Tip for hikers of a certain age. - I’m 69 yo, in okay shape but definitely drink & smoke more than I hike. Gros Piton is a steep climb but the 20-30 somethings look like mountain goats scooting up and down. I worried about whether it would be manageable — and fun! — for an older guy. It was! The key to a great up $ back was to get the right guide (required and comes with the entry fee) and to go slow. Strongly recommend Margo, who was kind, accommodating, carried extra water for me. We stopped when I was winded, she wisely encouraged me to rent a pole, and kept a hard climb from ever feeling like a hardship. Go early, get Margo, you’ll never look at the St. Lucia flag the same way again.

A truly memorable day - What stood out about Kevin was his attention to detail. He recommended the most delicious local snacks and timed everything to avoid crowds. From waterfalls to mud baths, every moment was memorable. Can’t wait to book him again!

Decent hike - This hike was not as hard as most reviews made it seem. When we first read the reviews, we (32 female, 33 male) were a bit scared of how hard it would be. As a couple who works out 4-5 times a week, it was challenging but would classify it as an intermediate hike. We come from the Rocky Mountains so used to a bit more challenging hikes. The cost was quite a bit for what it was. $50USD each plus a tip for the guide at the end. The roads to get there were very windy and a long trip from where we were staying in Rodney Bay (about 2 1/2 hours) when we left at 5:30 am. I would recommend going earlier in the day to avoid the heat.

Not so bad if you do Petit Piton first! - We hiked Gros Piton on day 4 of our trip. We wanted to hike both pitons so started with the harder Petit Piton on day 1 of our trip. We drove ourselves to the Pitons. There was a detour so it took us much longer to get there than anticipated. After parking, you pay and receive a guide. It is $50 US per person and the guide is mandatory. Our guide was Kevin. We have heard from others that the guide can make you feel rushed and like you have to keep up with group pace. Because it was just my husband and I, we did not experience this. Kevin let us set the pace and was available to answer questions we had about the island in general when we asked. After you pay you go to the welcome center where they show a model of Gros Piton and offer you trekking poles for $5 and electrolyte additives for your water. You also sign a waiver. They do have bathrooms at this point as well to use prior to getting started. The trail is broken into 4 sections and is approximately 2 miles each way. The first section is quite easy (for us, we are very fit) with minimal scrambling. At the first lookout, a man is selling water, Piton beer, and coconuts. this is the only lookout where these will be available for purchase. The next half mile starts to get more challenging with steeper inclines. The halfway point has a beautiful lookout to Petit Piton. Many people turn around after this point due to the challenging nature of the trail and the beauty of this lookout. The second half starts to get more into the jungle, which means it is a bit muddier and the rocks can be a little slipperier so solid footing is important. There are a few scramble areas, but nothing too crazy. The last 1/4 is more of a scramble and is quite in the jungle. i likened it to being in Jurassic park! After this steeper part you will get to the top. The lookout gives a panoramic view of one side of the island. There are plenty of flat rocks to sit down and have a snack or drink water. Your guide will be more than happy to take photos of you as well. Ours did not rush us at all. At the top we noticed 2 children approximately 8 and 10 years old showing that it is possible for kids to complete it, but I encourage you to ensure they practice safety and are physically fit. They estimate about 2-3 hours up. we got up in 2 hours and down in 1, but again, we were prepared for the intensity of the trail. While the descent is much easier, you still need to ensure caution as areas can be steep and slick. Let your guide know if you need assistance or a break. Once you get down to the bottom you can purchase refreshments, snacks, or homemade ice cream. the homemade ice cream was amazing! You get 2 scoops and I chose sour sop and passion fruit. Sour sop was good but passion fruit was AMAZING! It’s a nice way to cool off and end your trek. We tipped our guide at the end because we appreciated that he let us do our own thing without dictating how to do things. My takeaways - we did Petit Piton first, which was far more difficult in every aspect. The views on petit are nearly 360 vs half the island. We also saw maybe 3 other people on the trail of Petit. Gros Piton is definitely difficult in its own way. The average person should feel very accomplished to complete it and should ensure a decent base level of fitness before starting. Because of the tour groups that frequent Gros Piton and the fact it is government sanctioned, Gros piton was far more busy, so you will be sharing the trail going up and down as well as at the top with several other people. The views are still stunning. If we didn’t do Petit Piton, I probably would have said this was 5 stars, but, the achievement of Petit jaded me a little bit to the touristy nature of Gros. BUT - I still highly encourage thrill seekers to check it out. Also to note, the bottom of Gros Piton is actually a small community where the workers and their families reside. Seeing this alone was pretty neat!

Cheaper taxis can be found in town to the Pitons. - This was only for a taxi ride that you can get anywhere in town for half the price. Once you get to the Piton’s, then you pay a required $50 per person for the entrance fee.

Cool Vibes Shuttle stood... - Cool Vibes Shuttle stood us up at the resort stating we didn't respond to emails and didn't specify which resort to be picked up from even though it was clearly defined in the initial purchase package. The phone number provided was not operable as myself and the resort tried several times We were left stranded with no alternatives but to stay in our rooms for a day A waste...Viator is excellent, Cool Vibes St. Lucia, a huge disappointment with zero accountability.

Never showed up!! - If you’re reading these reviews please DO NOT book this taxi. You will be stood up. We were supposed to be picked up at 8am and our driver never showed up and we couldn’t even get in contact with them. By the time we booked a taxi through our resort (at 9:45 after waiting over an hour and a half) the driver finally showed up… Tried to say he was trying to get into contact with us but he definitely did not. Hopefully we can get a refund….

Dissapointing to be let down. - The driver did not show up, as scheduled. We we were unable to get a response from the driver or the company until 45 minutes after the scheduled meet. As this was the last day of our trip, we missed out on doing this activity. 😢

Absolutely disappointing experience with this company. - Taxi did not show up onn the scheduled day, no communications and response from the company until we made numerous calls (no apologize), then after rescheduled for different day, taxi arrived 10 minutes late to pick us up (and again no any communication), then on the way back from Piton we were waiting for their taxi one hour after our hike (again no apologize at all), therefore we got extra heavy traffic and it took us 2 and half hour to get back to the north of the St Lucia. Absolutely disappointing experience with this company.

Bad communication, didn’t... - Bad communication, didn’t reach out to tell anyone the hike was cancelled due to bad conditions. Had to go through Viator to get the contact info only to be told we weren’t going while I was waiting at my pickup point