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Holidays in St. Lucia

St. Lucia Main Guide | Places to visit | Things to do

St Lucia is part of the Windward Islands group, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic ocean to the north of Trinidad and Tobago. Ownership was disputed between Britain and France for many years before Britain gained permanent ownership in 1814. Despite long being a British possession (St Lucia became independent in 1979) the island has strong French cultural influences.

St Lucia measures about 45km by 23km. The eastern, Atlantic, coast is wilder than the west, which is washed by the Caribbean. Inland the island is covered in lush tropical forest where many species of birds make their home among the trees, orchids and giant ferns. The highest points in the island are the Pitons, two coastal mountains each about 650m high. The Soufriere volcano has the world's only drive-in crater.

St Lucia was settled long ago, first by Arawaks and later by Caribs. Europeans eventually discovered the island and by 1550 the wonderfully-named pirate Peg-Leg Le Clerc set up a base on Pigeon Island from which to plunder Spanish treasure galleons.

By 1600 the Dutch had arrived and built a fort, and not long afterward some shipwrecked English colonists tried to set up a home but failed. A later English attempt proved equally unsuccessful, but French settlers were able to set up several settlements and sugar plantations. Conflict between the English and French then ensued for many years. Although the island came under British rule from 1814 onwards, the French influence remains obvious in place names and the local dialect.

St Lucia Facts At A Glance

Area: 616 square km.

Climate: Tropical. The dry season lasts from January to April. The rainy season runs from May to August

Terrain: Volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Population: 166.3 Thousand

Languages: English

Currency: EC Dollar

Time Zone: 4 Hours behind GMT

International Dialling Code: +1 758

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Places to visit

The capital of St Lucia is Castries. The town has several historic attractions such as the La Toc Battery and the cathedral. There is also a good market and shopping area. Morne Fortune, the hill overlooking the town, is the site of a fortress begun by the French and finished by the English. M arigot Bay was also a naval installation at one time, but today it is a haven of peace and quiet as well as a marina for yachts.

The oldest town on St Lucia is Soufriere, dating from 1746. It is a pretty little place with a nice marketplace.

Choiseul, halfway between Soufriere and Vieux Fort, is worth a visit of you’re interested in history. As well as a petroglyph carved by the island’s ancient inhabitants there is also the remains of Fort Citreon and a good range of local crafts.

The village of Gros Islet is normally quiet, but on a Friday night it becomes a carnival town, with reggae music and dancing in the streets.

The islet of Pigeon Island is today a nature reserve. In the past it has been a pirate base and a British fortress. Pigeon Island hosts St Lucia’s annual jazz festival. There is a good museum on the islet, named the Pigeon Island Museum and Interpretive Centre.

Things to do

St Lucia is a lush tropical island with a great deal of wildlife to see. While you can encounter the local fauna anywhere, a trip to one of the nature reserves guarantees animal encounters of the best kind. The Maria Islands Nature Reserve, located on the tiny Maria Islands, is home to several species found nowhere else in the world. You can also visit Marigot Bay, where the film Dr Doolittle was filmed.

At sea, you can watch whales and turtles in their natural environment. Twenty or more species of whales are regularly seen in the waters around St Lucia including humpbacks, pilot whales, sperm whales and dolphins.

There are plenty of other things to do in the waters around the island. Boats of all kinds are available for charter, and the deep-sea fishing is among the best in the world. Closer to shore there is sailing, water-skiing, windsurfing and parasailing to try, along with diving and snorkelling. There are several dive centres, some independent and some associated with the major hotels.

On land you will find plenty of sporting action. Many hotels set up games of basketball, volleyball and football between staff and guests. There is usually some kind of sporting event going on somewhere if you prefer to watch. Cricket is especially popular, but you can also find sports as diverse as swimming, long-distance running and table tennis. Tennis is also very popular and available at most major hotels.

There are several good ways to see the island. Take a tour aboard an all-terrain vehicle through the banana plantations and the wild countryside, or rent a mountain bike and explore under your own power. There are also some very good hiking trails through the rain forest.

Horse riding is very popular, with many different excursions available. Ride to the beach and go swimming, or tour inland and see the island from a unique vantage point.

Many of the island’s plantations offer tours with various attractions. The plantations grow tropical fruit, sugar and cocoa. Some have botanical gardens; others boat rides. The plantations show how the traditional industries of the island have operated over the years, and how they remain important to the local economy today.

The nightlife is lively, though not so much in the karaoke and disco sense. Instead you will find an array of entertainment and live music to choose from. In many places an entire evening of fun is on offer, with food, drinks and music forming part of a great package.