Balenbouche Estate a Caribbean Villa on the island of Saint Lucia

Balenbouche Estate, St Lucia Historic caribbean plantation guesthouse offering saint lucia cottage and villa rentals.

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Guesthouse, Organic farm, Heritage site

Balenbouche Estate is a rare place of tranquility and authenticity, offering a great mix of natural beauty, history and warm hospitality for the independent traveler. Formerly a sugar plantation, the property is now an eco-lodge, organic farm, and St. Lucia heritage site.

Balenbouche is the perfect starting point to explore the picturesque still largely undeveloped south of St. Lucia. The Hewanorra International airport and the town of Soufriere and Pitons are only a 20 and 30 minutes drive away. We recommend that you rent a car for part of your stay, which we can arrange. Some beaches and nature trails are accessible by foot. Taxis and local buses are readily available.

Our 4 guest cottages are surrounded by ancient trees, exotic gardens, fascinating ruins and secluded beaches. The renovated historic buildings provide basic comforts and capture a tropical, outdoor lifestyle. Every cottage is unique, featuring interesting design elements such as natural stone showers, antique furniture, and artwork.

The Almond and Banyan Cottages each offer 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. The Calabash and Frangipani offer one bedroom with bath and refrigerator, and a veranda.

Visit our Rooms and Villas page and our online Availability calendar for more details on rates and amenities!

We also offer special rates for groups, destination weddings and yoga and wellness retreats.

Eco Tourism and Sustainability

Balenbouche Estate is a private, family owned business, a St. Lucia Heritage site and member of the Heritage Tourism Association of st Lucia (HERITAS). For over 45 years our family has been deeply committed to preserving the history and integrity of the Estate. Combining agriculture with tourism and other activities has enabled us to meet the challenge of maintaining the historic buildings and grounds, and serve as an educational and recreational resource for locals and visitors alike.

We are seeking to increase alternative energy use and food production, and further implement many of the principles of permaculture, enabling us and our visitors to demonstrate a harmonious balance between people and their natural environment.

We are a member of Responsible Travel in the UK and have been featured in numerous publications and magazines, including most of the major travel guides, Alastair Sawdays "Green Places to Stay," Islands Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, and the Sunday Times.

Read more about our responsible tourism practices and our volunteer opportunities

Is Balenbouche Estate for you?

Balenbouche offers a unique combination of farm, historic site, guest house and family home, which attracts a special kind of traveler...

Seclusion: The closest town, supermarket, & bank are a 15 min. drive away. There is one restaurant within a 5 minute drive, others are 20 - 30 minutes away. Most places require a car, bus or taxi to get to.

Animals: Horses, cows, dogs, cats, and many useful and harmless creatures such as ants, spiders, lizards, bugs, frogs, crickets, bats. Against mosquitos, we recommend repellant, protective clothing, nets and incense, Some say that Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine) also helps keep them away.

Tropical design: All structures are designed for outdoor living. There are no screens, only mosquito nets over the beds. The bedrooms are lockable (safe is provided).

Low technology: No A/C, TV or phone in rooms (fans, free wireless and central phone are provided).

Energy conservation: We use solar water heating and rain water, and ask guests to conserve water and electricity.

Beaches: We do not have a pool. Several natural beaches (part rocky, part sandy, with fairly strong surf) are within a 5 - 15 minute walk.

Expanded Menu - overview of web pages on www.balenbouche.com
St. Lucia Travel Info	Balenbouche Estate	Activities & Attractions in St. Lucia
St. Lucia Airlines and Flights St. Lucia Map St. Lucia Travel Guide St. Lucia Map and Attractions St. Lucia Transportation St. Lucia Car Rentals St. Lucia Tour operators St. Lucia Heritage Sites St. Lucia Heritage Tourism Association (HERITAS) Constitution St. Lucia Hotel Directory St. Lucia Links	Balenbouche Home Balenbouche rooms and villas Balenbouche Availability Calendar Balenbouche Activities Balenbouche St. Lucia Weddings Balenbouche St. Lucia Yoga Retreat Balenbouche History Balenbouche Responsible Tourism Balenbouche Guestbook Balenbbouche Volunteer Opportunities Balenbouche Artists Balenbouche Hand made Jewelry Balenbouche Photos Balenbouche Wallpaper Balenbouche FAQ Balenbouche Contact Information	St. Lucia Arts and Crafts St. Lucia Calendar of events st. Lucia Botanical Gardens St. Lucia Camping St. Lucia Diving St. Lucia Entertainment St. Lucia Golf St. Lucia Hiking St. Lucia History and culture St. Lucia Horseback riding St. Lucia Jazz St. Lucia Mountain biking St. Lucia Plantation Tours St. Lucia Waterfalls St. Lucia Wildlife St. Lucia Windsurfing and Kitesurfing St. Lucia Yachting

From our Guest Book

Dear Uta, Verena and Anitanja,

Thank you for opening your home and heart to my friends. This past week has been a life changing experience for all of us and has redirected my efforts, passion and pursuit. It has reminded me of why I began this journey in the first place and despite all my second doubts, this trip firmly asserted my convictions.

See you soon!
Carmen, Yoga retreat leader, July 2008

Read our reviews on www.tripadvisor.com

Balenbouche has been truly an inspirational place for us. By profession a photographer and landscape architect/writer, your home has given us images, ideas and nourishment for our dreams, visions, souls and bellies (thank you, Anitanja). Verena, your careful explanations of the history and present of this place and constant attention to our wants and needs were warm and perfect. Uta, your design sensibility and obvious effort are inspirations to us. Thank you so very much for making this family trip so special. From our little clan to yours: All our Best. Adam and Kerri February 2006

Balenbouche will always have a special place in our hearts. My new fiancee and I spent 5 enchanting nights here enjoying the wonderful company of our hostesses, the food, the nature, the animals...and preparing our dreams for the future! August 2008

From the second I read about the land and the estate, I knew this would be the perfect place. I had a picture in my head, but I didn't know exactly what to expect. I have never stayed in a place like Balenbouche. What I found when I came here surpassed everything I had imagined. Honestly, this past week, I didn't even care if we had a packed schedule of activities in St. Lucia. I have enjoyed my every moment at Balenbouche and I would come to St. Lucia again just to stay at the estate and do nothing else. I feel like this land itself has a heartbeat. I thank you with all my heart for your hospitality. I cannot think of a better family to tend this land and care for it. I wish you all the very best. I hope that one day I will be able to live as you do, so close to the land. I will definitely be back! Nila, July 2008