Home Destinations Caribbean St. Lucia Sights Diamond Botanical Gardens & Waterfall

Diamond Botanical Gardens & Waterfall Review

Read our St. Lucia sights reviews. Or post your own.

Diamond Botanical Gardens & Waterfall

  • Address: Soufrière Estate, Diamond Rd., Soufrière
  • Phone: 758/452-4759; 758/454-7565

Fodor's Review:

These splendid gardens are part of Soufrière Estate, a 2,000-acre land grant made in 1713 by Louis XIV to three Devaux brothers from Normandy in recognition of their services to France. The estate is still owned by their descendants; Joan Du Bouley Devaux maintains the gardens. Bushes and shrubs bursting with brilliant flowers grow beneath towering trees and line pathways that lead to a natural gorge. Water bubbling to the surface from underground sulfur springs streams downhill in rivulets to become Diamond Waterfall, deep within the botanical gardens. Through the centuries, the rocks over which the cascade spills have become encrusted with minerals and tinted yellow, green, and purple. Near the falls, curative mineral baths are fed by the underground springs. For a small fee you can slip into your swimsuit and bathe for 30 minutes in one of the outside pools; a private bath costs slightly more. King Louis XVI of France provided funds in 1784 for the construction of a building with a dozen large stone baths to fortify his troops against the St. Lucian climate. It's claimed that Joséphine Bonaparte bathed here as a young girl while visiting her father's plantation nearby. During the Brigand's War, just after the French Revolution, the bathhouse was destroyed. In 1930 the site was excavated by André Du Boulay, and two of the original stone baths were restored for his use. The outside baths were added later.

  • Cost: $2.75, outside bath $2.50, private bath $3.75
  • Open: Mon.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-3
Find more sights in St. Lucia »

Member Reviews and Ratings

Add your own review

Get Advice From Other Travelers

Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip



Get the Fodor's Newsletter

For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Read the current issue. Browse previous issues.




Copyright © 2009 Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House, Inc.