Stonefield Estate Resort
West Coast Rd., 1 mile (1½ km) south of town, Soufrière, Soufrière, St. Lucia
Why We Like It
The rustic villas are charming, and the atmosphere is unpretentious; it’s a lovely choice for a get-away-from-it-all vacation or a honeymoon.
Fodor's Expert Review
The 18th-century plantation house and cottage-style villas that dot this 26-acre family-owned estate, a former lime and cocoa plantation that spills down a tropical hillside, afford eye-popping views of Petit Piton. The adults-only (17+) resort is very private, very quiet, and very peaceful.
You Should Know The terrain is quite steep, so this is not a good choice for anyone with mobility issues.
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Room
Villas are mostly one-bedroom units, with a couple that have two or three bedrooms. The villas are more rustic than modern. All have a kitchen, handcrafted oversize furniture, four-poster beds, one or two bathrooms, an outdoor garden shower, and a secluded plunge pool. Living-dining rooms open onto verandas with double hammocks and panoramic views that are quite romantic at sunset. Chez Anista, a five-bedroom luxury villa that can accommodate up to 10 guests has its own large infinity pool and comes with a private cook and service staff. Although there are no room phones, you're provided with a cell phone to use during your stay.
You Should Know No room TVs—but there is an iPod dock.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are large, with tile floors and hand-hewn wooden vanities with granite counters and double sinks. The large outdoor showers, surrounded by stone walls for privacy, have stone or tile floors and attractively placed tropical plants or gardens.
Lobby
Reception is in a separate building at the entrance to the estate. A single large room has a pair of desks and a few chairs. Louvered walls and doors on all sides of the room open to catch any hint of a breeze.
Pool
A small kidney-shaped pool is adjacent to the restaurant and bar. The tiled deck has a few tables and chairs and sun loungers poised to maximize the views of Petit Piton, the seemingly endless Caribbean Sea, and all the mountain greenery covering the hillside.
Spa
Escape Spa offers a menu of massages, body scrubs, and facials, as well as manicures, pedicures, beauty treatments, and hair styling.
Tip The salon specializes in elegant wedding hairstyles—and hair braiding, too.
Gym
A small fitness center has cardio and strength machines, free weights, and medicine balls. A yoga studio is adjacent to the gym.
You Should Know The gym is not air-conditioned.
Dining
The alfresco Mango Tree Restaurant specializes in “farm-to-table” Creole cuisine at breakfast (included), lunch, and dinner. That means dishes are prepared using organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices grown on the resort property, along with fresh-caught fish and local meats. Homemade jams, preserves, and chutneys are a bonus at breakfast—or at any meal. You can even buy a bottle or two to bring home!
Drinking
The pool bar serves drinks at meals and during the day. On Tuesday evenings, there’s a complimentary cocktail party; on Thursday nights, guests enjoy a cultural performance with fire-eaters and limbo dancers; and on Sunday nights, there’s live steel pan music.
Beach
A complimentary shuttle takes guests to Sugar Beach, a lovely sliver of white sand between the Pitons that’s great for swimming and snorkeling, and to Malgretoute Beach, a dark-sand beach that’s actually pretty rocky.
Tip Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, has a water-sports cabana at the beach where non-guests can rent snorkeling and other equipment; a dive shop is there, as well.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
A rental car is a recommended to explore local sites on your own or go to town to get provisions for your fridge and pantry. Driving is not too difficult south of Soufrière or between Soufrière and Hewanorra International Airport. Taxis are always available, too. Definitely opt for a land or water taxi if you want to go north to Anse la Raye, Marigot Bay, Castries, or Rodney Bay, as the mountain road north of Soufrière is narrow, winding, and downright dizzying.
Restaurants
Dasheene at Ladera (10-minute drive) offers open-air dining on the terrace for lunch or dinner—get there in time to watch the sun go down between the Pitons. Just across the road, Boucan Restaurant (10-minute drive) offers “cacao cuisine,” where everything on the menu—whether sweet or savory—is either infused or spiced with cocoa in one form or another. A little farther south, Fond Doux Estate (15-minute drive) is a historic plantation that offers a purely local experience; come for a tour and a Creole buffet lunch at Cocoa Pod or a la carte dinner at Bamboo. In Soufriere, on the north side of the harbor, Orlando’s (5-minute drive) specializes in exquisite Caribbean cuisine using local, sustainable products; it’s fine dining in a casual atmosphere. Also in Soufriere, The Hummingbird (5-minute drive)—in the resort of the same name—is a popular restaurant specializing in Creole cuisine.
Each Friday evening in Anse la Raye, a small fishing village several miles north of Soufrière, the main street is blocked off for a street festival called Anse la Raye Seafood Friday (25-minute voyage). Residents set up barbecue grills and picnic tables and serve up grilled fish, lobster, roasted corn, boiled crayfish, and more. There’s usually live music, too. (Take a water taxi to/from Soufrière Harbour, as the winding mountain road heading the north is daunting during the day and worse at night.)
Bars
If you feel like you need a nightcap, head for Boucan (10-minute drive) for a chocolate-infused martini or cacao Bellini. Alternatively, the bar at Ladera, across the road from Boucan, has live music most nights. It’s recommended that guests not visit local bars in Soufrière.
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