Belle Mont Farm

This eco-friendly property is unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean. A 400-acre working farm built within a sustainable community on Mount Liamuiga, the low-key luxury resort has St. Kitt’s requisite gingerbread trim and banana-plant landscaping. Here, however, signs tell guests when the fruit is ripe enough to pick—even the golf course is designed to be harvested. Belle Mont’s 84 clapboard cottages have open-air baths and wrap-around verandas that look out on the neighboring islands of Saba and St. Eustatius, but the resort’s real draw lies in its six farm-to-table restaurants, where guests can enjoy global takes on West Indian specialties (think papaya lamb stew and wine-braised pork with coconut, pumpkin, and chocolate) under the stars.

The opening of Belle Mont farm set a new bar for organic dining in the islands. The hotel, part of the new Kittitian Hill Community, has one-bedroom guesthouses and four-bedroom farmhouses spread out over 400 acres of working farmland. Pick me signs signal when the fruit is ripe to be plucked by guests. Original crops have been preserved as natural obstacles on the “edible” 18- hole golf course. The heart of Kittitian Hill, an area called the Village, will offer visitors a chance to mingle with locals at food stalls, restaurants, and a weekly farmers’ market when it debuts next year.

At its heart, Belle Mont Farm on Kittitian Hill is focused on sustainability. Luckily for me (and you!), that translates into one of the most awe inspiring stays found anywhere in the Caribbean.

Set among 400 lush acres in the foothills of Mount Liamuiga on St. Kitts, Belle Mont Farm truly is an organic farm with a collection of guesthouses. Indeed much of the produce used at Belle Mont Farm comes from the property itself and the surrounding land. Visitors will spot produce growing between cottages, around pools, along paths, and at the unique “Potting Shed”—Belle Mont Farm’s welcoming gateway to all the luxury further up the hill.

Carefully placed among this edible greenery are secluded, luxury cottages with wrap-around verandahs, private pools, and al fresco bathrooms sheltered beneath fruit bearing banana trees. Think open-air rainwater showers and freestanding clawfoot bathtubs. Spike your intimate stay with lovingly curated wines, refresh with a daily delivery of crates of fresh fruit, then repeat.

Just as rum is made from the leftovers of sugar production, unexpected results can be sweeter than the original goal. And for Belle Mont Farm, their focus on sustainability has created an unforgettable guest experience, matched with the finest luxury accommodations.

The great houses of the West Indies played a central role in the region for hundreds of years. Although originally transplanted from Europe, the characteristics and architectural styling of these buildings were adapted to use native materials (local hardwoods like mahogany and indigenous stone like coral limestone) and to take advantage of persistent trade winds as a way to stay cool on hot tropical days. The Great House at Belle Mont Farm is a further appropriation of this classic West Indian architectural style—now updated with a pastoral elegance that’s the perfect backdrop to dining, drinks, and taking in the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding hillside. Designed by the award-winning architect Bill Bensley, who made a career of crafting some of the most luxurious spaces in the world, the Great House at Belle Mont Farm features three levels for relaxed dining. Executive Chef Christophe Letard oversees all dining at Kittitian Hill and creates menus for The Kitchen, located in The Great House, and other venues throughout the property. Like all of Belle Mont Farm, his inventive menus focus on local ingredients, and introduces diners to regional dishes. The first floor caters to dining (or simply drinking) accompanied by a spectacular view of the ocean. On the third and highest level a terrace dining area is set between the great house’s massive pillars. There’s a quieter space on the far side that offers diners a view of Mount Liamuiga’s misty heights. Great indeed.

One of the highlights of Belle Mont Farm on Kittitian Hill is the farm, and luckily you don’t have to go searching for their bountiful garden. You see, Belle Mont Farm doesn’t just have a farm, it is a farm. An impressive array of fruits and vegetables fill the property including bananas, mangos, ginger, topi tambo (kind of like a small new potato), pineapples, lemongrass, papaya, sugar cane, pigeon peas, green figs, plums, citrus, melons, and more. Even the golf course, usually associated with manufactured greenery, is a fully organic, productive part of the farm. But unlike most farms, this one is strategically designed to be both prolific and aesthetically pleasing. Broad-leafed banana plants wrap outdoor bathrooms in seclusion. Sugar cane stands tall creating green walls between cottages. Prickly pineapple plants add low accents to entryways. Everywhere you go, lush green surrounds you in tropical beauty that belies its practicality. As produce ripens, it’s simply harvested from wherever it grows. Nothing is wasted. If the entire plant needs to be removed during harvesting, a replacement takes its place fresh from the on-property nursery. This type of sustainable and fruitful landscaping is no easy feat—the planning, care, timing, and management must be perfect. The benefit to guests is a luxury landscape like nowhere in the Caribbean… And, of course, a cornucopia of fresh organic produce in every meal.

Belle Mont Farm rests high on the green foothills of Mount Liamuiga—a nearly four thousand foot tall dormant volcano that forms the western part of St. Kitts. The peak is not only the highest point on St. Kitts, it’s also one of the tallest points in the eastern Caribbean. Though Belle Mont Farm is less than half way up, sitting at about one thousand feet, it still commands a stunning view of northwestern St. Kitts. The best place to take it all in is at the appropriately named Lookout. In the foreground, tops of steeped cottages peek out of lush green. Next Irie Fields, the 18-hole golf course, sprawls down the hill. On its fringes rolling fields with small houses sprinkled around the edges extend toward the coast. From there, a silver sea lies between St. Kitts and the seductive silhouette of St. Eustatius. Lucky visitors to the Lookout early in the morning can often see a rainbow hanging over St. Eustatius, also called Statia. In the afternoon small clouds trail shadows across the countryside and sunsets paint the entire scene in a stunning array of warmth. There may be no better perch to take in St. Kitts.

The best properties in the world come with amenities designed to surprise and delight their guests. In this regard, Belle Mont Farm easily succeeds. There’s a huge gym, a glorious pool, carefully curated art around every corner, and much more to savor. However, I’ve always believed that breakfast is the barometer against which all hotels should be measured. I don’t care how nice the place is, if the breakfast stinks, we have a problem. So how’s the breakfast at Belle Mont Farm? Delivered to my cottage by three lovely young ladies, I received homemade local jams, a selection of warm breads, a blend of fresh squeezed juices, plus a bowl of fresh carambola, pineapple, and melon. There was homemade West Indian pumpkin bread (also still warm) and yogurt. But what blew me away was an absolutely incredible frittata made with fresh produce from the farm including spinach, onions, eggplant, pumpkin, and basil all topped with goat cheese. In a word: heaven. It’s been said that “all happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast” and it would seem that the folks at Belle Mont Farm couldn’t agree more. Yum!

The Mill at Belle Mont Farm is a sweet reminder of how St. Kitts came to be known as “Sugar City.” For centuries sugar was the most prized crop in the world and in the Caribbean St. Kitts was the king of cane. In fact, by 1775 there were 68 sugar estates on the island, or one for every square mile! And with sugar cane came windmills—picturesque icons of the island’s principal product. Today, the vast majority of those 18th century mills are crumbling ruins, so The Mill at Belle Mont Farm was built from scratch as homage to this vital part of St. Kitts’ history. In the cozy interior you’ll find a unique round bar that fits perfectly within the space. Above the bar, a round lighting system sets the mood while an assortment of old-time radios help transport guests to a sepia-toned, romantic past. It could be said that sugar cane is still processed at this modern mill. Now the sweet stuff takes the form of top shelf rums taken neat or in creative cocktails. And if rum isn’t your thing, Belle Mont Farm has a wide selection of organic wines, carefully curated by Isabelle Legeron, Master of Wine. Cheers! Image courtesy of Kittitian Hill.