Rooms

High ceilings, graceful stone arches and terracotta floors keep things cool at Tamarind, a house built to frame the wonderful views through every doorway. The living room is enormous, with 2 huge sofas and a travertine stone coffee table. Ecelctic art peppers the walls, while cushions and lamps keep things homely. For candlelit evenings, there’s a round antique dining table seating 6-8 on the main terrace.

The villa has 3 bedrooms: the 2 doubles (one kingsize and one queensize) look straight out to the Pitons and both have a private terrace and four-poster beds dressed in mosquito nets, fiery-hued silk cushions and Egyptian cotton. Minimalist furniture makes each room airy and light, but walk-in wardrobes provide good storage and there are lovely details to prevent the space from looking sterile - the master bedroom has a hand-carved freestanding cheval mirror, the other room has gorgeous white and blue Chinese lamps on its bedside table. One wall in each of the 2 Italian-tiled ensuite shower rooms (there are no bathtubs) is made of louvered doors and opens completely to give showers (and loos) with a view. There’s also a third bedroom for children, with an adjacent bathroom, one double and one single bed and courtyard views.

A self-contained cottage linked to the main house by a terrace provides accommodation for a (lucky) third couple. Its pavilion-like layout and billowing white drapes create a dreamily romantic feel. There’s a wooden four-poster clad in French linen, an ensuite bathroom and 2 sprawling couches dressed with blue and white stripes, with bright paintings by Kate Spencer lining the stone walls. And in case of an attack of the munchies, there’s also a small kitchenette.

Features include:

• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Mosquito net
• Safe box
• Washing machine
• WiFi

Eating

The housekeepers Anne and Cheryl come to the house from 9am-2pm each day to clean and do the laundry; they’ll also cook and serve a lazy breakfast and lunch on the terrace if required. For a bit extra, a private chef can be arranged in the evenings to whip up a gourmet feast to be served to you under the stars for dinner - perhaps tangy fishcakes or a spicy Creole curry, accompanied by rum punch.

If you want to cook for yourself in the fully-equipped kitchen or out on the terrace barbecue, you can ask the staff to shop for you (there’s an additional charge for this service) or head out to the market in Soufriere on Saturdays for fresh fish, spices, breadfruit, plantain, mangoes and more.

And so that you don’t arrive to a dauntingly empty larder, the villa’s owner, Nancy (who lives next door), can provide a starter pack of provisions and a light meal on arrival: we were greeted with Anne’s fresh ginger and lime squash, a beautifully cooked chicken stew and seasoned rice to pop into the oven, and a lemon ice cream that we had greedy third helpings of.

There are plenty of restaurants nearby if you want to eat out: the Anse Chastenet resort has several eateries to choose from and the Mango Tree at Stonefield Estate offers simple but tasty Caribbean and continental dishes, with occasional live band performances. For à la carte French cuisine with a Creole twist (such as succulent steak and freshwater crayfish cooked with home-grown herbs), head to the restaurant at the Hummingbird Resort. It also serves delicious cocktails made using fresh local fruit juices.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Fridge
• Full kitchen
• In-house cook
• Lunch by arrangement
• Microwave
• Oven
• Shopping service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Have a game of tennis in the late evening or early morning, when the sun is least strong. There’s a full size court in the grounds (shared with the house next door) and racquets are available to borrow
  
• Owner Nancy can arrange massages or, if you’re feeling energetic, tennis coaching, cycling, horse riding and fishing trips. A personal trainer can come to the house too; enquire when booking
  
• The botanical gardens on the Soufriere Estate are well worth a visit - you’ll find tropical plants, a pretty waterfall and natural mineral baths to swim in
  
• Visit the 'drive-in' volcanic crater at Mount Soufriere (you can get within a few hundred feet by car before continuing on foot), where you can bathe in hot sulphuric springs
  
• Drive to the stunning dark-sand beach at Anse Chastenet (10 minutes away), which has the best snorkelling on the island. The PADI centre there hires out equipment and runs diving trips to the spectacular coral walls and the wreck at Anse Cochon
  
• You can also hire sea kayaks, windsurfing equipment and sailing dinghies at Anse Chastenet, or pay a small fee to sprawl out on a sun lounger
  
• Keen windsurfers should head to the beautiful beaches just past Vieux Fort; the white-sand Anse de Sable is popular with both intermediates and experts, and you can hire equipment and join impromptu jump-ups
  
• Hike along the many rainforest trails or, if you’re fit, climb the mighty Pitons (a World Heritage site). You’ll need a guide if you want to venture up Petit Piton (the steeper of the 2 peaks), but touts wait at the park entrance so you won’t have to arrange this in advance. Keep an eye out for brightly coloured birds, including the beautiful Jacquot parrot
  
• Visit the heritage plantation at the Morne Coubaril Estate, a cocoa and coconut farm, to learn about St Lucia’s colonial past
  
• Back at the villa, swim in the totally private 35x15ft pool then snooze in the shaded, cushioned pergola
  
• Rainy day? Hole up in the lovely lounge and watch a DVD from the library

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Scuba diving courses
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Tennis coaching
• Waterskiing
• Wildlife
• Windsurfing
• Yoga

Kids

Children are very welcome here and the staff have entertained and fed visitors of all ages for many years. Children must be supervised at all times by the pool and parents should be aware that there are lots of steps around the property. Cots and high chairs are available on request and babysitting can be arranged. Any damage incurred by children to furniture must be paid for before departure.

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Tamarind House Villa is set on a hillside, 1.5km outside the town of Soufriere on St Lucia's west coast. It's about an hour's drive from the island's main airport.

By Air:
Hewanorra International (30km away) is where you'll most likely land, unless you're flying from another Caribbean island, in which case you'll jet into George FL Charles airport (formerly known as Vigie), which is 43km away. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
Most people hire a car for their stay (see below). Alternatively, Nancy can arrange a transfer or you can jump in a taxi - see Rates.

By Car:
For car hire, see our car rental recommendations. You will need to obtain a temporary St Lucia driver’s licence purchased from the Immigration Office upon arrival at the airport or at the car-rental kiosks when you pick up your car. In addition you have to be over 25 years old and show a valid driver’s licence from home.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to St Lucia and getting around