5 Best Sights in Saint Lucia

In front of the resort of the same name and Jade Mountain, this palm-studded dark-sand beach just north of Soufrière Bay has a backdrop of green mountains, brightly painted fishing skiffs bobbing at anchor, calm waters for swimming, and some of the island's best reefs for snorkeling and diving right from shore. Anse Chastanet Resort's gazebos are among the palms; its dive shop, restaurant, and bar are on the beach and open to the public. The mile-long dirt road from Soufrière, though, is a challenge even for taxi drivers, given its (by design) state of disrepair. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming.

This dark-sand beach in front of Ti Kaye Resort and Spa is accessible by boat or by jeep via Ti Kaye's mile-long, tire-crunching access road—and then 166 steps down to the beach. The calm water and adjacent reefs, part of the National Marine Reserve, are superb for swimming, diving, and snorkeling. Most catamaran cruises to Soufrière stop here on the northbound leg so that day-trippers can take a quick swim. Boaters and swimmers can enjoy refreshments at Ti Kaye's beach bar. Snorkeling equipment is available at the dive shop on the beach. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The white sand on this crescent beach, snuggled between the Pitons, was imported years ago and spread over the natural black sand. Accessible through the Sugar Beach resort or by boat, Anse des Pitons (aka Sugar Beach or Jalousie Beach) offers crystal-clear water for swimming, excellent snorkeling and diving, and breathtaking scenery—you're swimming right between the Pitons, after all. The underwater area here is protected as part of the National Marine Reserve. Neighboring resorts provide shuttle service to the beach for their guests; there is also free parking for those with a rental car, or you could take a land or water taxi. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming.

Under a brilliant orange roof, this bustling market is at its liveliest on Saturday morning, when farmers bring their produce and spices to town, as they have for more than a century. (It's closed Sunday.) Next door to the produce market is the Craft Market, where you can buy pottery, wood carvings, handwoven straw articles, and innumerable souvenirs, trinkets, and gewgaws. At the Vendors' Arcade, across Peynier Street from the Craft Market, you'll find still more handicrafts and souvenirs.

On the site of an 18th-century estate, a 250-acre land grant in 1713 by Louis XIV of France, the original plantation house has been rebuilt and a farmworkers' village has been re-created. Both do a good job of showing what life was like for both the owners (a single family owned the land until 1960) and those who did all the hard labor over the centuries producing cotton, coffee, sugarcane, and cocoa. Coffee, cocoa, coconuts, and tropical fruits are still grown on the estate using traditional agricultural methods. On the 30-minute Historical Estate Tour, guides show how coconuts are de-husked and dried for use in a variety of products. On the cocoa side, a guide will cut open a cocoa pod, offering samples of cocoa beans, and demonstrate how cocoa is fermented, dried, polished (by dancing on the beans), and transformed into chocolate sticks. They also offer a 40-minute Rum and Chocolate Tasting Tour. The grounds are lovely for walking or hiking, with spellbinding views of mountains and Soufrière Bay. More adventurous visitors will enjoy ziplining beneath Petit Piton and the adjacent rainforest.