Hotel Review: Anse Chastanet

As mentioned in my post yesterday, we stayed at two different resorts during our St. Lucia vacation. After our time in Castries (the capital), we took a taxi down the island to the fishing village of Soufriere, a beautiful place with the dramatic backdrop of the Pitons. While in Soufriere, we stayed at the luxurious Anse Chastanet resort (perhaps you recognize their sister site, the mind-blowingly beautiful Jade Mountain?). Here's a bit about our experience...

To get to Soufriere from Castries, it's about an hour and a half taxi ride (which, FYI, costs upwards of $100, depending on your exact destination.) Since St. Lucia is a mountaineous island, this commuting road (called "rollercoaster road" by our driver) is hairpin turns, up and down, all the way. It's an incredibly beautiful drive, and taxi drivers are more than happy to stop at market stands so you can try a green coconut, hold a boa for $20, or snap photographs. But you've got to have an iron stomach for this commute or there's a *strong* chance you'll get sick. So, the plus side is that you get to experience more of the island, meet people, see sights and so forth, but keep in mind it's a long and pricey trip (and you might feel awful the whole time.) Disclaimer: I was pregnant on this trip, so that could have my contributed to my queasiness. But my husband felt sick for part of the time of this drive, too. Here we are, taking a breather at a vista point over Soufriere:

The way around this issue: Don't visit Castries at all, and fly into the southern airport on the island (UVF – which is also the larger airport, you may get cheaper flights anyways) and then you're just about 45 minutes from Soufriere. If you have limited vacation time and only plan on seeing one part of St. Lucia, this is the option I'd recommend. Soufriere, in my opinion, is more beautiful and charming than Castries, but the cities and areas offer different things, so it depends on the experience you're looking to achieve. Here's what Soufriere looks like from the deck of a boat:

When we finally arrived at Anse Chastanet – which is on an unpaved, bumpy, private road from Soufriere, on 600 private acres of beachfront property – we were pampered from the start. We drank fresh welcome juice with sugarcane stirsticks and relaxed in an open-air, treetop seating area.

The lobby and main dining area of Anse Chastanet are high up on a cliff overlooking the beach, mountains, shops, restaurants, and water sports center...

When we arrived it was late morning and too early for check-in, so the staff held our bags while our room was prepared. We spent the next few hours by enjoying lunch al fresco and exploring the resort. We chose to upgrade our accommodations at Anse Chastanet, and here's a peek inside our little villa...

The best part about our space? The *incredible* views of the Pitons, sulphur springs and beach! We spent so much time on the wrap-around balcony – especially at sunset. The major down-side? No air conditioning. All the windows had screens and plantation shutters (also, a fan was provided), but you had to sacrifice privacy to allow those breezes in. The room felt very warm during the daytime (and it was October!) but we lucked out at night – several brief rainstorms passed through and cooled down the temperatures. It turned out to not be much of an issue for us, but if you're traveling during peak season and are naturally a warm sleeper, this may be bothersome. Discuss options with the resort staff before you visit. We loved that our room was quiet, peaceful, spacious, and romantic. Here are some video clips captured from our balcony during our stay:

As Anse Chastanet is up on the cliffside, you have to walk down a lot of steps from your room to the beach. If mobility is a challenge for you or someone in your traveling party, this resort would not be the best pick.

The best part about Anse Chastanet are the black sand beaches and water activites. Resort guests are escorted to cabanas with exceptional butler service (pina coladas, anyone?).

The water is clear and warm, the sand soft, the beach quiet... the perfect place to read, reconnect, and relax!

Note that none of St. Lucia's beaches are private, but Anse Chastanet guests are given the privilege of cabana seating and complimentary snorkeling equipment from the water center.

An absolute must-do at Anse Chastanet is snorkeling. There's a spot right off the beach that is roped off for this purpose, and it's one of the best snorkeling areas of the whole island. You can swim over right from the water center and explore a spectacular coral reef system. There's the opportunity to see all sorts of tropical fish, and one of the coolest creatures we spotted was a flounder. We did twenty-minute snorkeling excursions two or three times every day and loved it! We're snorkeling people.

Anse Chastanet resort is also a National Geographic/PADI 5-Star Dive Resort, so if you're a diver (or wish to take courses), this is definitely a great place to visit. We met a few SCUBA aficionados on a boat tour, and they spoke very highly of their diving experience at the resort and surrounding areas. I'm not certified and would be unable to scuba dive while pregnant anyways, but if I return for a visit to Anse Chastanet, you can bet I'm going to take a class or two!

Guests can also coordinate sailing and whale watching trips, enjoy a spa experience, go bird-watching (parrots!) and take a hike through the forest during your stay at Anse Chastanet. Check out the full listing of recreational activities here. I meant to get a facial, but time got away from me.

While down at the beach (and, let's face it, there's like a hundred steps to get back to your room, so you'll probably stay at the beach), make sure you try out the rustic restaurant at Anse Mamin. This beach is walkable from the main area but rocks fall from the cliffs overhead, so the resort recommends taking the free water taxi over (it's literally a three-minute ride.)

This beach is much more quiet and natural, as I described here, and everyone talks about how good the burgers are at the lunch spot. Imagine showing up at your neighbor's house for a BBQ. There's some picnic tables, a grill, and a little outdoor kitchen. So, we tried out the steakburgers, and yes they were pretty fabulous! (There's other options – but not many – for you non-red meat eaters.)

For dinner we dined twice at the Treehouse Restaurant, up near the main lobby area of the resort. They employ an award-winning chef, and we discovered that the food was divine. We tried lots of different things during our stay, always finishing with dessert (after all, it was vacation and we earned it with all those stairs!).

The menu options are a little pricey (I'd compare it to dinner in NYC), but you get what you pay for and the ambiance was lovely – lit candles, white tablecloths, and the feeling of being up in the trees...

After dinner, there's live music nightly just across the way in the open-air bar area. We were so impressed with the musicians! They were such a highlight of our trip. Would you like to hear a song? Sorry that the clip is so dark, it was captured on my iPhone... Someone please give this guy a contract!!

We sat there for hours, every night. It was perfect. The music varied between low-key, slow dance songs and more upbeat ones. There were familiar songs by John Denver, Bob Marley, and the Dixie Chicks blended in with local flare.

A few cons: The resort is up in the trees, so there's birds. And they like snacks. They're most noticeable in the mornings during brunch in the restaurant, where they fly around and beg for food. One stole a piece of cheese off my husband's plate. We only found the birds to be bothersome in the morning hours – at night, during dinner, they rarely approached our table. Also, there's isn't room service in the traditional sense – you can order different beverages to be sent to your villa, but you drop off an order form at the front desk. There are no in-room television sets or telephones. Wi-Fi is only available in the main lobby area. The resort is (and certainly feels) secluded, so this could be taken as a negative or positive, depending on your view. As food, drinks and lodging are on the expensive side, it could be a challenge for some to stay within a predetermined vacation budget. Also? There's a lot of plaid decor. Not my favorite.

Overall take on Anse Chastanet: If you're looking for an upscale, romantic resort that's quiet and has a wide variety of available recreational activities, this is the place for you. Keep in mind that it's a bit pricey (nightly rates start at about $250-$300 in the off-season, $450 during peak season.) Consider the all-inclusive meal plan to see if it suits your needs, and check out the website for any specials. Travelers who appreciate the outdoors, peace and quiet, and secluded resorts that feel more boutique-like in nature, consider staying at Anse Chastanet. Not the best place, in my opinion, for families with young children, individuals who prefer to be near town and in the center of activity, or those with mobility difficulties. Anse Chastanet is perfect for honeymoons, babymoons, and those in need of a romantic getaway.

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Comments

[Molly]

This place looks like a dream.

[Hodan]

beautiful pictures, makes me miss summer in this gloomy winter we are entering.