Top tried & tested things to do with kids in St Lucia

Antonia Windsor

Antonia Windsor

Think of St Lucia and you probably conjure honeymoons in dramatic open-walled suites with romantic meals for two on the sand. But what about taking the kids to this popular Caribbean holiday spot? Can you enjoy a family holiday on this Windward island?

The answer is a resounding yes. We recently took our nine-year-old, 12-year-old and 13-year-old, and they had a ball. From volcanoes and cocoa farms to jungle zip lines and bamboo rafts, here's my pick of their favourite activities.

Getting to St Lucia: find great value family holidays to St Lucia with TUI*, which has resorts for all budgets and departs from the UK year-round.

Visit a volcano

All my kids had studied volcanoes at primary school, we'd even once failed at that tabletop simulation that looks so easy in YouTube videos. So, top of the kids' wish list was a visit to what's dubbed the world's only drive-in volcano.

Of course, we didn't melt the car in the crater, but you can drive pretty close to the action and then pick up a steep path that takes you up to a viewing point where you can see the lava bubble and spit. "Why does it smell like rotten eggs, Mummy?" asked my youngest, and this set off an impromptu science lesson.

Once we'd found out everything we could from our personable guide, we headed back down the hill to the sulphur springs and attempted to submerge our limbs in incredibly hot spring water. While none of the children could manage the sting of the high temperature but they had great fun covering themselves and each other in silky mud.

Tackle an obstacle course

Once my kids had spotted the Splash Island Water Park off Reduit Beach, they nagged me until I agreed to a visit (please note, the minimum age is six).

This is the Caribbean's first open-water inflatable park; essentially a floating obstacle course made up of slides, climbing walls, trampolines and balance beams, all anchored just offshore in calm, shallow water.

Life jackets are mandatory and lifeguards keep a close eye on everyone, so parents can relax on the sand while the kids leap, slip and laugh their way across the course (but, of course, I wasn't going to miss out on having a go myself).

We were lucky as my kids very quickly made friends with the other people who had booked into our session and began an exhausting game of tag. The obstacles are pleasingly challenging, including a climbing wall with an overhang that my son was determined to master (I very quickly gave up after my first attempt ended in a back-flop into the water).

Zipline through the rainforest

If you're sent a soggy day, then head to Rainforest Adventures in Babonneau it rains here most days anyway, so it won't make much difference.

We made a beeline for the zipline, but my husband took the more sedentary aerial tram that takes you high into the treetop canopy in the search for the elusive St Lucia parrot.

The zipwires are strung high above the rainforest floor, and after a short safety briefing, you clip in and soar past giant ferns and towering gommier trees, hearing birdsong all around.

The guides are fantastic with nervous first-timers, and by the second line, even the shy ones are whooping with delight. There's also a gentle nature trail for little ones who'd rather keep their feet on the ground.

Cruise on a bamboo raft

Drifting down a river on a bamboo raft doesn't sound like a particularly child-friendly activity (and if you look at the Instagram post, you'll likely see it enjoyed by friends as a booze cruise), however, we all loved how low the raft was in the water and the perspective we got of the Rosseau River.

Our local guide pointed out mango trees, birds and medicinal plants along the banks, and when we reached the sea, the kids jumped off to play in the waves, and my husband cracked open a bottle of Piton beer.

The rafts glide slowly, so there's no need to worry about seasickness or splashes. The best bit was when we cut into the mangroves, and it suddenly felt like we'd been transported to Sri Lanka, proving just how diverse the ecosystem is here.

Explore Morne Coubaril Estate

Just outside Soufrière, Morne Coubaril Estate is a working cocoa and coconut plantation that offers a guided Historical Estate Tour that tells the story of the island.

My daughter loved feeding the resident donkey, Noelle, who worked the old-fashioned sugar cane mill and my son was fascinated to taste a cocoa bean in its raw state before we saw how they are fermented and turned into chocolate.

We also got to duck inside a replica of a traditional Carib home and watch a coconut being shucked. There's a lovely open-air restaurant serving Creole dishes made with estate-grown produce that serves food at lunchtime, so best to time your visit to late morning.

Learn to play padel

If your children are sporty (or you secretly fancy showing off your serve), book a family padel or pickleball lesson at the new Sugar Beach Racquet Club. Framed by lush rainforest and backed by the towering Petit Piton, it's hard to imagine a more spectacular setting for a game.

The club features tennis, pickleball and the island's first padel court, where kids and parents can take lessons together or try to "beat the pro"; win, and your match is free.

Our coach was incredibly patient with the three kids and mixed drills with jokes and encouraged gentle competition. After our session we cooled off with towels and water from the fridge in the airy lounge.

Ride a jungle bike

A short boat ride from Anse Chastanet Beach brings you to neighbouring Anse Mamin. Here you can don a helmet and head off with a guide on a Jungle Bike Tour of the overgrown plantation grounds.

This was one of our most memorable experiences, largely because the guide was so knowledgeable about the plants; the kids were enthralled by the leaves that curled up as soon as you touched them on the mimosa pudica, otherwise known as the touch-sensitive plant.

We cycled along jungle trails beneath tall trees and past old plantation ruins, stopping to see a soursop tree and learn about its medicinal use in cancer treatment, taste a cocoa bean and mango fresh from the tree and spot lizards and beetles.

It's worth allowing extra time to taste some homemade lemonade at Anse Mamin Beach, one of the quietest stretches of sand on the island.

Climate in St Lucia

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C
28°C maximum daytime temperature in January in Castries28
28°C maximum daytime temperature in February in Castries28
29°C maximum daytime temperature in March in Castries29
29°C maximum daytime temperature in April in Castries29
30°C maximum daytime temperature in May in Castries30
30°C maximum daytime temperature in June in Castries30
30°C maximum daytime temperature in July in Castries30
30°C maximum daytime temperature in August in Castries30
30°C maximum daytime temperature in September in Castries30
30°C maximum daytime temperature in October in Castries30
29°C maximum daytime temperature in November in Castries29
29°C maximum daytime temperature in December in Castries29
Hours of sunshine (daily)
Days with some rainfall
17 days with some rainfall in January in Castries17
13 days with some rainfall in February in Castries13
13 days with some rainfall in March in Castries13
11 days with some rainfall in April in Castries11
15 days with some rainfall in May in Castries15
19 days with some rainfall in June in Castries19
21 days with some rainfall in July in Castries21
20 days with some rainfall in August in Castries20
25 days with some rainfall in September in Castries25
18 days with some rainfall in October in Castries18
19 days with some rainfall in November in Castries19
18 days with some rainfall in December in Castries18
Sea temperature °C
27°C sea temperature in January in Castries27
26°C sea temperature in February in Castries26
27°C sea temperature in March in Castries27
27°C sea temperature in April in Castries27
28°C sea temperature in May in Castries28
28°C sea temperature in June in Castries28
28°C sea temperature in July in Castries28
29°C sea temperature in August in Castries29
29°C sea temperature in September in Castries29
29°C sea temperature in October in Castries29
28°C sea temperature in November in Castries28
28°C sea temperature in December in Castries28

The above guide shows the climate in Castries. Find out more about conditions across the island nation in our complete guide to the climate in St Lucia.

Ready to take your family to St Lucia? Browse the latest deals on escapes with TUI, which offers holidays to the Caribbean year-round.

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Antonia Windsor

Antonia Windsor

Posted in: Caribbean Family Winter sun

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