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Beautiful and seductive, St Lucia, forms part of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Measuring just 27 miles by 14, you can reach it by an 8-hour direct flight from the UK. Mountainous, and of volcanic origin, St Lucia features everything you could possibly wish for in a holiday paradise.
Surrounded by colourful coral reefs, an emerald rainforest blankets the interior. The most striking feature, green-cloaked peaks of the magical Pitons, rise from the Caribbean shores. There are banana, cocoa and mango plantations and two luxury marinas to please the yachting community. Elegantly luxurious hotels provide first class service; some are uniquely constructed with an ‘open’ fourth wall giving you a fantastic sense of feeling part of your surroundings. There’s tasty Creole food, Jump Up street parties and vibrant music, an abundance of watersports and attractions and the warmest of welcomes by the friendly St Lucians. An award-winning island for romance, it’s oft awarded the world’s leading destination for honeymooners. And two Nobel Prize winners, economist Sir Arthur Lewis and poet and playwright, Derek Walcott, are notable St Lucians.
Named Iouanalao and Hewanorra (Island of the iguanas) by native Arawak and Caribs, St Lucia has a long colonial history. Fiercely fought over by France and Britain for over 150 years, it changed hands an astonishing 14 times between 1660 and 1814 when it finally ceded to the British under the Treaty of Paris. Now part of the Commonwealth, St Lucia remained a British colony until it gained internal autonomy in 1967 followed by full independence in 1979.
A fusion of African, East Indian and Amerindian ancestry combines with a strong French influence with most villages and towns bearing French names. English is the official language, although French Creole dialect, Kweyol, is widely spoken. British legacies include driving on the left, rum production, afternoon tea, and cricket, the national sport. Although there’s always a convivial relaxed atmosphere, formality, albeit ‘casual formality’ is the norm at dinner in restaurants and hotels.
St Lucian food is an exciting mix of French, British, African, Indian and Amerindian influences. Local produce includes cocoa, island-grown tropical fruit and vegetables, and freshly caught seafood including lambi (conch), lobster and crab, and chicken, lamb, pork and beef are also popular. Saltfish is the national dish; usually accompanied by unripened bananas known locally as green figs. Pepper pots is a traditional stew using whatever ingredients are handy, and accra, fried fish cakes made with salted cod and mixed spice, is served in most restaurants. Breadfruit, akin to potato but sweeter, are delicious boiled or stuffed and are often accompanied by a spicy sauce. Callaloo is a leafy green soup; sometimes seafood and fish is added for extra flavour. Banana cake is the dessert of choice, cocoa tea a popular breakfast drink, and Piton, the locally brewed beer.
Time Difference: 4 hrs behind GMT & 5 hrs behind BST
Flight Duration: 8 hrs
Currency: EC$2.7=US$1. Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$). US dollars and major credit cards widely accepted.
Language: English & French Creole.
Dress Code: Casual yet elegant dress in hotels and restaurants with men expected to wear closed shoes, full-length trousers and collared shirts in the evenings.
Climate: Tropical, hot summers tempered by trade winds with May-Nov average max temperatures 84F/29C. Warm and pleasant winters are popular with 8-9 hours of sunshine a day and Dec-Apr average max temperatures 81F/27C. The hurricane season spans from June to November, although as St Lucia is rarely affected.
VISA: Not required by those holding British passports.
Car hire is easy and driving is on the left, taxis are plentiful and fares fixed although it’s advisable to confirm prices prior to setting off. Taxis can be booked for island tours. A network of minibuses provides a public transport system for getting around inexpensively. Water taxis and ferries operate on the west side and between the north and south of the island.
South of the capital Castries, lies Marigot Bay, a stunning, naturally sheltered bay, home to a state of the art marina of luxury yachts, excellent restaurants in Marina Village, plus a small stretch of beach reached by a passenger ferry. Further south, the coastal fishing village of Soufriere displays its European heritage in its traditional French architecture and enjoys fabulous views towards the iconic UNESCO listed Pitons; the Diamond Botanical Gardens are close-by. Beaches include Anse Chastanet and Anse Cochon, both with offshore reefs perfect for snorkelling and, set between the two Pitons and claiming to be the Caribbean’s most beautiful beach, Anse des Pitons boasts, albeit imported, gleaming white sands. The Tet Paul nature trail is worth a visit whilst, further inland, there’s Edmund Forest Reserve. The island’s second-largest town, Vieux Fort, lies at the southernmost point where the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet; great for wind and kite surfers.
In the northwest corner of the island, Rodney Bay is set in a beautiful horseshoe- haped bay with a man-made lagoon, a yacht-filled marina with stylish bars and chic waterfront restaurants, and the pristine mile long Reduit Beach running the length of the bay. From here there’s easy access to historic Pigeon Island Nature Reserve and the fishing village of Gros Islet; renowned for its lively Friday night Jump Up street party of delicious food and lively dancing. On the very northern tip, Smuggler’s Cove, a secluded little beach reached by a long flight of steps, is delightfully relaxing and excellent for swimming and snorkelling.
The beautifully rugged east coast is home to banana plantations and unspoilt villages in the Cul de Sac valley; itself fringed with rainforest vegetation. There’s the fishing village of Dennery, the tropical gardens of Mamiku, and the National Trust Fregate Island nature reserve just off the coast near Praslin village. Swimming is generally not recommended off the east coast, apart from Cas en Bas beach where, shielded by an offshore reef, it’s normally safe to swim. Grand Anse beach is the island’s primary nesting spot for the endangered leatherback turtles and, during nesting season, there are well-organised overnight camps on the beach.
Beautiful and seductive, St Lucia, forms part of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Measuring just 27 miles by 14, you can reach it by an 8-hour direct flight from the UK. Mountainous, and of volcanic origin, St Lucia features everything you could possibly wish for in a holiday paradise.
Surrounded by colourful coral reefs, an emerald rainforest blankets the interior. The most striking feature, green-cloaked peaks of the magical Pitons, rise from the Caribbean shores. There are banana, cocoa and mango plantations and two luxury marinas to please the yachting community. Elegantly luxurious hotels provide first class service; some are uniquely constructed with an ‘open’ fourth wall giving you a fantastic sense of feeling part of your surroundings. There’s tasty Creole food, Jump Up street parties and vibrant music, an abundance of watersports and attractions and the warmest of welcomes by the friendly St Lucians. An award-winning island for romance, it’s oft awarded the world’s leading destination for honeymooners. And two Nobel Prize winners, economist Sir Arthur Lewis and poet and playwright, Derek Walcott, are notable St Lucians.
Named Iouanalao and Hewanorra (Island of the iguanas) by native Arawak and Caribs, St Lucia has a long colonial history. Fiercely fought over by France and Britain for over 150 years, it changed hands an astonishing 14 times between 1660 and 1814 when it finally ceded to the British under the Treaty of Paris. Now part of the Commonwealth, St Lucia remained a British colony until it gained internal autonomy in 1967 followed by full independence in 1979.
A fusion of African, East Indian and Amerindian ancestry combines with a strong French influence with most villages and towns bearing French names. English is the official language, although French Creole dialect, Kweyol, is widely spoken. British legacies include driving on the left, rum production, afternoon tea, and cricket, the national sport. Although there’s always a convivial relaxed atmosphere, formality, albeit ‘casual formality’ is the norm at dinner in restaurants and hotels.
St Lucian food is an exciting mix of French, British, African, Indian and Amerindian influences. Local produce includes cocoa, island-grown tropical fruit and vegetables, and freshly caught seafood including lambi (conch), lobster and crab, and chicken, lamb, pork and beef are also popular. Saltfish is the national dish; usually accompanied by unripened bananas known locally as green figs. Pepper pots is a traditional stew using whatever ingredients are handy, and accra, fried fish cakes made with salted cod and mixed spice, is served in most restaurants. Breadfruit, akin to potato but sweeter, are delicious boiled or stuffed and are often accompanied by a spicy sauce. Callaloo is a leafy green soup; sometimes seafood and fish is added for extra flavour. Banana cake is the dessert of choice, cocoa tea a popular breakfast drink, and Piton, the locally brewed beer.
Time Difference: 4 hrs behind GMT & 5 hrs behind BST
Flight Duration: 8 hrs
Currency: EC$2.7=US$1. Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$). US dollars and major credit cards widely accepted.
Language: English & French Creole.
Dress Code: Casual yet elegant dress in hotels and restaurants with men expected to wear closed shoes, full-length trousers and collared shirts in the evenings.
Climate: Tropical, hot summers tempered by trade winds with May-Nov average max temperatures 84F/29C. Warm and pleasant winters are popular with 8-9 hours of sunshine a day and Dec-Apr average max temperatures 81F/27C. The hurricane season spans from June to November, although as St Lucia is rarely affected.
VISA: Not required by those holding British passports.
Car hire is easy and driving is on the left, taxis are plentiful and fares fixed although it’s advisable to confirm prices prior to setting off. Taxis can be booked for island tours. A network of minibuses provides a public transport system for getting around inexpensively. Water taxis and ferries operate on the west side and between the north and south of the island.
South of the capital Castries, lies Marigot Bay, a stunning, naturally sheltered bay, home to a state of the art marina of luxury yachts, excellent restaurants in Marina Village, plus a small stretch of beach reached by a passenger ferry. Further south, the coastal fishing village of Soufriere displays its European heritage in its traditional French architecture and enjoys fabulous views towards the iconic UNESCO listed Pitons; the Diamond Botanical Gardens are close-by. Beaches include Anse Chastanet and Anse Cochon, both with offshore reefs perfect for snorkelling and, set between the two Pitons and claiming to be the Caribbean’s most beautiful beach, Anse des Pitons boasts, albeit imported, gleaming white sands. The Tet Paul nature trail is worth a visit whilst, further inland, there’s Edmund Forest Reserve. The island’s second-largest town, Vieux Fort, lies at the southernmost point where the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet; great for wind and kite surfers.
In the northwest corner of the island, Rodney Bay is set in a beautiful horseshoe- haped bay with a man-made lagoon, a yacht-filled marina with stylish bars and chic waterfront restaurants, and the pristine mile long Reduit Beach running the length of the bay. From here there’s easy access to historic Pigeon Island Nature Reserve and the fishing village of Gros Islet; renowned for its lively Friday night Jump Up street party of delicious food and lively dancing. On the very northern tip, Smuggler’s Cove, a secluded little beach reached by a long flight of steps, is delightfully relaxing and excellent for swimming and snorkelling.
The beautifully rugged east coast is home to banana plantations and unspoilt villages in the Cul de Sac valley; itself fringed with rainforest vegetation. There’s the fishing village of Dennery, the tropical gardens of Mamiku, and the National Trust Fregate Island nature reserve just off the coast near Praslin village. Swimming is generally not recommended off the east coast, apart from Cas en Bas beach where, shielded by an offshore reef, it’s normally safe to swim. Grand Anse beach is the island’s primary nesting spot for the endangered leatherback turtles and, during nesting season, there are well-organised overnight camps on the beach.