Anse Chastanet, St Lucia

Spice up your scuba with coral sex in St Lucia, reports Andrew Purvis

So what’s new?
For 20 years, dive centre Scuba St Lucia has hosted some of the most interesting diving in the Caribbean. The itinerary is based on a dozen or so reliable sites, all within a 15-minute boat ride of Anse Chastanet beach. Though the marine life is varied, the routine can be predictable – so, in 2002, the resort is offering ‘Coral Sex’. In August, seven nights after the full moon, the reef comes alive with ruby brittlestars emitting clouds of sperm and eggs. Divers are able to see the coral ‘mating’, its polyps joyfully squirting gametes as a grand finale on night dives.

And how’s the diving?
For aspiring marine biologists, it’s pretty absorbing. When Paul Humann and Ned Loach came here to take photographs for their best-selling book, Reef Fish, they identified 150 species. Among the more unusual are frogfish, spotted drums and seahorses. A snorkel trip around the house reef will bring you face-to-face with houndfish, moray eels, lobsters, flying gurnards, octopuses, squid and a resident barracuda. Larger pelagic species are rare – though our DIVE reporter saw schools of horse-eye jack, yellowtails and mackerel, along with hawksbill turtles and a nurse shark. On a night dive, you may encounter ‘The Thing’ – a 4m-long centipede that writhes in the coral and has yet to be officially identified.

The real stars, however, are the reefs – part of the Soufrière Marine Management Area, which encompasses six miles of coastline between two beaches north of the resort, the southern Piton and Anse Jambon. Strong currents, determined conservation and responsible diving have kept the coral looking healthy, while the steep topography of the sea bed – a result of volcanic activity – means that sediment is less likely to settle and suffocate the reef. The result is a vibrant wonderland of hard and soft corals, which are continuous rather than patchy, bristling with sponges and sea fans.

Aside from the wreck of the Lesleen M, which lies at 20m, all the popular sites are quite shallow, ranging from 15m to 18m. However, those with a taste for deeper dives can enjoy dramatic drop-offs and walls, together with the frisson of passing through a shimmering thermocline. Most are drift dives, with the dive centre’s 13m-long, V-hulled boats idling nearby – but conditions are generally easy. On the sheltered Caribbean side of the island, the wave height is likely to be a piffling 5–10cm, and the water temperature 29ºC in summer, 26ºC in winter. Visibility is typically 21m, dropping to 15m after rain.

Accommodation any good?
Sublime, if you like living in a five-star tree house. Architect Nick Troubetskoy has built 49 apartments scattered across a hillside, some with views of the Piton mountains and rainforest. One has a tree growing through the bathroom and many are open to the elements. At breakfast, guests are issued with water pistols to keep hungry birds at bay. At night you are lulled to sleep by frogs and cicadas. Add to this thatched beach huts, colonial-style ceiling fans, two bars, three restaurants and a health spa (no televisions, newspapers, telephones or air conditioning) and the tropical idyll is complete.

Tell us about the island
As it is below the water, so it is above – lush, mountainous and geologically spectacular. St Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful islands, but overrun with European visitors. Hikes in the rainforest, waterfalls, hot mineral baths and rum are high on the agenda and the truly adventurous can climb the 760m-high Piton mountains. Most of the big hotels and resorts are in the north, clustered around the capital, Castries. Anse Chastanet is in the unspoiled south, a mile from the old French colonial capital of Soufrière. The best time to visit is December to April, though the rainy season (May to October) is perfectly benign, and cheap.

For sheer convenience and professionalism, Scuba St Lucia is hard to beat. Collect your gear, walk across the sand, step on board the boat and you are at the site in ten minutes. Fall off the back and you find yourself in an aquarium without boundaries, full of vivid corals. If you’re looking for wrecks, intrepid adventure or daredevil diving, this isn’t really the place for you. It’s a relaxed place, and what makes it special is the effortlessness friendliness of the staff.

Anse Chastanet hotel (0800 894057) offers seven-night scuba packages from £1,314 each, excluding flights, based on two sharing and including 12 dives. BWIA (020 8577 1100) has return fares from Heathrow from £399. Hayes and Jarvis (0870 9037737) can arrange seven-night breaks at Anse Chastanet from £1,459, including flights. However, diving is extra. If you stay near Castries, you can still dive at Anse Chastanet, but a boat transfer from the north takes 45 minutes and diving costs more for non-residents.