St Lucia
St. Lucia is a small, lush tropical gem that is still relatively unknown. One of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located halfway down the Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and north of Barbados. St. Lucia is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, with a shape that is said to resemble either a mango or an avocado. It has the Atlantic Ocean on its eastern shore, while the beaches of the west coast are lapped by the calm Caribbean Sea. During its turbulent history of wars between the French and the British the island changed hands 14 times! It was finally ceded permanently to the British in 1814 up until its independence on February 22nd 1979, but the French influence is still quite strong.
St. Lucia abounds in natural beauty, with its dramatic twin coastal peaks, the Pitons, soaring 2,000 feet up from the sea. It is home to magnificent rain forests where wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise flourish. Brilliantly-plumed tropical birds abound, including endangered species like the indigenous St. Lucia parrot (the jacquot). There are acres of rainforest and also lovely green fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees.
St. Lucia has been inhabited since long before colonial times, and its cultural treasures are a fascinating mix of its rich past and its many different traditions. The island's people have earned a well-deserved reputation for their warmth and charm, and the island itself is dotted with old fortresses, small villages, and open-air markets.
There is lots to do on St. Lucia. The island's steep coastlines and lovely reefs offer excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. (The reef at Anse Chastanet is accessible from the beach and is one of the most popular). The rainforest preserves of St. Lucia's mountainous interior are one of the Caribbean's finest locations for hiking and birdwatching. The island also possesses excellent facilities for golf, tennis, sailing, and a host of other leisure pursuits, including whale-watching trips.
Not to be missed is St. Lucia's Soufrière volcano, the world's only drive-in volcanic crater. Also near Soufrière (the old French capital) are the Diamond Falls, Mineral Baths and Sulphur Springs. Or visit the lovely Marigot Bay, which was chosen as the location for the musical version of Dr Doolittle. At Estate Morne Coubaril you can take a tour through the cocoa plantation, the ruins of an 18th century sugar mill and a recreated slave village. On the coast south of Soufriere is the quaint village of Choiseul, worth a stop to visit the Arts and Crafts Development Centre which sells Amerindian baskets, straw goods, wood carvings and pottery.
Offshore, the Maria Islands to the south offer a great variety of wildlife and birds, as do the Frigate Islands, where the rare frigate birds come to nest.
Castries is St Lucia's capital. It houses an historic Cathedral, with murals by Dunstan St.Omer, and next to it is the shady Derek Walcott Square, which is named after St Lucia's Nobel Laureate. You can also visit the St Lucia Philatelic Bureau in the Post Office, or the 100 year old market, (busiest on Saturdays), where you can buy fruit, fish, spices and sauces as well as baskets, brooms, wood carvings and pottery. More sophisticated shopping can be done at Pointe Seraphine, near the cruise terminal, with many duty-free shops. And don't miss the Street Party on a Friday night at Gros Islet, and the National Park at Pigeon Island, up in the North. If you are there in May you will catch the island's jazz festival.
Some of the islands best hotels include Rex Resorts Papillon, Rex St Lucian and the Royal St Lucian; Windjammer Landing; Le Sport; Bay Gardens Hotel; Rendezvous; Anse Chastanet; Ladera; Jalousie Hilton and Ti Kaye Village, but there are properties to accommodate all tastes.
Read Lynda's report on her prize trip to St Lucia