t Fishing Boats on the shore at Soufrière
t Fishing Boats on the shore at Soufrière
Experience Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia has been called the Helen of the West Indies. For like Helen of Troy from Greek mythology, it has a peerless beauty and has been fought over with great passion. From the mid-1600s to early 1800s, the island changed hands between the French and British 14 times. The British eventually won, and controlled Saint Lucia until independence was granted in 1979. However, the Gallic influence is still very strong. Places bear French names and while the official language is English, a French creole dialect, kweyol, is widely spoken. Sugar cane and more recently bananas were the backbones of Saint Lucia’s economy, but tourism is now the main source of income.
From a visitor’s perspective, Saint Lucia comes in two halves. Much of the south is mountainous wilderness coated in rainforest. Near the languid town of Soufrière in the southwest you’ll find the towering green fangs that are the Pitons, Sulphur Springs Park, which is billed as the world’s only drive-in volcano; and historic plantation estates growing cocoa and citrus fruits, several of which have been turned into memorable hotels. The beaches in the southwest are mostly of volcanic dark sand; superb snorkeling and diving awaits just offshore. The more developed north has beaches of golden sand, and encompasses the bustling capital Castries, along with Rodney Bay Village, the island’s only resort area. At nearby Pigeon Island, you can learn all about Saint Lucia’s military colonial history.