St. Lucia

After Antigua, its time for the most anticipated stop on our cruise: the island of St.Lucia.  Located not too far north of South America though much further east than the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), St. Lucia may be the closest thing to Hawaii in the Caribbean.  Active volcanoes and sulfur springs are found within the tropical forest clinging to small mountains that rise up straight out of the sea, though clearer waters make for better diving then Hawaii and that's mostly what we are here for on this stop.

As always, it took a fair amount of research and footwork before the trip to find a reputable dive company that offered a good experience.  We found that in Scuba St.Lucia who operates on the beach of the Anse Chastanet / Jade Mountain resort on the southern part of the island near Les Pitons - the formidable and photogenic volcanic mountains that remain St. Lucia's most prominent and publicized feature.  Since the resort and where most of the diving is done is quite a ways from the town, seaport and airport (about an hour by bus), I was glad that Scuba St.Lucia and the resort offered a water taxi to pick us up right from the ship and get us there within a half hour.  Along the way, we got to see an incredible coastline marked by steep cliffs often punctuated by sandy beaches and small tropical streams running from high up in the mountains down to the sea.

The Anse Chastanet resort essentially has its own private cove near Les Pitons and Scuba St. Lucia offered both a beach dive right there and a little further down the coast as well.  Since I wanted to have time to check out the resort itself, my Dad and I elected to do the shore dive and I am glad we did.  Unlike other shore dives we had both been on, this was an absolute piece of cake with a sandy bottom sloping gently down to over 100 hundred feet.  No rocks or surf whatsoever to contend with, it was the easiest dive I have ever done and still offered decent coral and aquatic life.  Of course, if you are expecting the wonders of Cozumel or even Cancun, you might be a bit disappointed, however, it was well worth it. 

The black volcanic beach was also a good place for Agnes and my mother to layout while the guys were doing their dive.  Agnes also managed to score some pointers on diving from Scuba St.Lucia's head instructor: a man who actually holds the Guiness World Record for more time spent underwater then anybody in history (about 9 years at last count).  After a flawless dive and a solid lunch down on the beach, my Dad and I got to tour the resort itself.

Thankfully, we are both in pretty good shape because touring the resort requires a bit of the billy goat in you.  The sheer topography of St.Lucia meant that the architect (who is also the owner of the resort) had to find ways to build near the beach while simultaneously providing one of the most spectacular views of St. Lucia.  This means some steep hills and a fair amount of stairs--though the end product is certainly worth it because this gentleman has accomplished something truly extraordinary.  Its hard for words to describe the unique nature of each of the different rooms perched atop this volcanic parapet and even the pictures really don't do it justice.  Open spaces blending with the surrounding jungle, magnificent views, trees which sprout through the floor of your shower and through the roof of your room and individual infinity swimming pools in some rooms that face out on the postcard perfect Piton mountains.  The "annex" to the original resort, known as Jade Mountain, is almost indescribable for the sheer fantasy element of its design.

Its clear the staff likes working here as well and they were exceedingly helpful from the moment I first contacted them about diving with them until after we had left and come home.  And left we sadly had to do, though it will remain probably the highlight of our trip...to be continued!