Stonefield Estate Villa Resort & Spa

In Depth

There is a magical air about Stonefield Estate Villa Resort, which is reminiscent of an earlier, more romantic age. It consists of several extremely attractive villas in traditional West Indian style that sit among outrageous tropical greenery in the southwest of St Lucia. They are relatively remote, but have one of the most dramatic settings in the Caribbean, dwarfed by the Petit Piton, the 2400 ft incisor-shaped spike that soars from the water just south of Soufriere. Not surprising then, that many of the guests at Stonefield are travellers who have visited St Lucia before and know they have found a good thing here. This is where they come when they return.

Stonefield is set on 27 acres of steep hillside, a swathe of a thousand greens. Gulleys exploding with tropical flora run down through the estate. Huge trees stand around, vast breadfruits, mangos and flamboyants, and at their feet there are splashes of colour - heliconias, hibiscus and bougainvillea. The resort is a former sugar, then lime and finally cocoa plantation (production stopped only in the late 1980s), so some structures from the earlier plantations remain, including the walled buildings of the lime processing plant. In the garden, old rusted sugar boilers are used to hold water plants.

Set among all of this, supported by massive stone retaining walls, stand the villas. These use the best of local St Lucian and Caribbean architectural techniques (the owner, Wayne Brown, a civil engineer, has a love for local architecture and designed them himself). They are mostly made of wood, with steeply pitched tin roofs trimmed with many different styles of gingerbread.

Of course, they enable the best of tropical life, casting you back in to the gracious and privileged era of the plantation. Each villa has a balcony with a hammock and planters’ chairs from which to admire the view – just a few of the villas have a garden view, but that itself is pretty good anyway, in such fertile country. The Cocoa House, with its old walls, has an authentic air of old estate. Inside, the villas have terra cotta tiles, rush mats and muslin mosquito nets over the beds. Much of the furniture, including the four poster beds, bedside tables and cabinets was made by the owners. Beyond the bathroom, with its his and hers basins, many of the villas have open-air, garden showers.

At this elevation, air-conditioning isn’t really needed and so instead maximum use is made of traditional methods of ventilation. The louvres in the windows and doors can be pegged in place to keep them open to encourage a through flow of air, which is then whipped up by ceiling fan.

Each villa has at least a galley kitchen and most have a kitchenette, so you can be self contained if you want. However Stonefield also has a central area. Set next to the pool and sundeck you will find the Mango Tree Restaurant and Bar, which stands on a very pretty, brightly painted, gingerbread trimmed deck. It serves all three meals. It also has the finest view of all of the Petit Piton and, from near the trunk of the mango tree of the name, a superb view of the sunset.

The gardens are obviously superb, so when the moment moves you to explore the property there is a nature trail in the estate. The Stonefield logo is taken from three ghostly figures from Amerindian rock carvings on the trail. The small trio supposedly has a religious significance, likely as not connected to the Pitons. You will also see many birds on the property.

But what Stonefield offers more than anything else is seclusion in delightful tropical tranquillity, in classic, old West Indian style. Set in its dramatic position, it is full of fantastic views, particularly of the Petit Piton, which plummets straight into the sea. It is ideal for simple, self-contained relaxation and contemplation from the veranda or the poolside.