Fond Doux Eco Resort

What is Fond Doux Eco Resort?

Fond Doux Eco Resort is a working cocoa estate of about 135 acres in the hills near Soufrière, on Saint Lucia's southwest coast, where guests sleep in restored colonial cottages scattered among the cocoa groves. It is inland rather than on the beach, and it suits travellers who want farm, forest and history alongside their Pitons views.

The estate is run by the Lamontagne family, who describe it as 100 per cent Saint Lucian owned, managed and staffed. It was known for years as Fond Doux Plantation & Resort and now trades as Fond Doux Eco Resort, and it is open and operating under that name today. If you are looking at hotels in Saint Lucia and have noticed that most are beach or clifftop resorts, this is the one built around a farm.

Fond Doux Eco Resort at a glance

Fond Doux Eco Resort is a working cocoa estate in the hills south of Soufrière, in the Soufrière district on the southwest coast of Saint Lucia. The nearest town is Soufrière, a short drive away. The nearest airport is Hewanorra International in the far south, which the resort puts at around 45 minutes by transfer, while George F. L. Charles Airport in the north is around an hour and 20 minutes. The style of stay is restored colonial cottages on a farm, inland rather than on the beach. It suits couples, small families and travellers who care about food, history and nature. Breakfast is included in daily rates, with half board, full board and all-inclusive plans available, and the stay centres on a chocolate tour, nature trails, a spa, two pools and a shuttle to Sugar Beach. The resort is open and trading as Fond Doux Eco Resort.

Where is it, and what is the setting like?

Fond Doux lies a short drive south of the town of Soufrière, set back from the road in the district that holds the Pitons World Heritage Site. The ground is steep and green, with cocoa trees, banana plants, fruit trees and patches of rainforest, and the cottages are tucked into the vegetation rather than lined up in rows. The owners have said they deliberately avoid overbuilding, and that restraint is part of the atmosphere.

The twin peaks of the Pitons are close enough to shape the weather and the views, and the volcanic area around Sulphur Springs is nearby. Because the resort is inland, the sea is a short shuttle away rather than a short walk, which makes the stay feel more like visiting a farm than visiting a resort.

What is the history of the estate?

Fond Doux is a 19th century cocoa estate that has never stopped farming. Cocoa is the crop most closely tied to it, grown alongside bananas, citrus and other tropical fruit, and the estate's story tracks the wider story of agriculture on the island, from sugar and cocoa to the banana boom that followed. Our guide to agriculture and bananas in Saint Lucia explains that backdrop, which helps the walk through the groves make more sense.

The Lamontagne family bought the property in the early 1990s, when it was still growing bananas and cocoa. The business began as a restaurant serving visitors, many of them from cruise ships, and the first cottages were later brought to the estate from elsewhere on the island, dismantled, moved and rebuilt. One of the best known is a colonial house from Castries, moved board by board to its present position. Salvaged colonial buildings, local hardwoods and locally made furniture give the cottages their character, and the result feels assembled by hand rather than designed from a plan.

The estate also contains a historical park that commemorates the Battle of Rabot, fought in April 1795. It has an interpretation centre, the remains of an 18th century French fortress, a hideout used by Maroons, who escaped slavery and lived in the hills, and a commemorative shrine. An admission fee applies, and the park is worth including if you want the human history behind the scenery.

What are the cottages like?

Accommodation is in individual cottages, in a mix of sizes. There are one-bedroom and two-bedroom cottages, some with a private plunge pool, and a king suite set around the courtyard beside the restaurant, bar and reception. The two-storey Deluxe Two Bedroom is the rebuilt colonial house from Castries. Cottages have air conditioning, plantation-style interiors and balconies or terraces looking onto the gardens, and the resort says its one-bedroom cottages suit couples who want seclusion.

The estate has added cottages as it has grown, so the number and mix change over time, and it is worth asking the resort which are available on your dates and which suit your plans. Some courtyard suites and one-bedroom cottages are step free, which is useful to know on such a hilly site, but check specific access needs before booking. Cribs and rollaway beds are available on request, and children are welcome. Pets are not allowed.

• Best for couples who want privacy, a plunge pool and a plantation setting.
• Good for small families who are happy with a rural base and do not need a beach on the doorstep.
• Ask about the position of the cottage, because the estate is steep and walking distances vary.

What makes it an eco resort?

The eco label rests on practice more than on wording. The resort is a member of Green Globe and describes the estate as certified organic. Water is heated by the sun, lighting is energy efficient, toilets are low flow, and the cottages use refillable toiletry dispensers and reusable bottles in place of single-use plastic. Takeaway items are biodegradable. The kitchen cooks with produce from the estate and nearby farms, and the spa uses natural products grown organically.

There is a community side too. The resort offers internships to local students, lets local farmers use part of the land for farming and community events, and works with Soufrière residents for tours, transport and entertainment. Guests can plant a tree on the estate, labelled with their name. If sustainability is the main reason you are choosing a hotel, our page on sustainable stays in Saint Lucia sets Fond Doux alongside other options.

What is there to do on the estate?

The chocolate heritage tour is the centrepiece. It runs daily by reservation and takes about an hour and a quarter, following the cocoa from fermenting and drying through traditional bean treading, roasting, grinding and tempering, with guests taking part in making chocolate. The estate sells its own chocolate in a shop on site. If this appeals, our guide to cocoa and chocolate in Saint Lucia covers the island's other cocoa experiences.

Three nature trails wind through the grounds, passing historic ruins and giving views over the rainforest. The estate suits birdwatching, and there are cooking classes and cocktail-making classes, plus a spa among the cocoa groves, called Mama La Terre, with treatments that use natural ingredients. The pools include a cascading set of three linked basins and a newer infinity pool, and there is a small gym.

Dinner and the other meals are at 5 Fingers Restaurant, an open-air restaurant in the rainforest that was formerly called Bamboo. It serves farm-to-table Creole cooking using produce from the estate, with a vegetarian choice on the menu. It is open daily, and non-residents can drive over in the evening, so reserve a table in advance. Board plans range from breakfast, which is included in daily rates, up to all-inclusive. Premium drinks and lobster are charged extra.

What is near Fond Doux Eco Resort?

Soufrière town is a short drive north, and most of the southwest's best-known sights are close enough for a morning or afternoon out. The Pitons rise nearby, the Sulphur Springs volcanic area is a short drive away, and the Diamond Botanical Gardens and the Tet Paul Nature Trail, which looks across to the Pitons, are both within easy reach by road. Our guide to botanical gardens and nature parks explains how to fit them into a day. Sugar Beach, reached on the resort's shuttle, is the nearest swimming beach.

For active days, the Gros Piton trail takes roughly two to two and a half hours to climb, as set out in our Gros Piton hike guide, and the resort can book it for you. The En Bas Saut rainforest trail suits a gentler walk, described under hiking and rainforest. The Morne Coubaril zipline is another option, covered on our jungle ziplining page, and horseback riding is available locally. On the water, snorkelling and diving are strong along this coast, as explained on the diving and snorkelling page, and catamaran sunset cruises pass the Pitons in the evening.

Eating is mostly at 5 Fingers Restaurant on the estate, because there is little else within walking distance, though Soufrière has places to eat and the village of Anse La Raye up the coast is known for its weekly fish fry, an evening of grilled fish and street food. Check the day and time before you go. The neighbouring resorts include Anse Chastanet, Jade Mountain and Ladera, all on the same stretch of coast and useful for comparing the style of stay. A visit to the estate's own Historical Park fits easily into a morning.

That mix makes Fond Doux a strong base for the southwest. You can climb, snorkel, zip, taste chocolate and walk to a view in the same week without changing hotel, and the resort's staff can arrange tours in advance. For the wider picture of the area, read our south Saint Lucia guide, and for more relaxation after a hike, our page on spa rituals and mud baths.

How do you get there, and who is it for?

Most visitors from the UK fly to Hewanorra International Airport in the south, and the resort puts the transfer at around 45 minutes, with the journey from George F. L. Charles Airport in the north taking considerably longer, around an hour and 20 minutes. Our getting here guide explains the airports and what to expect on the road. A hire car or regular taxis make the stay easier, since the resort sits away from the main road and there is little else within walking distance.

A complimentary shuttle runs to Sugar Beach, so beach time is built in. Within a short drive are the Sulphur Springs, the botanical gardens and waterfalls described on our waterfalls and gardens page, and the Gros Piton trail, which the resort can help you book. If cocoa estates are your interest, you could also look at Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat, another cocoa-led stay in the same district.

Check-in is in the afternoon and check-out at noon. In the busiest months, from January to April and over the Christmas fortnight, the resort asks for a minimum stay of three nights, and it asks for one night in the quieter season. Confirm current rules, rates and transfer arrangements with the resort. The drier months, roughly December to May, are the easiest time for the trails, though the estate is green and lively all year.

Planning St Lucia holidays around Fond Doux Eco Resort

Fond Doux Eco Resort is one of the hotels in St Lucia we cover in detail, and the right choice depends on the kind of stay you want. Our guides to luxury hotels in St Lucia, all inclusive resorts in St Lucia and family resorts in St Lucia help you compare it fairly.

To build the rest of your St Lucia holidays, check the best time to visit St Lucia, flights to St Lucia and our St Lucia itineraries. Couples can read about a honeymoon in St Lucia or weddings in St Lucia as well.

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