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ANSE CHASTANET guests can enjoy the following watersports on
complimentary basis:
Snorkeling - Windsurfing - Ocean Kayaking - Sunfish Sailing
SCUBA
(Not All-Inclusive)
Location, location, location. This often-quoted real estate cliché can
be used to describe the fundamental attraction ANSE CHASTANET resort
has for traveling divers. It is in the heart of St. Lucia’s very best
diving.
SCUBA ST. LUCIA is an SSI
Platinum Pro, PADI Dive Center and DAN (Divers Alert Network) Partners
in Dive Safety facility, located in the heart of the marine reserves
at ANSE CHASTANET just north of the magnificent Pitons in St. Lucia.
Founded in 1981, Scuba St. Lucia has established itself as one of the
world's top diving destinations.
Situated in the south end of ANSE CHASTANET'S 1/4 mile long, soft
sand, secluded beach within a 600 acre plantation, Scuba St. Lucia
offers great diving and comprehensive facilities for divers of all
levels.
The
dive facility is located on the beach below Anse Chastanet Hotel. Just
feet away from this full service facility is the Anse Chastanet Reef
which is part of the Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA). This
reef, which is home to more than 150 different species of fish is
comprised of a marine plateau and dramatic slopes that fall away to a
depth of more than 130ft.
The
shore dive is a required "first" dive for dive guests. It allows
divers to feel ensured that all equipment is functioning properly,
that their buoyancy skills are adequate for entering the marine
reserve and to provide an orientation to the type of diving for which
St Lucia is known. This reef is a favorite of most professional
underwater photographers and videographers who visit Anse Chastanet.
The
boat dives should also not be missed - dramatic walls beneath the
majestic Piton Mountains, Superman's flight, a drift dive in the
shadow of the Petit Piton, Coral Gardens and Jalousie under the Gros
Piton, Piton Wall, the wreck of the "Lesleen M", Anse La Raye and Anse
Cochon. Closer to home for the afternoon boat trips but no less
spectacular sites, the diver can explore Fairyland, Turtle Reef, Grand
Caille, Trou Diable, the Pinnacles and much more...
Night
dives are offered at least twice weekly on Anse Chastanet's Reef,
which really "wakes up" at night, with many interesting crustaceans on
the move, large basket stars, sleeping parrotfish, octopus and squid,
bioluminescence and the "THING".
All
divers offered by Scuba St Lucia are guided by one of the
instructors/dive masters to maximize diver safety and enjoyment. The
whole are is designated a Marine Reserve so divers are asked to "look
but don't touch". Even empty shells should be left on the seabed, and
great care taken not to touch or kick the corals so hopefully the reef
can be preserved for future generations of divers to enjoy. These
measures make diving at Anse Chastanet a paradise for underwater
photographers. Scuba St Lucia is also an ideal place to learn to dive,
with warm clear waters and a shallow, protected reef so close to the
Dive Center. The introductory Scuba course is offered most days a week
and Open Water Certification courses start every week. A full range of
courses; Advanced Open Water, Rescue diver, Dive master, Assistant
Instructor, Specialties, are available by arrangement. The pace in St
Lucia is always slow and relaxed, but the diving, activities are
efficiently organized with the minimum of fuss - the staff are very
accommodating and will do their best to help out with "special
requests".
St.
Lucia’s spectacular scenery offers many sightseeing attractions. The
most dramatic ones such as The Sulphur Springs, St. Lucia’s famous
walk-in volcano, the Louis XVI Mineral Baths, the Tropical Rain Forest
and the famous Twin Pitons are within a short distance of ANSE
CHASTANET.
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ANSE
CHASTANET is proud to present Jungle Biking. Whether or not you are an
absolute novice or experienced rider, Bike St. Lucia’s exclusive 12
miles of private trails through the tropical jungle located on the
grounds of one of St. Lucia’s first colonial plantations, Anse Mamin,
are "unique in the world of mountain biking" according to Tom Bierl,
editor of Bike magazine.
Bike
St. Lucia’s custom trails were designed to accommodate both the first
time rider and the experienced rider on Cannondale suspension bikes.
Bike St. Lucia also offers a skills area where you have the option to
learn the secrets of successful techniques used by experts under the
watchful eye of an instructor before exploring the trails.
For the experienced
rider, single-track loops were built to challenge their skills. The
test editor of Rodale's mountain biking magazine, Matt Phillips, who
tested the trails a few months ago, considered the entire setting to
be simply "incredible".
In
addition, each rider is issued a bell helmet meeting all industry
safety standards, and a complimentary souvenir Cannondale/Jungle Bike
water bottle. There is a 4,000 square foot covered bike facility and
retail center on site for guest convenience and safety, and there also
are trail patrol staff. Everyone receives a trail map and signs mark
the trail areas according to experience levels recommended.
Guests will have the opportunity to see the 18th century French
colonial ruins of a sugar mill, and old church, a 3 million gallon
fresh water reservoir among others. There is an abundance of
vegetation, including wild orchids and there is also a good variety of
birds to be observed. For cooling off, there is even an old-fashioned
river swimming hole.
2
hour biking rental is available at US39, 1/2 day biking at US49 and
full day biking at US69 . Keen mountain bikers can pre-book special
"Jungle Biking" packages: a 3 full day jungle bike rental pass is
available at US 159 per person, and a 3 half day bike rental pass at
US119.
Without a doubt, there certainly are a lot of activities on offer at
ANSE CHASTANET
BUT: when is the last time you have done NOTHING? How about swinging
in a hammock and letting the gentle ocean waves sing you their very
own sweet lullaby … putting up your feet … admiring the sunset (or
your other half … vegetating under a palm thatched hut … and watching
others fall off their wind surfboards …
OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS
Unless otherwise noted as include in the packages offered, ANSE
CHASTANET has created a wide selection of optional personalized
excursions with the aim of showing you St. Lucia at its best. The
following excursions are organized on a regular basis:
-
1/2
day tour of the Sulphur Springs, Volcano and the Diamond Mineral Baths
- Rain Forest Hikes and Nature Tours
- Shopping trips by boat to Castries
- Full & Half Day and Sunset Sailing Cruises on our 37ft O Day yacht
- Sea and Land Island Tour
- Southern Delights Tour
- Explorer Island Tour
- Soufriere Delight Tour
- Northern Tour to the northern part of the island
- Escorted boat snorkel tour
- Complimentary escorted walks and hikes on 600 acre estate
- Deep Sea Fishing Trips
Due
to the increased interest in nature tourism, ANSE CHASTANET has
developed a special tour program which includes bird watching tours,
botanical tours alongside the famous Piton mountains as well as visits
to the island's nature reserves. At ANSE CHASTANET, our estate guides
offer complimentary guided walks on the 600-acre estate. Their
knowledge of history and local herbs and plants and their beneficial
uses has been passed on from generation to generation.
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