Long before Saint Lucia became a fixture on honeymoon wish lists, there was Anse Chastanet: a handful of cottages scattered up a jungle-covered hill above a quiet bay, with the Pitons standing guard to the south. The resort has grown since then, but its soul has not changed. Rooms are open to the breeze and there are no televisions. The soundtrack is tree frogs at night and waves in the morning.
What sets Anse Chastanet apart for couples is how much there is to do without ever leaving the estate. A healthy reef starts a few fin kicks from the sand and a respected dive center sits on the beach. Then there are 12 miles of jungle trails threading through an old plantation, plus kitchens stocked by the resort's own organic farm. It is the more relaxed, more active and more affordable sibling of Jade Mountain, which rises on the same hillside. Plenty of travelers argue it is the more appealing of the two. If your idea of romance involves salt in your hair and sand on your feet, this is your place.
Highlights at a glance
- Snorkel a protected reef straight from the beach
- Open-air hillside rooms with Piton views and no TVs
- Two beaches, including secluded Anse Mamin
- On-site PADI dive center, Scuba St. Lucia
- About 12 miles of jungle biking and hiking trails
- Farm-to-table dining and estate-made chocolate
A Bay All Its Own
Anse Chastanet occupies a sheltered cove about a mile north of the fishing town of Soufrière, at the end of a famously bumpy road that keeps casual traffic away. The estate covers roughly 600 acres of rainforest and former plantation and includes two beaches: Anse Chastanet itself (the sociable main strand) and Anse Mamin, a quieter cove a short water-taxi ride or coastal walk to the north.
Architect-owner Nick Troubetzkoy designed the resort to sit lightly in the forest. Buildings are tucked between trees and walkways are lined with flowering plants. Many of the hillside rooms look straight across the bay toward Petit Piton. The effect is less a hotel than a village grown into the jungle.
Hillside Treehouses and Beachside Hideaways
All 49 rooms are individually designed, so no two couples have quite the same stay. Your main decision is whether you want to be up in the canopy or down by the water.
- Premium Hillside and Hillside Deluxe rooms, about 700 square feet, are the showstoppers: open-sided, treehouse-like spaces with hardwood floors, mosquito-netted beds and wide-open views of the Pitons and the sea.
- Superior Hillside rooms are smaller octagonal cottages, many with Piton or ocean views.
- Beachside Deluxe rooms sit a few steps from the water in a tropical garden and have air conditioning.
- The Piton Pool Suite is a private hillside retreat facing the peaks. The Beach House, roughly 1,600 square feet at the north end of the beach, is the top of the range.
Rooms have Wi-Fi but no TVs, which most couples quickly come to appreciate.
From Treehouse to Trou au Diable
Dining here is rooted in the fishing boats of Soufrière and the estate's Emerald Farm, which supplies fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. The Treehouse restaurant, high on the hill, serves breakfast with a view and candlelit dinners of modern Caribbean cooking. Down on the sand, Trou au Diable handles relaxed lunches of grilled fish, Creole dishes and salads, then switches in the evening to Apsara, a menu that blends Saint Lucian ingredients with the island's East Indian heritage.
Plant-based eaters are unusually well served by Emeralds, an entirely vegetarian and vegan menu. On Anse Mamin, the Jungle Grill serves a lazy beach lunch. And because Jade Mountain shares the estate, you can book a night at its celebrated Jade Mountain Club. Don't miss the chance to taste the resort's own bean-to-bar chocolate.
Why guests fall for it
Below the Surface: Diving and Snorkeling
Anse Chastanet's reef is one of the best shore-snorkeling spots in the Caribbean, protected within the Soufrière Marine Management Area. Walk in from the beach and within moments you are drifting over coral gardens home to more than 150 species of fish. The resort's Reef Renewal program runs a coral nursery and guided snorkels with a marine biologist, a lovely way to learn what you are looking at.
Scuba St. Lucia, the PADI dive center at the south end of the beach, is ideal for couples who want to try diving together for the first time or log some memorable dives along the Piton coastline. Non-motorized water sports such as kayaking are available from the beach. A sunset cruise is a relaxed way to see the coast from the water.
Jungle Trails, Chocolate and the Kai Belte Spa
Behind Anse Mamin, roughly 12 miles of trails wind through the old plantation, past 18th-century ruins, giant ferns and fruit trees. Guided jungle biking and hiking excursions suit every fitness level, while birdwatchers can head out early to spot Saint Lucia's endemic species.
Food lovers can tour the Emerald Farm, join a cooking class using the morning's harvest or follow the resort's cacao from tree to bar in its Chocolate Lab. When you are ready to slow down, the Kai Belte Spa offers couples' rituals and treatments using local botanicals in an open-air setting surrounded by forest. Complimentary yoga classes are held in a pavilion above the bay.
Why Guests Fall in Love
Reviewers return again and again to the sense of escape. Guests love falling asleep in an open-air room to the sound of the forest and waking to the Pitons. Many describe the lack of TV as the moment the honeymoon really began.
The reef earns near-universal praise, especially from couples who had never snorkeled straight off a beach before. Staff are described as warm and genuinely friendly, many having worked at the resort for years, which lends an easy, personal feel. Diners rave about the creativity of the Treehouse menus and the freshness of the farm produce. Active couples appreciate having biking, diving and kayaking on the doorstep. It is also widely seen as excellent value given its location, its beaches and its access to Jade Mountain's restaurant.
Good to Know
Anse Chastanet is built into a steep hillside; about 100 steps connect the beach to the mid-level rooms. A complimentary shuttle runs between beach and hillside on request, but the resort is not a good choice for anyone with limited mobility. Hillside rooms are open-air and rely on breezes and fans rather than air conditioning; if you need cool air, book a Beachside Deluxe room or The Beach House. The bed nets are there for a reason, so pack repellent. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Saint Lucia before you go.
There is no shared swimming pool, so the beach and the reef are the main attractions. The beach sand is darker volcanic sand rather than powder-white. Families with older children are welcome, so if you want a strictly kid-free atmosphere, consider Jade Mountain next door. Room-only, half-board and all-inclusive rates are often offered, so compare packages when booking.
Insider tips
- Request a Premium Hillside room near the top of the hill for the most dramatic Piton view.
- Snorkel early in the morning, when the water is calmest and the fish are most active.
- Take the water taxi to Anse Mamin for lunch at the Jungle Grill and an almost private beach afternoon.
- Reserve at least one dinner at Jade Mountain Club next door for a dressier night out.
