Some destinations defy their size, bursting with sporting legends and adventure. Saint Lucia is one such nation and island that may be small, but its influence in sports and active-adventure is immense. Ramy James Salameh visited to explore and discover what makes this Caribbean paradise a true sports travel powerhouse.
Wherever I found myself in Saint Lucia, I was never far from a vibrant billboard celebrating Julien Alfred’s historic victory in the 100m sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She not only brought home the island’s first ever Olympic medal but dazzled the world with a gold in the 100m and a silver in the 200m, both blue-ribbon events of the Summer Games.
The impact of her achievements is as powerful as Saint Lucia’s volcanic landscape, and the seismic reverberations are already touching the small island of 238 square miles and its 180,000 residents. Alfred’s success follows in the footsteps of greats like Darren Sammy, a former cricketer who captained the West Indies to two T20 World Cup Championships and has a stadium named in his honour.
Before visiting the island in late 2025, I had the incredible opportunity to chat with Alfred about the thrill of crossing the finish line as the fastest woman in the world and reigning Olympic champion, which she described as “pure exhilaration”. She also shared her role as the Tourism Ambassador for Saint Lucia, which is a natural extension of the pride she feels for her nation every time she steps on the track. A position that’s poised to elevate the island’s image, particularly in the sports travel industry where the unique topography shines. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority hopes Julien’s global presence will attract more athletes, teams, and events to their shores.
Walking around Saint Lucia gave me an inkling as to why the island produces world-beating athletes. To reach our resort, the driver traversed the island’s winding roads from south to north, cutting through the lush tropical vegetation and mountainous terrain, shaped by the island’s volcanic origins in the Lesser Antilles, a landscape prompting stamina from a young age.
Endurance athletes will find Saint Lucia’s ‘Three Peaks Challenge’, a fabulous opportunity to pit their wits against the island’s three highest points. These are made up of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ‘Pitons Mountains’, a duo of photogenic volcanic spires which appear to thrust from the Caribbean sea and ‘Mount Gimie’ the island’s highest official peak, which also provides a deep rainforest experience. The ‘Petit Piton’ is anything but ‘petit’, being the most technical, requiring ropes in places to reach the summit, whilst ‘Gros Piton’ is a hike most active hikers can accomplish.
This compliments the annual ‘Independence Walk Challenge’, an 88-mile ultra-walk around Saint Lucia where entrants hike the entirety of the island’s perimeter, taking in a plethora of breathtaking vistas along the many trails. This project is being developed to allow people of all ages to enjoy individual sections at a slower pace.
During my stay, my activities erred towards the cultural, more than the sporting, even so there was time to dive into the translucent waters of the Caribbean from the bow of a deep-sea fishing yacht, before transitioning to a speedboat, which zipped across the waves, taking in the island’s dramatic cliffs and palm-fringed beaches. The playful splash of flying fish captured our attention, but the true marvel awaited just beyond the headlands – the Pitons – this duo of mountains were rising majestically as we inched ever closer.
Inland the grand canopies of the rainforests hide sulphur springs, beautiful waterfalls, botanical gardens, cocoa plantations, and nature trails with a zipline experience which gives a unique birds eye view of the flora and fauna. I had the chance to bathe in the warm, sulphur-rich waters of the ‘Qualibou Volcano’, classified as dormant since its last eruption in 1766, the volcano’s geothermal activity continues to be monitored by volcanologists, whilst tourists watch in awe as the sulphur mud pools steam and bubble to life.
I also explored the Rabot Estate, home to Hotel Chocolat, a sustainable luxury property surrounded by a 140-acre cocoa farm. A guided hike can take you into the lush rainforest trails to discover how Cacao is cultivated beneath the protective shade of a variety of tropical trees, including mango, banana, and soursop, fostering natural cover and enhancing biodiversity. After which the experience becomes hands-on with a fascinating “Tree-to-Bar” experience, which involved picking cacao pods, grinding nibs, and crafting our very own chocolate bars.
The many luxury beachfront resort hotels provide a portfolio of activities largely dominated by water sports, where snorkel, scuba and the hybrid sibling ‘snuba’ take centre stage along with many other opportunities to be above and below the waves. Some hotels have private marinas, whilst the world-class Rodney Bay Marina, was where I found boats from the ‘Atlantic Rally for Cruisers’, bobbing beside super-yachts.
This was the 40th edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, which saw over 800 sailors from 41 nations come together to complete a 2700NM crossing of the Atlantic Ocean from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia and the popularity is growing year-on-year. The connection to the water runs through the blood of locals and is why there are so many ways to enjoy Saint Lucia from the sea.
Whilst my time on the island had run short, there are many reasons to return. On my bucket-list, I intend to summit at least one of the Pitons Mountains and also head to a sporty resort like BodyHoliday, an early pioneer in the health and wellness vacation space; often inviting former Olympians who create and host fitness workshops. During a visit to StolenTime Resort, a sibling of BodyHoliday, Amy Williams MBE, a gold-medal winning winter Olympian was putting guests through their paces.
In fact, during preparation for the 2024 Olympics, Alfred opted for a rejuvenating stay at BodyHoliday in Cariblue Bay, using the resort’s personalised fitness programmes and spa treatments to sharpen her focus ahead of the Games. Maybe in the future, Saint Lucia’s most famous daughter will be running such classes, but at the moment her focus is on retaining her Olympic gold medal and helping to promote this spectacular island.
For more information about sport in Saint Lucia, see stlucia.org
Image credits: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority & Ramy James Salameh