You could call it the sweetest bike ride in the Caribbean - an 18th-century sugar plantation on St. Lucia that has been transformed into a mecca for mountain bikers.
"Actually, it's more like jungle biking," says Michael Allard of Bike St. Lucia, which opened in January and offers wild rides on a twisting network of trails through Anse Mamin on the island's southwest coast. "It's designed along the lines of a thrill-ride theme park with trails for hard-core bikers and beginners alike. But its main inspiration is nature."
In the days of Caribbean colonialism, the 500-acre French-owned plantation produced sugar, molasses, rum and cocoa. Vestiges of its former glory remain - the ruins of a chapel, the brick skeleton of the main house and the iron vats where cane juice was once boiled down into syrup. The bike center is headquartered in a restored building that shelters a sleek array of Cannondale F800s and offers various "skill stations" where advanced bikers can sharpen their techniques and newbies can get their first taste of the sport.
Part of Anse Chastanet resort, which sits next door, the bike center offers enthusiasts the best of two tropical worlds.
"You can spend hours pedaling through jungle terrain and then zip down to the beach to cool off," says Allard.
Khaki-clad bike "rangers" patrol the trails to assist visitors, and there are several "oases" for picnicking and catching your breath.
Bikers can follow trails where donkey carts once hauled barrels of molasses to ships bound for the American colonies. The aptly named French Wall Trail follows the remains of a stone wall that still shows the handiwork of meticulous artisans. The Aqua Dulce Trail shadows the route of the plantation's aqueduct that once spilled into a three million gallon reservoir and turned the water wheel that ground the sugarcane.
While the reservoir's basin is overgrown with trees and shrubs, its walls are solid and intact. Allard hopes to convert the reservoir into a giant swimming hole stocked with fish that can be served in the resort's restaurant. It will also feature a ramp so thrill-seeking visitors on old worn-out bikes can shoot down into the water.
"It will be so cool," says Allard. "Like being a little kid all over again."
Posted online 02/01/00.
