Fond Doux plantation © Adam Strange
Indulge in a range of chocolate-themed activities, including making your own chocolate or relaxing with a cocoa-based treatment.
There are several working cocoa plantations open to visitors on Saint Lucia. The Rabot Estate near Soufrière is owned by the upmarket British chocolate business, Hotel Chocolat. This is the island’s oldest estate, dating back to 1745. You can stay on the estate, and indulge in a range of chocolate-themed activities, including making your own chocolate or relaxing with a cocoa-based treatment in the Cocoa Juvenate Spa. The estate’s restaurant, with its cocoa-inspired recipes, is also worth a try. There’s also the Fond Doux Estate, which offers a tour and lunch package, and La Dauphine Estate, where you can tour the plantation and sample some cocoa tea. Balenbouche Estate, a working plantation, is also worth a visit. If you’re staying at the exclusive Jade Mountain resort, guided tours of the private Emerald Estate are available.