Eastern Nature Trail

Praslin Protected Landscape, St Lucia

St Lucia’s east coast offers mile after mile of rugged, untouched Atlantic coastline, and one of the best ways to see this amazing scenery is along the 3.5 mile Eastern Nature Trail—the trail is an out and back, making it 7.0 miles roundtrip, unless you arrange for transportation at the other end. The Eastern Nature Trail, managed by the St Lucian National Trust, is located within the Praslin Protected Landscape. The winding trail runs parallel to the Atlantic, high above the crashing waves, through sparse vegetation and tall grass—can you say chiggers? Unfortunately, we ended up with a few bites, but that’s okay—they only itch for half a year or so—just lovely. We started the trail at its northern entrance near Mandélé, located between the towns of Dennery and Praslin. As you hike you will be amazed by the beautiful vistas—the trail’s high vantage point gives you a bird’s eye view of the jagged cliffs and powerful ocean. We enjoyed our hike through the countryside, casually making our way about a mile down the trail before turning around. If you choose to walk the entire trail, you will end up at the picturesque Fregate Islands Nature Reserve.