Maria Islands Nature Reserve - Vieux Fort
Maria Islands Nature Reserve - Vieux Fort
4.9
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Fourahbay
Greater London, UK34 contribuições
fev. de 2020
The Saint Lucia National Trust takes care of every detail that helps protect the natural habitat of the endemic species and other fauna found on this small island off the south east coast of Saint Lucia. It also takes care that you have informative and lively guides, a safe journey by sea to and from the island and from the shore to the highest point (c.400 ft?) and back to the beach for a swim. A unique place well worth the planning in advance to visit! Bring water/juice, photography gear, leave nothing physical behind and take away memories of a fabulous experience of conservation in practice and amazing views!
Feita em 1 de março de 2020
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
Denise L
Richmond, VA70 contribuições
fev. de 2020
This was the best experience we had in St. Lucia and one of the best vacation experiences I've ever had. To arrange the tour, go to the Saint Lucia National Trust website and email the address listed. They will set you up. The cost is $50 per person with a minimum of $200 for the group. This is a steal considering you get a private tour of the island and a boat trip to and from.
On the day of the tour, we met at the SLNT office near The Reef Restaurant in Vieux Fort. We used the restroom and then headed off with our tour guide. We were met on the beach by a fishing boat that took us to the island. It was relatively easy to get in and out of the boat even with our bags, but water shoes of some sort are a must as you will get wet. The boat ride over was a little bumpy but only lasted 5 minutes.
Once on the island, our tour guide took us on a hike. He told us so much wonderful information about the island and was great at spotting wildlife. He even took my phone into the trees to get a good picture of a lizard for me. The hike to the top is steep, but there are railings almost the entire way. Our guide also lent a helping hand as needed and gave us advice on where to step on the way down. The views from the top are spectacular!
After the hike, we had about an hour to swim in the ocean. Other reviewers said there wasn't much snorkeling, but they must have missed it. There is a large reef to the left if you are standing on the beach facing the water about 30 yards out. It was the best snorkeling we did while in St. Lucia.
After that, we hopped into the boat for another short trip back to shore. We used the SLNT offices to change and had a nice lunch at The Reef Restaurant.
This tour was special because you have the entire island to yourselves, and it is so well preserved. While the price may sound steep, you are also supporting the preservation of the island with the money. Do this trip!
On the day of the tour, we met at the SLNT office near The Reef Restaurant in Vieux Fort. We used the restroom and then headed off with our tour guide. We were met on the beach by a fishing boat that took us to the island. It was relatively easy to get in and out of the boat even with our bags, but water shoes of some sort are a must as you will get wet. The boat ride over was a little bumpy but only lasted 5 minutes.
Once on the island, our tour guide took us on a hike. He told us so much wonderful information about the island and was great at spotting wildlife. He even took my phone into the trees to get a good picture of a lizard for me. The hike to the top is steep, but there are railings almost the entire way. Our guide also lent a helping hand as needed and gave us advice on where to step on the way down. The views from the top are spectacular!
After the hike, we had about an hour to swim in the ocean. Other reviewers said there wasn't much snorkeling, but they must have missed it. There is a large reef to the left if you are standing on the beach facing the water about 30 yards out. It was the best snorkeling we did while in St. Lucia.
After that, we hopped into the boat for another short trip back to shore. We used the SLNT offices to change and had a nice lunch at The Reef Restaurant.
This tour was special because you have the entire island to yourselves, and it is so well preserved. While the price may sound steep, you are also supporting the preservation of the island with the money. Do this trip!
Feita em 10 de fevereiro de 2020
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
CHARLES S
12 contribuições
fev. de 2018 • Casais
We had an absolute ball on our tour of Maria Island. We also had a tour guide that showed us every crack and crevice of this beautiful island. I highly recommend a visit.
Feita em 6 de fevereiro de 2018
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
FloristSteve
Madbury, NH76 contribuições
mar. de 2017 • Família
This is a hidden gem. Get taken out to Maria Island on a local fishing style boat, followed by a hike with great views and finishing off with snorkeling at the beach.
We encountered quite a bit of wind and a passing shower on our excursion. The trip started with a bit of a wait for the boat to arrive. But checking out the Sandy Beach area was beautiful. Once the boat arrived, it was a rather quick 5-10 minute ride out to the island.
We are used to hiking in terrain in NH White Mountains, so our kids, aged 6 and 9 did not find the hike difficult. The views throughout the hike were amazing. We saw a male and female lizard, thanks to our guide's keen eyes. Lots of Cacti and interesting flora.
The hike is rather steep, so good shoes are recommended. The snorkeling in front of the beach was decent. Who can really complain about the snorkeling conditions in St. Lucia.
All in all, an amazing trip that I feel guilt telling others about, due to its natural, untouched beauty. Also, note that there is a MAXIMUM age for participants of 69, unless prior approval is given.
We encountered quite a bit of wind and a passing shower on our excursion. The trip started with a bit of a wait for the boat to arrive. But checking out the Sandy Beach area was beautiful. Once the boat arrived, it was a rather quick 5-10 minute ride out to the island.
We are used to hiking in terrain in NH White Mountains, so our kids, aged 6 and 9 did not find the hike difficult. The views throughout the hike were amazing. We saw a male and female lizard, thanks to our guide's keen eyes. Lots of Cacti and interesting flora.
The hike is rather steep, so good shoes are recommended. The snorkeling in front of the beach was decent. Who can really complain about the snorkeling conditions in St. Lucia.
All in all, an amazing trip that I feel guilt telling others about, due to its natural, untouched beauty. Also, note that there is a MAXIMUM age for participants of 69, unless prior approval is given.
Feita em 5 de março de 2017
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
Stephanie R
Fairhope, AL88 contribuições
mar. de 2016 • Casais
I cannot say enough about how insanely gorgeous this place is. What a treat to visit! I would highly recommend.
Feita em 17 de janeiro de 2017
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
Belinda L
Toronto, Canadá13 contribuições
mar. de 2016
This was a very educational tour on the lizards native to St Lucia and that can only be found on this island. We enjoyed our tour with the guide who was thoughtful, very informative and answered all our questions. The waters are beautiful. Not that many fish but still a lot of fun and certainly a lot of coral to explore. The short boat ride was enjoyable as well.
Feita em 28 de março de 2016
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
Chris O
42 contribuições
set. de 2015 • Casais
This was one of our favorite parts of the trip. The nature preserve is breathtaking. I could have spent a week here.
Feita em 12 de fevereiro de 2016
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
Nicole H
Saint Helens, OR199 contribuições
dez. de 2015 • Amigos
We could have walked to this place from Coconut Bay Hotel. I believe they are closed for a large chunk of December, so email early to get your reservation.
You start out getting yourself into a very old boat. Don’t expect fancy, this is an Eco tour after all!
The boat ride over was very quick. The hike up was quite steep and filled with cacti. It was probably a 45 minute climb to the top. We were all very winded at the top and it was hot which made climb so much harder. I have to say that I felt quite accomplished when I reached the top. When we got back down we had a little time to relax on the nice beach and snorkel (we brought our own equipment, but I believe there were ones you could borrow). The snorkeling isn’t that great compared to the other snorkeling on the Island. However we did see lots of the brown fish that were well camouflaged with the grass It was cool to see them swimming in the hundreds. The beach is also really nice!
$125 for 4 people was an amazing price.
If you are staying at Coconut Bay, the tour guide said he could have picked me up right off the beach. I wish I had known!! They did drop us off at the beach of our hotel. This was really nice and saved us money in taxi fare so we made sure to tip the two guys driving the boat. People were very interested in the tour when we were dropped off, everyone wanted to go.
You start out getting yourself into a very old boat. Don’t expect fancy, this is an Eco tour after all!
The boat ride over was very quick. The hike up was quite steep and filled with cacti. It was probably a 45 minute climb to the top. We were all very winded at the top and it was hot which made climb so much harder. I have to say that I felt quite accomplished when I reached the top. When we got back down we had a little time to relax on the nice beach and snorkel (we brought our own equipment, but I believe there were ones you could borrow). The snorkeling isn’t that great compared to the other snorkeling on the Island. However we did see lots of the brown fish that were well camouflaged with the grass It was cool to see them swimming in the hundreds. The beach is also really nice!
$125 for 4 people was an amazing price.
If you are staying at Coconut Bay, the tour guide said he could have picked me up right off the beach. I wish I had known!! They did drop us off at the beach of our hotel. This was really nice and saved us money in taxi fare so we made sure to tip the two guys driving the boat. People were very interested in the tour when we were dropped off, everyone wanted to go.
Feita em 16 de janeiro de 2016
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
amandaalo
Londres, UK1 contribuição
Going to maria island was an experience. The tour guides were great fun and the local fishermen that took us. You need to take flip flops to get into and out of boat and then trainers for the hiking.views were great.we saw the lizards that are only native there and the snakes that are only native there n are rather rare occasion to find. Highly recommended
Feita em 4 de fevereiro de 2014
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
BBnugget
Newark, DE894 contribuições
nov. de 2012 • Casais
First, this was one of the best experiences we had in St Lucia or on any trip. It is so unique and is a hidden gem that most will never experience. Alone on a beautiful island with endemic species and a truly amazing ecosystem. It is beautiful in all directions and complete peace and quiet. Even many locals have not been here. (Note, the pictures got jumbled out of order when uploaded)
We first went to the National Trust Interpretive Center on a Monday morning. We told the man working in there, Davis, that we had reservations for the Maria Island tour and he had no idea what we were talking about. I said I made it a couple months prior and tried to verify the previous week but never got an answer. He told us, he was new, the previous guy was not working there anymore and he was out of the office the week before. Not good for us. He made some phone calls, unsuccessfully and we were told to call back. We then got a cell phone at Digicell in Vieux Fort and gave him our number. We heard from him at 3:00 and he had worked out the trip for the next morning with a guide and fisherman. Davis was very nice about it. He was also very professional and very friendly as well. We mentioned that we would be doing the Barre de L’isle trail the next day (which he had not heard of) and then going up to Pigeon Island. He said he would be up there at Pigeon Island the following day for a meeting and jokingly (or so I thought) said “maybe I’ll see you up there”. Not only did we run into him at Pigeon Island, but as we got out of our car to do the Barre de L’isle trail, guess who was honking as he drove by us with his huge grin. He has one of those infectious smiles that you can’t help but smile back at.
Anyway, the Interpretive Center in Vieux Fort is less than a 25 minute drive from the Fox Grove Inn in Mon Repos and we got there at 8:30. It is an unmarked building, but is just to the south of the Reef restaurant. The water was a little too rough to board the boat from there, so we had to board the boat from a fishing village not far from there. We met our guide at the interpretive center and she drove with us to Savannes Bay a few minutes north. We learned some things on the way, including that the Olympic Stadium was a gift from China so they can whale in St Lucia waters. Later we ran into a couple that did a whaling trip and saw no whales, dolphins, or anything and we wondered if that had an influence.
At least they are doing their best to protect this small island that has so far escaped many of the human influences that have altered nature elsewhere and is why it is so unique. We met the fisherman who would take us to Maria Major, the larger of the sister islands, but three other fishermen came along for the ride. We got life jackets and the ride was maybe 15-20 minutes but would only take a few minutes if the conditions were good enough to leave from The Center. We were told they were trying to put in a floating dock there. It was a little rough in some places but not bad and you have to go really slow in places due to shallow water. We were dropped off on the West side of Maria Islands on a small beach facing Sandy Beach. The boat left to go fishing and we were left alone, just the guide, my wife, and me on an island. This is a true castaway experience. You are not around the bend from resorts or a short walk to a road, or have meals supplied for you, you are alone. If the boat didn’t come back, it would be a long, tough swim, if the currents would even make it possible. Not trying to scare anyone, as cell phones still worked, but it was extremely unique and peaceful. We hiked to the top of the island in about an hour and 200 foot elevation gain, stopping every so often and learning about the ecosystems and ocean blasts that have taken off chunks of both islands. No one had been there in 5 months so the trail was over-grown. It goes through grassy areas, to forested parts, to predominantly cacti sections. The first half is pretty gentle and the second half gets slightly steeper, but it is pretty easy. The island only gets 20 mm of rain a year, but amazingly still has a lot of plant life, like trees, grasses, cacti etc. We saw lizards and lots of birds. There is obviously a nice view from top with a wide vista of mountains and pitons, the wide open Atlantic, and Maria Minor is gorgeous from Major. Moule a Chique peninsula looks amazing from Maria and apparently it used to be connected to the Maria Islands. It was interesting to picture it all as a bay. We also learned a lot about St Lucia, in general, including that the people on north of the island have a different accent, which we later noticed. After the hike, we went snorkeling. We brought our own snorkel and goggles (we had no need for fins anywhere on the island). There was not much to see at first, but it gets way better towards the right, if facing the ocean from the beach (or the north side of the west-facing beach). You have to swim parallel to Maria Major’s shore beyond where the beach is, adjacent to rocks, towards the edge of the island. There was some good coral and fish over there. The beach is so peaceful, has some shade, and beats any place to lounge in sand anywhere in St Lucia. After 2.5 hours or so on the island, we got picked up and had a fun up and down ride back. The water had become rougher and had some nice drops like a roller coaster. We got splashed, but we were already wet from snorkeling so it didn’t matter. Humorously, the guide disliked the bouncing ride more than we did and couldn’t understand that I thought it was fun. We made it back to Savannes bay, which is protected from the waves and is quite pretty, itself, with mangroves and green hillsides. We dropped the guide off in Vieux Fort after a great trip and it was only 12:30 so we headed to Laborie for lunch, beach time, and more snorkeling.
The cost is now $75 EC per person with a minimum of 4 people. We paid for the cost of 4 people and, at just over $100 US for a private tour of your own island; it was well worth it. It was such a unique trip and an opportunity that so few people takes advantage of. The views are amazing and it is just special to be out on an island by yourselves with no boat in sight. The reservation problem we had should not be an issue anymore, but if you reserve a day, call a couple weeks ahead to confirm, just to be safe. They have had trouble getting the word out about this experience so very few people have done it. I would recommend this for everyone. We promised we would get the word out and that I would get at least a couple people to do it. I am pretty sure I was successful before we even left St Lucia as it was an easy sell to couples that we met. Even if you are not staying in the area, this could be a great thing to do on your departure day if your flight is in the afternoon because it is so close to the UVF airport. They recommend doing it in morning because it can get quite hot climbing to the top, but you would probably be fine if you swam before hiking. Bring water, snacks, snorkel gear, camera, sun screen water shoes or sandals, and sneakers.
We first went to the National Trust Interpretive Center on a Monday morning. We told the man working in there, Davis, that we had reservations for the Maria Island tour and he had no idea what we were talking about. I said I made it a couple months prior and tried to verify the previous week but never got an answer. He told us, he was new, the previous guy was not working there anymore and he was out of the office the week before. Not good for us. He made some phone calls, unsuccessfully and we were told to call back. We then got a cell phone at Digicell in Vieux Fort and gave him our number. We heard from him at 3:00 and he had worked out the trip for the next morning with a guide and fisherman. Davis was very nice about it. He was also very professional and very friendly as well. We mentioned that we would be doing the Barre de L’isle trail the next day (which he had not heard of) and then going up to Pigeon Island. He said he would be up there at Pigeon Island the following day for a meeting and jokingly (or so I thought) said “maybe I’ll see you up there”. Not only did we run into him at Pigeon Island, but as we got out of our car to do the Barre de L’isle trail, guess who was honking as he drove by us with his huge grin. He has one of those infectious smiles that you can’t help but smile back at.
Anyway, the Interpretive Center in Vieux Fort is less than a 25 minute drive from the Fox Grove Inn in Mon Repos and we got there at 8:30. It is an unmarked building, but is just to the south of the Reef restaurant. The water was a little too rough to board the boat from there, so we had to board the boat from a fishing village not far from there. We met our guide at the interpretive center and she drove with us to Savannes Bay a few minutes north. We learned some things on the way, including that the Olympic Stadium was a gift from China so they can whale in St Lucia waters. Later we ran into a couple that did a whaling trip and saw no whales, dolphins, or anything and we wondered if that had an influence.
At least they are doing their best to protect this small island that has so far escaped many of the human influences that have altered nature elsewhere and is why it is so unique. We met the fisherman who would take us to Maria Major, the larger of the sister islands, but three other fishermen came along for the ride. We got life jackets and the ride was maybe 15-20 minutes but would only take a few minutes if the conditions were good enough to leave from The Center. We were told they were trying to put in a floating dock there. It was a little rough in some places but not bad and you have to go really slow in places due to shallow water. We were dropped off on the West side of Maria Islands on a small beach facing Sandy Beach. The boat left to go fishing and we were left alone, just the guide, my wife, and me on an island. This is a true castaway experience. You are not around the bend from resorts or a short walk to a road, or have meals supplied for you, you are alone. If the boat didn’t come back, it would be a long, tough swim, if the currents would even make it possible. Not trying to scare anyone, as cell phones still worked, but it was extremely unique and peaceful. We hiked to the top of the island in about an hour and 200 foot elevation gain, stopping every so often and learning about the ecosystems and ocean blasts that have taken off chunks of both islands. No one had been there in 5 months so the trail was over-grown. It goes through grassy areas, to forested parts, to predominantly cacti sections. The first half is pretty gentle and the second half gets slightly steeper, but it is pretty easy. The island only gets 20 mm of rain a year, but amazingly still has a lot of plant life, like trees, grasses, cacti etc. We saw lizards and lots of birds. There is obviously a nice view from top with a wide vista of mountains and pitons, the wide open Atlantic, and Maria Minor is gorgeous from Major. Moule a Chique peninsula looks amazing from Maria and apparently it used to be connected to the Maria Islands. It was interesting to picture it all as a bay. We also learned a lot about St Lucia, in general, including that the people on north of the island have a different accent, which we later noticed. After the hike, we went snorkeling. We brought our own snorkel and goggles (we had no need for fins anywhere on the island). There was not much to see at first, but it gets way better towards the right, if facing the ocean from the beach (or the north side of the west-facing beach). You have to swim parallel to Maria Major’s shore beyond where the beach is, adjacent to rocks, towards the edge of the island. There was some good coral and fish over there. The beach is so peaceful, has some shade, and beats any place to lounge in sand anywhere in St Lucia. After 2.5 hours or so on the island, we got picked up and had a fun up and down ride back. The water had become rougher and had some nice drops like a roller coaster. We got splashed, but we were already wet from snorkeling so it didn’t matter. Humorously, the guide disliked the bouncing ride more than we did and couldn’t understand that I thought it was fun. We made it back to Savannes bay, which is protected from the waves and is quite pretty, itself, with mangroves and green hillsides. We dropped the guide off in Vieux Fort after a great trip and it was only 12:30 so we headed to Laborie for lunch, beach time, and more snorkeling.
The cost is now $75 EC per person with a minimum of 4 people. We paid for the cost of 4 people and, at just over $100 US for a private tour of your own island; it was well worth it. It was such a unique trip and an opportunity that so few people takes advantage of. The views are amazing and it is just special to be out on an island by yourselves with no boat in sight. The reservation problem we had should not be an issue anymore, but if you reserve a day, call a couple weeks ahead to confirm, just to be safe. They have had trouble getting the word out about this experience so very few people have done it. I would recommend this for everyone. We promised we would get the word out and that I would get at least a couple people to do it. I am pretty sure I was successful before we even left St Lucia as it was an easy sell to couples that we met. Even if you are not staying in the area, this could be a great thing to do on your departure day if your flight is in the afternoon because it is so close to the UVF airport. They recommend doing it in morning because it can get quite hot climbing to the top, but you would probably be fine if you swam before hiking. Bring water, snacks, snorkel gear, camera, sun screen water shoes or sandals, and sneakers.
Feita em 10 de dezembro de 2012
Esta avaliação representa a opinião subjetiva de um membro da comunidade do Tripadvisor e não da Tripadvisor LLC. O Tripadvisor verifica as avaliações.
How much time do you get to spend by the beach after the hike?
Feita em 6 de julho de 2018
I believe we had an hour or so but I think that has a lot to do the size of the group and how long it takes to do the hike.....
Feita em 7 de julho de 2018
Would a 5 year old child be capable of handling the hike? She’s already acclimated to easy terrain hikes but wondering how long and strenuous the hike here is? Thanks!
Feita em 26 de maio de 2018
I would be really hesitant to bring my five year old. It's a steep path and the cactus are ferocious....
Hope this is helpful....
Feita em 26 de maio de 2018
We are going to St Lucia in the next couple of weeks staying at the North of the Island, but would love to visit Maria Island. What is the best way to arrange an excursion there? My partner is really interested in reptiles, so was hoping to find the St Lucia racer! Thank you
Feita em 21 de abril de 2015
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