Why now’s the time to explore the ‘quiet revolution’ of St Lucia’s wild side

I knew it would be an adventure when I saw the machete. “I think we might need it today,” mused Julian Toussaint, my hiking guide, peering at the thick tangle of trees and ivy ahead.

Bears? Wolves? “Absolutely not!” he laughed, the long blade gleaming beside his leggings and runner’s singlet. “But we might need to hack our way through: the path gets so overgrown, even after just a day or two…”

I’d argue that it wasn’t actually a path at all. Our route up Mount Gimie – Saint Lucia’s tallest mountain – was more of a vertical obstacle course, which saw us scrambling over boulders, clinging to tree branches, and teetering on dizzying drop-offs. It was strenuous, sweaty: everything a Caribbean holiday shouldn’t be. But it was also utterly exhilarating, an off-grid hike without another soul in sight – and as I followed the thwack, thwack, thwack of Julian’s blade, I almost felt sorry for the fly-and-flop crowds far below.

Up on the 950m-high summit, where Tarzan-style vines hang from the trees and tiny butterflies flit between blooms, we could gaze from one side of Saint Lucia to the other. In the distance, the sea sparkled in the sun: the sky-blue Caribbean to the west, the eastward Atlantic a shade darker. All around, the island’s peaks loomed large – including the two Unesco-listed Piton mountains, covered in a lush thatch of rainforest. I would, I knew, become more acquainted with these twin spires soon, as I’d signed up for the new Three Peaks Challenge, which involves climbing Gimie, Gros Piton and Petit Piton. But before that, I quite fancied a sit-down.

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There is a quiet revolution happening in Saint Lucia. The island, famous for its lavish and manicured resorts like Jade Mountain and BodyHoliday, is embracing its wilder side – and entrepreneurs like Julian are leading the way. “Saint Lucians aren’t naturally adventurous,” he said, as I huffed and puffed in his wake, “but during Covid we started exploring more – and we realised what we were missing.” With his friend Jason Sayers, Julian began leading hiking trips and founded The 758 Adventurers in 2020, while others launched start-ups or ecotourism projects. “We want to show a side of the Caribbean that’s never been seen…