer.

Some of the best known hikes in St. Lucia are located near the Pitons and the town of Soufriere. Soufrière is a historic and scenic town on St. Lucia’s west coast that is famously known as the island’s original capital and the gateway to its most iconic natural wonders. Named after the French word for “sulfur,” the town is nestled within the caldera of a dormant volcano and is home to the world’s only “drive-in” volcano at Sulphur Springs.

 

We met hikers in Soufriere that tackled both the challenging Gros (Big) Piton and the extremely difficult Petit (Little) Piton. One couple that we met who by pure chance was from the same suburb as us in Atlanta tackled both of the peaks. The Petit Piton was said to be “harder than running a marathon” – which was all we needed to hear. So off we went to the more hiker friendly Tet Paul Nature Trail which offered views of both Pitons.

Local guides are available at the trailhead but are not required for the Tet Paul hike. It is a 1.2 mile roundtrip hike that runs a lollipop route with 111 feet of elevation gain. So it is relative easy compared to the much more challenging Piton hikes – yet there are views of both of them of this route. Here we are getting photobombed by our trail guide on the climb up the mountain.

 

And here we are making our way to one of the three primary view points on the trail at the “Valley of Paradise” – a nickname for the Val des Pitons (Valley of the Pitons). It is a lush area between the iconic Gros Piton and Petit Piton peaks on St. Lucia. This area is also sometimes referred to as La Baie de Silence (The Bay of Silence).

From here you make the final climb to the “Stairway to Heaven” which refers to the most famous section of the Tet Paul Nature Trail. This short, moderately inclined staircase is widely considered the best land-based vantage point for viewing the Gros and Petit Pitons. The views from here are outstanding!

 

And there is a surprise that I didn’t see coming. As I finished the final climb of the “Stairway to Heaven” a small building came into view which I soon found out sold ice cold beers and local souvenirs. So we had to partake! Here we are toasting a Piton – a local beer that you can find everywhere on the island.

Then we got one more look at the Gros & Petit Piton from a platform at the top of the “Stairway to Heaven”. Sugar Beach sits between them and you can see the boats anchored in the bay below. We visited Sugar Beach multiple times later in the week and it is a nice one. Although there is a private resort here, all beaches on the island are open to the public and we had a chance to swim and snorkel in the bay here.

 

On the hike down the mountain, I had a chance to sample some of the local flora with a white flower that has a bitter yet sweet taste. Then we headed back to the Green Fig resort to cool off in one of their swimming pools, drink another Piton beer, and settle in for the sunset this evening.

For more information on this hike, follow this link to the Tet Paul Nature Trail and if you get the chance definitely check out St. Lucia.  A map of where the island is located in the Caribbean is here.