Ladera Resort

Ladera sits on the volcanic ridge between Saint Lucia's two Pitons, about 1,000 feet above the Caribbean and just round the mountain from Soufrière, and it is the only resort within the Pitons UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by hand from local hardwoods, stone and clay by Saint Lucian craftsmen, and it is Green Globe certified. The 37 villas and suites are all different, but each has the same idea at its heart: the fourth wall is left open, so the bed faces the Pitons and the sea across a heated plunge pool. They run from the Petit Piton Suites to two-level Heritage Suites, the Suites at Paradise Ridge with a butler and a swing, and the two-bedroom Villa La Fleur. The resort is for adults only. Dasheene, the restaurant, has one of the great views on the island, and its chef, Nigel Mitchell, cooks Saint Lucian dishes from the property's own gardens. The lévé spa sits alongside the Hideaway Rum Bar, mineral spring hot tubs, a four-storey tree house, the Immersion Studio, the Piton Hiking Trail and a Sunset Fish Fry each week, and beyond it are sailing, diving, hikes up Gros Piton, waterfalls and the Soufrière sulphur springs.