En Bas Saut Falls Trail | Adventurous Hike In St. Lucia

The En Bas Saut Falls Trail is one of the more adventurous things we did in St. Lucia.  The trail itself is not very long, but it is steep and muddy.  And coupled with the windy mountainous drive to get there, it makes for quite an adventure into the rainforest.  The trail ends at a gorgeous waterfall that drops into a little plunge pool, perfect for a refreshing swim in the cool water.  But it was a bit challenging to get there, so I wanted to share this guide for what to expect.

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Trail Stats For En Bas Saut Waterfall Trail

Distance: 1.4miles (2.2km)

Elevation: 567ft (172m

Type: Out-and-back

Bathroom: No

Permit: No

Cost: No, but locals may offer/insist on paid guiding

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Getting To The Trailhead

So while the hike itself is not that challenging, getting to the trailhead is an adventure in itself.  A high-clearance vehicle is pretty much essential because of some really rocky sections, puddles, and abrupt entry/exit from concrete sections.

If the driving conditions are dry you can probably complete the drive to En Bas Saut with just 2wd, but if it’s wet 4×4 is probably needed.  We did it in a Suzuki Jimny (high clearance, 4×4) and the road was dry for us, so it wasn’t too much to handle.  But if it was raining or recently wet we would have been sliding around a lot.  And since it’s rainforest, there’s a high likelihood of some rain.  We went during rainy season (mid October), so I guess we just got lucky.

I think the scariest part was these sections of road with parallel concrete forms, kind of like a tracks of pavement.  They are maybe only a couple feet wide, and in a few sections had like a foot drop-off on the edge.  So if you didn’t keep your wheels on the “tracks”, you could get stuck or damage your vehicle.

It took a little over one hour to drive the 6.8 miles from Soufriere to the trailhead.  Once the pavement ends around the village of Migny, it becomes slow going.  A few locals in the last village flagged us down to convince us to pay for guiding (pretty common occurrence in St. Lucia).  You get used to politely but repeatedly declining their offers.

We found that Google Maps was unable to map a route to the trailhead, but Apple Maps could.  And the only signage we saw for the trail was only when we got 1km away and were already been off pavement for a while.  But reassuring none the less.

Along the drive there is a roadside waterfall that is impossible to miss.  Locals have rigged up a bamboo spigot, presumably for filling up jugs of the spring water for drinking.  We did not try it.

And along the way there are also several great views of Mount Gimie, the highest peak in St. Lucia (which can also be hiked).

One kilometer from the trailhead you will encounter this sign where you turn right. The sign is a comforting assurance that you’re on the right track.

The trailhead itself for En Bas Saut Trail is not very well marked.  But look for a shed and two picnic tables.  There is an old trail sign to the right of the shed, that has become hard to read from scum build up.  And the trail itself actually begins on the left side of the shed, which is not abundantly obvious.

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Hiking En Bas Saut Falls Trail

The trail itself is not that long or difficult.  But it is steep and muddy.  There are wooden steps intermittently for the entire trail, which makes the trail pretty easy to follow.  The trail is almost all downhill on the way to the falls, and uphill on the way back.

It appears that this hike was once a more popular tourist attraction, but has since been abandoned.  The shed and picnic tables at the trailhead are signs of a previously used food/vendor station.  And the wooden steps and handrails along the trail are mostly rotting away.  I wouldn’t trust any handrail you find, because I watched several disintegrate from a gentle touch.

The wooden steps at least are helpful enough for making the steep muddy trail manageable.  But still, you should wear footwear with the best traction you have.  There are a few spots with steep drop offs beside the trail.  So if you have a fear of heights you may feel uncomfortable in spots.

Nearly the entire trail is shaded, so we didn’t really need sunscreen.  But close to the falls, we started to encounter a lot of flies and mosquitos.  So having bugspray would have been nice.

The trail is surrounded by lots of greenery.  We enjoyed observing the many exoctic plants.  I was hoping to see more colorful flowers and fruits along the trail, but we saw very few.  Not sure if that’s just a seasonal thing?

We kept an eye out for animals, and saw some cool lizards, frogs, and insects.  We heard lots of birds too, but couldn’t see them through the forest.  And not to freak anyone out, but there are some snakes and spiders in St. Lucia.  The Fer-de-lance is the only venomous snake, and it sounds like they aren’t typically found in this region.  But just keep an eye out for those potential dangers.

There are a couple river crossings as you get close to the En Bas Saut waterfall.  It may be possible to stay dry by crossing rocks, but they were quite slippery.

Just above the main waterfall there is another smaller waterfall that carves out a deep narrow pool in the rocks.

And finally you reach En Bas Saut Falls!  The waterfall comes down a rocky wall, creating a really cool oasis in the jungle.  The falls is about 20 feet tall and descends into a little plunge pool.  The pool is maybe a little more than waist deep, but still good for a little swim.  The water is cool and refreshing. But it’s a little hard to find your footing entering and exiting because the bottom is rocky. 

Look around the plunge pool for bright orange crabs.  We saw several camped out in the rocks around the edge of the pool.  Quite a unique sight, since crabs are strictly saltwater critters where we come from.

The hike back out is challenging because it’s mostly uphill.  So it took several breaks to catch our breath.  And the heat and humidity will leave you wishing for another refreshing swim back at the trailhead.

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Conclusion | En Bas Saut Falls Trail

This is one of the most fun things we did in St. Lucia, but between the drive and the hike it’s quite an adventure.  We also didn’t encounter a single other person, so that added to the sense of mystery.  This felt a little more off the beaten path, which was a nice change of pace from most other touristy natural attractions in St. Lucia.  Without a ton of information, we definitely felt some uncertainty along the way.  

So I hope this guide helps other people experience the falls with a little more confidence.  I recommend En Bas Saut to hikers with at least moderate hiking experience and fitness level.  And having some off-road driving experience is helpful for confidently navigating the road up there.  And if there is lots of recent rain or rain in the forecast, I would be a little more weary of the drive and trail conditions.

Now it’s time to find your next hike to do in St. Lucia!

Looking for more off-the-beaten-path attractions in St. Lucia?

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