Secluded 4-Star Villas near Caribbean Beaches and Tropical Rainforest

The tropical rainforest surrounding Stonefield Estate Resort in Saint Lucia has long been regarded as one of the island's most scenic spots. In fact, it made an impression as early as the year 350, when indigenous Arawak people recorded its virtues on a stone tablet. Today, that tablet is on display at the resort, which occupies 26 lush acres on a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearby, the Pitons—Saint Lucia's iconic twin volcanic peaks—rise over the Caribbean Sea, creating a majestic backdrop for each private villa at this luxurious coastal retreat.

The one-bedroom villas are spacious and airy, with wide verandas, jalousie shutters, and antique four-poster beds. Hammocks hang on outdoor patios that lead to private plunge pools and lush tropical gardens. At Mango Tree Restaurant, chefs prepare gourmet creole cuisine using organic herbs and vegetables grown and educated at the resort. Enjoy complimentary daily breakfast and lunch or dinner using your included dining credit on the covered patio, with has sweeping views of the forested hillside, the Pitons, and the sea.

Stonefield Estate can arrange a number of outdoor adventures, including sunset cruises and snorkeling expeditions along The Pinnacles coral reef. Opt for the morning hike to Diamond Falls and you can recline in tiled outdoor mineral baths brimming with water sourced from nearby volcanoes.

St. Lucia: French-Inspired Cuisine and Spectacular Volcanoes

Located in between Martinique and Saint Vincent in the eastern Caribbean, Saint Lucia was once coveted by the British and French, who quarreled over the island for more than a century. Although English is now Saint Lucia's official language, the French seem to have left a more noticeable influence on its arts and cuisine. Along the coast, a string of marinas hosts restaurants ranging from fried-fish shacks to upscale French eateries. Grab a table to sample meaty pepper-pot soup, made with beef and spinach-like callaloo soup, or the country’s national dish of green fig—a Caribbean term for small, unripe bananas—and salt fish.

With its several beaches, Saint Lucia attracts those looking for snorkeling excursions, dolphin-watching tours, or deep-sea fishing trips in search of blue marlin, barracuda, and mako shark. Crowds descend on the popular Reduit Beach at Rodney Bay, not too far from the 18th-century British forts at Pigeon Island National Park. For a less hectic scene, head south down the coast to Anse Chastanet, a more secluded beach with giant palm trees and undulating green hills.

A vacation in Saint Lucia is not complete without a visit to one of its volcanoes. Considered the country’s unofficial symbol, the Pitons are two green-vegetation-covered volcanic plugs rising more than 2,000 feet over above the western coast. Nearby sits the Mount Soufrière Volcano, considered "the world's only drive-in volcano”—you can literally drive your car into its volcanic crater to see its steaming sulfur springs.

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