We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Pitons, Hot Springs, and 5-Star Resorts: A Trip to Soufriere, Saint Lucia

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

    I’m inspired to travel when I hear folks share stories of their adventures.  So here’s the next installment of our weekly series where Million Mile Secrets team members shares their travel successes (and failures) with you!

    Joseph:   Last October I traveled to Saint Lucia with a group of friends.  We spent a lot of the time in the northern part of the island, near Castries.  But a more interesting part was Soufriere, a tiny town near the foot of the famous Piton mountains on the west coast of the island.

    Soufriere Is Picturesque From Afar, but Quite Impoverished Up Close

    There’s plenty to do in the area.  I’ll tell you how I spent my time.

    A Trip to Soufriere

    Saint Lucia is NOT what I pictured it to be.  I’ve been to a few other Caribbean islands, and this was altogether a different experience.  I found no crystal clear lagoons or powdered sugar beaches.  It has more personality instead of just a pretty face.

    There were some things I’d been wanting to do in Soufriere long before my friends and I decided to visit, so I arrived before them.

    My Airbnb Stay

    I had been eyeing a rarely unoccupied Airbnb called Serrana Villa.  There were a few available dates before our group trip officially started, so I excitedly made a last minute booking for 2 days at ~$190 per night.

    Serrana Villa is at the top of a hill overlooking the weathered but colorful town of Soufriere.  The car ride to the top was just short of a nightmare; the road is lousy with potholes and fractures, and feels like an African safari if you close your eyes.  I would NEVER have guessed this treasure would be at the end of the road.

    The villa was humongous, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a dedicated work room.

    Serrana Villa Living Room and Kitchen

    The deck was stunning, with lots of chairs and a small pool that stares dreamily towards the Pitons.

    Serrana Villa Pool

    The master bedroom has a nice view of the Pitons, too.

    A Welcome Change to My Bedroom View at Home

    The Airbnb host, Janus, mentioned that the day after I arrived was a holiday in Saint Lucia.  He recommended swinging by a supermarket for food, because many stores and restaurants would be closed.  He then showed up the next morning with bread, eggs, and cheese, in the event that I completely disregarded his advice.

    Visiting Jade Mountain

    Nearly 10 years ago, I was unfortunate enough to discover the existence of Jade Mountain, a 5-star resort with the most amazing suites I’ve ever seen.

    I say unfortunate because there is really NO way to justify the price of a stay, even with miles & points.  Jade Mountain is NOT part of a loyalty program, and rates start at a flobbityjillion dollars per night.  But I was glad to have the opportunity to visit the hotel while in Soufriere!

    I told my Airbnb host of my desire to stay at Jade Mountain, and his unbiased recommendation was to instead stay at one of his new Airbnbs, the Sargas Villa.   The villa does look pretty sensational…

    Upon Arriving at the Jade Mountain Property

    The road to Jade Mountain from Soufriere is even worse than the one leading to my Airbnb.  I would have turned around if my GPS wasn’t swearing on its life that we were going the right way.

    Jade Mountain is at the edge of Anse Chastanet Beach.  So most guests arrive by boat, and are spared from the jagged fury of the local roads.

    I made reservations at the Jade Mountain Club restaurant, and arrived an hour early to spend the sunset at the rooftop lounge, Celestial Terrace.

    Golden Hour at the Celestial Terrace

    The sunset was delightful, and the terrace granted unhampered 360 degree views.

    The Tail End of an Orange Marvel

    Each room at the resort has dedicated walkways.

    The Resort Is Prettiest at Night

    Dinner at the Jade Mountain Club was 4 courses, and cost $95 per person (before drinks).  Certainly not cheap, but I gladly paid to spend time at one of my bucket list spots.  Plus, the restaurant was extremely fancy.

    The Seasonal Menu From My Visit in October

    I know it was a quality restaurant, because the meal portions were infuriatingly small.

    Green Banana Soup

    I don’t have any culinary expertise, but I thought the food was excellent.  And fancy looking, too!

    Saint Lucian White Coffee Mousse

    Around Soufriere

    There’s plenty to do in Soufriere, and my friends and I weren’t able to accomplish nearly enough.

    There are mud baths, waterfalls, and tons of hot springs all within a short drive.

    Swimming in the VERY Hot Black Water Pool After Caking Ourselves in Mud

    If ever I go back, I’d love to hike the Piton mountains and visit the drive-in volcano.  My biggest regret is not making more of an effort to discover the local restaurants.

    We were able to take a sunset catamaran ride.  The sea was placid, and mirrored the sky beautifully.

    Sunset Catamaran Cruise

    I think my favorite activity was night swimming in the Caribbean Sea.  The catamaran cut the engine in the middle of nowhere in the pitch black water, and flipped on a bright blue light that illuminated the area around the boat.  It was like our own giant swimming pool!

    Piling Back Onto the Catamaran After a Night Swim

    The swim was truly terrifying, as I have a crippling fear of sharks.  But the water was warm, the blue light was enticing, and I made sure to stay in the middle of my friends in hopes that they would be the first to succumb to the powerful jaws of what I imagined was circling in for a kill.

    Bottom Line

    Team member Joseph visited Saint Lucia last October.  He made some of his fondest memories in Soufriere, a town on the west coast of the island.  And was especially excited to see Jade Mountain, a resort he’d been wanting to visit for nearly 10 years!

    If you’ve got any tips for a traveler headed to Saint Lucia, I’d love to hear them!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)