Saint Lucia

Overview

Saint Lucia is an island nation in the Caribbean . Saint Lucia is a popular destination due to its tropical weather, lush and mountainous scenery, numerous beaches, local accommodations, and range of resorts. St. Lucia has become a significant wedding destination.

Other tourist attractions include a drive-in volcano and sulphur springs, the Botanical Gardens, the Majestic twin Peaks "The Pitons"–a world heritage site, Edmund Rainforest, the Tourille Waterfall (almost a drive-ion waterfall), Sapphire Jungle Spa, extensive reef for diving and snorkelling (all in Soufriere ), and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.

Saint Lucia's first known inhabitants were Arawaks, believed to have come from northern South America around 200-400 CE. Numerous archaeological sites on the island have produced specimens of the Arawaks' ancestors well-developed pottery. These Caribs gradually replaced Arawaks during the period from 800 to 1000 CE.

Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean. The British failed in their first attempts at colonization in the early 17th century. The island was first settled by the French, who signed a treaty with the local Caribs in 1660. Like the British and Dutch, the French began to develop the island for the cultivation of sugar cane on extensive plantations.

Culture and food

Saint Lucian food consists mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and a variety of curry, jerk, rice and stewed dishes. The coal pot is a delicious stew, traditional to native Carib cultures and can be found at many local restaurants in Castries, Soufriere and Vieux-Fort. Vegetarian and meat rotis can be found at a number of small local restaurants. Ask any local for the best roti shop and he or she will tell you how to get there. Rotis are usually made fresh in the morning so, if eating a spicy early lunch is of interest, it's highly recommended. Local cuisine is prepared throughout the island so, depending on where you are staying, ask a local if he or she knows someone/somewhere that prepares local food and you will be sure to be welcomed somewhere nearby. Many rum shacks in rural towns also prepare food if given advanced notice. Fish, veggie, chicken and goat meals are very common and usually come with a number of sides including salad, plantain, breadfruit, macaroni, and rice prepared a number of different ways.

For a quick snack, barbeques with chicken and pork can be found in any community on a Friday night. The food is well marinated and spiced. Soak up the sauce with a barbequed or fried bake. Fried chicken and fish can also be found, and are quite delicious.

Planning your route

The main way for tourists to get around Saint Lucia is by taxi, either arranged by the hotel, taxi agency or individual operators. The tours arranged by resorts are usually the most expensive way to travel but might offer food and drink. Using a local taxi operator to plan your own adventure will be much more affordable. Your hotel staff should provide you with a number of a taxi agency or operator that they use regularly. The prices are generally fixed but you can shop around to get the best rate if given several numbers. Many taxi drivers that run from the resorts to the marketplaces will offer tours of the island for around $145 per van load. Each van will hold between 6 and 12 people.

Sights and landscapes

Saint Lucia has a total area of 617 km 2 (238 sq mi). As a volcanic island , Saint Lucia is very mountainous, with its highest point being Mount Gimie , at 950 m (3,120 ft) above sea level. The Pitons , two mountainous volcanic plugs , form the island's most famous landmark. Saint Lucia is also home to the world's only drive-in volcano, the Sulphur Springs . There are a number of small islands off the coast, the largest of which are the Maria Islands, located in the south-east of the island.

Saint Lucia lies at latitude 14° N and longitude 61° W . The population tends to be concentrated around the coast, with the interior more sparsely populated, due to the presence of dense forests.

Saint Lucia has a tropical climate , specifically a tropical rainforest climate (Af), moderated by northeast trade winds , with a dry season from 1 December to 31 May, and a wet/rainy season from 1 June to 30 November.

Average daytime and nighttime temperatures are around 30 °C (86 °F), and 24 °C (75 °F) respectively. Being fairly close to the equator, the island's temperature does not fluctuate much between winter and summer.

Eroded andesitic stratovolcanoes to the north east of the depression include Mt. Gimie , Piton St Esprit, and Mt. Grand Magazin, all greater than 1 Mya in age. Andesitic and dacite pyroclastic flows from these volcanoes are found at Morne Tabac dome (532 kya ), Morne Bonin dome (273 kya), and Bellevue (264 kya). Avalanche deposits from the formation of the Qualibou depression are found offshore, and in the massive blocks of Rabot, Pleisance, and Coubaril. The dacitic domes of Petit Piton (109 kya) and Gros Piton (71 kya) were then extruded onto the depression floor accompanied by the Anse John (104 kya) and La Pointe (59.8 kya) pyroclastic flows. Later, pyroclastic flows include pumice -rich Belfond and Anse Noir (20 kya). Finally, the dacitic domes of Terre Blanche (15.3 kya) and Belfond (13.6 kya) formed within the depression.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors) and Wikipedia article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.