St Lucia’s skyline is high rise. But it’s not the hotels that make this island look serrated against the sky, it’s the mountains. The Pitons are 2 of the biggest. Both their summits tower at least 2,000 feet above sea level and their slopes are coiffured with a mane of dense green rainforest. At their feet, meanwhile, banana plantations give way to syrup-coloured beaches and some of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean.
If you can’t choose between snorkelling and scuba diving, get the best of both worlds on a snuba experience. You’ll wear a mask and fins and you’ll also have access to an air supply so you can explore deeper for longer.
Pick up a bargain in the Castries market, an amazing swirl of crafts, fruits and the hum of Creole conversation. For a more upmarket, but still good value, shopping experience, try Pointe Seraphine, a duty-free shopping centre next to the harbour.
Get a bird’s eye view of St Lucia’s rainforests at the Treetop Adventure Park in Dennery. You’ll whiz your way through the canopy using a series of zip lines, and look down on the giant ferns and wild orchids that grow here. |
St. Lucia is the sort of island that travellers to the Caribbean dream about--a small, lush tropical gem that is still relatively unknown. One of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located midway 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 (depending on your taste). The Atlantic Ocean kisses its eastern shore, while the beaches of the west coast owe their beauty to the calm Caribbean Sea.
In natural beauty, St. Lucia seems like an island plucked from the South Pacific and set down in the Caribbean. Its dramatic twin coastal peaks, the Pitons, soar 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering 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 rainforest is broken only by verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees
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St. Lucia has been inhabited since long before colonial times, and its cultural treasures are a fascinating melange 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 aged fortresses, small villages, and open-air markets.
There is a broad array of exciting and exotic activities available on St. Lucia. The island's steep coastlines and lovely reefs offer excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. The rainforest preserves of St. Lucia's mountainous interior are one of the Caribbean's finest locales for hiking and birdwatching. Of course, the island also possesses excellent facilities for golf, tennis, sailing, and a host of other leisure pursuits. Not to be missed is St. Lucia's Soufriere volcano, the world's only drive-in volcanic crater. |
