Visiting St Lucia with teens? Here's what to do

St Lucia offers an ideal mix of comfortable hotels, dreamy Caribbean beaches and active adventures for families — and it’s a combination that works particularly well for those with teens, who can be harder to please and entertain. Your family could be snorkelling with squid and turtles one day, then scrambling up the island’s majestic Gros Piton mountain the next, before feasting on chocolate that kids can even try making themselves with pods plucked from accessible jungle trails.  

Beaches & Snorkelling

Pristine volcanic black and golden sand beaches are the star attraction in St Lucia. Anse Chastanet — and sister Anse Mamin beach, connected by a short coastal walkway — are two particularly renowned for their striking sand. Both offer lounge beds, watersports and snorkelling. Other highlights include Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay, backed by restaurants and known for its turquoise waters; and Sugar Beach, scenically positioned between St Lucia’s twin Piton mountains.

St Lucia’s waters harbour more than 150 fish species and many can be seen simply by wading out from the beach with a snorkel. Or guided boat trips offer up-close encounters with clownfish, angel fish and, if you’re lucky, turtles.

Volcanoes & mountains

St Lucia’s volcanic geology has created several attractions that teens are likely to appreciate. At the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens & Mineral Baths in Soufrière, it’s possible to bathe in volcanically heated, mineral-rich waters. The Sulphur Springs, meanwhile, is a famous walk-in volcano where the family can try a do-it-yourself mud treatment, before heading to the Toraille Waterfall for a cleansing dip beneath its 50ft cascade. All can be visited in a half-day trip.

For active teens, book the early morning hike of Gros Piton — it’s a four- to six-hour steep jungle trek, but the reward is epic views from the top.

Chocolate magic 

Cocoa has been cultivated on St Lucia since the 1700s. Specialist producers, such as Hotel Chocolat, have a base here and August is declared St Lucia’s Chocolate Heritage Month. Many hotels and resorts on the island offer year-round tastings, chocolate-making workshops and even spa treatments that use the local ingredient.

Anse Chastanet Resort has more than 2,000 cocoa trees on its estates, which encompass an organic farm. Buy its handcrafted Emerald Estate Chocolate at the resort or — even better — make and taste the goods at the hotel’s Chocolate Lab.

Jungle biking

Families can also cycle through 12 miles of tropical jungle trails on the grounds of Anse Mamin, a 600-acre, 18th-century former French colonial plantation. Riders can see the ruins of a sugar mill, a church and three-million gallon freshwater reservoir. Suitable for heights of 4ft 9in and above, with tracks geared to both experienced and novice bikers.

Where to eat

St Lucia presents an easy introduction to Caribbean cuisine for younger diners, with plenty of restaurants using tropical ingredients and organic produce to showcase Creole flavours. Vegetarians and vegans are also catered for in many places.

Rabot Restaurant, owned by Hotel Chocolat, is one entertaining option, with many dishes incorporating cacao in recipes such as seared king scallops with cocoa nibs or chocolate mash. Orlando’s Restaurant & Bar in Soufrière — run by British-born Orlando Satchell — is another good option, offering crowd-pleasing spiced chicken and a chocolate fondant with tropical fruits.

At Anse Chastanet Resort, an entirely vegan menu has been developed. The hotel’s Aspara beach restaurant also serves fish and chips made with local Piton beer, and Tandoori chicken as a nod to St Lucia’s historic links to India. Meanwhile, a weekly lionfish barbecue makes use of an invasive marine species as a conservation tactic.

Where to stay

Built into the side of a mountain, the 49-room Anse Chastanet Resort is set in a 600-acre, lush tropical estate fronting a designated marine reserve with vibrant coral reefs. Many of the rooms are designed with a missing ‘fourth wall’, creating open-air sanctuaries that incorporate the surrounding foliage, flowers and scenic views. Resort activities include complimentary non-motorised watersports (kayaking, paddleboarding, windsurfing) and birdwatching.

For weary parents, Jade Mountain resort – Anse Chastanet’s adults-only sister property – offers Jet Lag Therapy, a half-day wellness experience that includes an early mountain hike, open-air yoga session, detox tea and a massage treatment.

Seven-night stays at Anse Chastanet from US$11,830 (£9,017) half board for a family of four.