St. Lucia has some of the most beautiful views to be found anywhere internationally. Among the natural sweetness of its wonderful forests and lifting tops are traditional fortresses, gem-like fishing hamlets, and gracious city squares, places waiting like buried treasure to be discovered by newbies.
As well as the large range of occasions to hike, birdwatch, and tour St. Lucia’s outstanding natural attractions, the island is replete with a complete range of recreational facilities. Visitors may enjoy the slow pleasures of touring the island by pony, chartering a yacht for an evening sail or day cruise, or relax with a round of golfing among St.Lucia’s entrancing natural beauty. For people who enjoy the thrill of more powerful pursuits, there are lots of places to windsurf, dive, water-ski, or play tennis or squish.
There are a considerable number of activities closer related to the conventional life of St. Lucia, including deepsea fishing, weekly “jump-ups” at Gros Islet, and visits to the once a week market at Castries. St Lucia has much more to supply than merely sun, surf and sand. After fifty years as one of the Caribbean’s leading tourist hotspots, it’s developed into much more.
Where else are you able to go hike rough mountains, see volcanoes, jet-boat along sun-drenched shores and savour an amazing range of natural beauty all inside a few km of each other? Besieged by many miles of shocking mountaineous hinterland and as well as miles of spotless beaches, St Lucia has something for everybody and boasts a diversified host of activities, available in all directions.
St Lucia 6 Day Weather Forecast
| Today | 21/05/2013 | 22/05/2013 | 23/05/2013 | 24/05/2013 | 25/05/2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chance of a Thunderstorm 86°/77° |  Chance of Rain 86°/77° | Chance of a Thunderstorm 84°/77° |  Chance of a Thunderstorm 84°/79° | Chance of a Thunderstorm 86°/79° | Chance of a Thunderstorm 86°/77° |
Castries Explore Castries, one of the most fantastically situated Caribbean towns. Encircled by hills, its enormous harbor at the head of a wide bay is a recurring hive of activity. Head for the roomy Derek Walcott Square which features a 19th-century Catholic Cathedral, standing in the shadow of a 400-year-old samaan tree. There’s also a decorative, busy market. Diamond Botanical Gardens Deep in the lush tropical gardens near Mount Soufrire is the Diamond Waterfall, one of the geological attractions of the island. Made from water bubbling up from sulphur springs, the waterfall changes color ( from yellow to black to green to grey ) a few times per day. The baths were made in 1784 on the orders of Louis XVI, whose doctors told him these waters were equivalent in mineral content to the waters at Aix-les-Bains ; they were meant to provide recuperative effects for French squaddies fighting in the West Indies. The baths have a median temperature of 106F. For EC$15, you can wash and try out the recuperative effects for yourself.
There’s an EC$11 entrance charge, and hours are daily 10am to 5pm. Grande Anse The northeast coast is the least visited and least accessible part of St. Lucia, however it contains dramatic rockbound shores interspersed with secret sandy coves. The govt has set Grand Anse apart as a nature reserve in order that it will never be developed.The terrain is dry and can be unwelcoming, it is interesting nevertheless.
Grande Anse is home to some rare bird species, particularly the white-breasted thrasher alongside the fer-de-lance, the only deadly snake on the island ( but visitors report barely seeing them ). Its beaches — Grande Anse, Petite Anse, and Anse Louvet — are nesting grounds for endangered sea turtles, including the hawksbill, the green turtle, the leatherback, and the loggerhead. Nesting season lasts from Feb to October. Many neighbors tackle the poor road in a four-wheel-drive automobile, particularly the bumpiest part from Desbarra to Grande Anse.
Latille Gardens This pretty concealed treasure of St. Lucia is crammed with delicious fruits, blooming flowers, prospering plants, shading trees, and colourful waterfalls. A walk on the waterfall trails or a chilled night under the moon and stars, amid the perfume of healthy foliage, are journeys not to be missed.
Morne Fortune To the south of Castries looms Morne Fortune, the inappropriately named “Hill of Good Luck.” In the eighteenth century, some of the most savage Caribbean battles between the French and the English took place here. You can visit the army graveyard, a little museum, the old powder magazine, and the 4 Apostles Battery ( a quartet of harsh muzzle-loading cannons ). Central authority House, now the official residence of the governor-general of St. Lucia, is among the few examples of Victorian design that escaped elimination by fire.
The view of the harbor of Castries is wide ranging : You can see north to Pigeon Island or south to the Pitons ; on a clear day, you can even spot Martinique. To reach Morne Fortune, head east on Bridge Street. State rainforest of specific appeal to bird watchers, walkers and nature lovers, St Lucia’s Nationwide Rainforest covers nineteen thousand acres of lush mountains and valleys.
It is home to giant ferns, birds of nirvana and lots of other native tree species, exotic flowers and fruits, and its trails are dispersed with little bromeliads, wild orchids and mushrooms. Among the rare and pretty birds adding colour to the scene are the brightly-hued St.
Lucia Parrot, known domestically as the “jacquot,” the White Breasted Thrasher, the St. Lucia Peewee, and the St. Lucia Oriole. For organised tours, contact the Forest and Lands Office . Pigeon Island Pigeon Island, a 40-acre islet connected by a causeway to St. Lucia’s west coast, is a lovely nature park which reflects one thousand years of history. There are marked trails with several historic sites, like the remains of an 18th-century Brit fort and Fort Rodney, where the Admiral for which it is named spied on the French ships from its strategic perspective.
The island also has 2 isolated beaches and is the major location of St. Lucia’s yearly Jazz Holiday . The Pigeon Island Museum & Interpretive Centre is another highlight, showing the island’s history, is housed in a landmark previous British officials ‘ mess building, revived to its 1808 class. Thru interactive audio / visible aids and traditional artefacts, visitors find out more about the 1st Carib Indian settlers and the island’s role in the French / English battles during colonization. A highlight is Admiral Rodney’s victory in 1782 at the famous “Battle of the Saints.” The museum opens daily 9:00am to 5:00pm ; admission is EC$5.00 for adults and EC$.50 for youngsters. For info, contact the St. Lucia Countrywide Trust.
Rodney Bay This picturesque bay is a 15-minute drive north of Castries. Set on a man-made lagoon, it is a stylish centre for nightlife, hostels, and cafes — actually it is the most active place on the island at night. Its pier is among the top watersports centers in the Caribbean, and a destination each December for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, when yachters cross the Atlantic to meet and compare stories. Marigot Bay Film crews, including those for Sophia Loren’s Fire Power, have used this bay, one of the most pretty in the Caribbean, for background shots. 13 kilometers ( eight miles ) south of Castries, it’s narrow yet passable by yachts of any size. Here Admiral Rodney disguised his ships with palm leaves while lying in wait for French frigates. The shore, covered with palms, remains comparatively perfect, though some building sites have been sold. It is a pleasant spot for a picnic. A twenty four hour ferry connects the bay’s two sides. Soufrire make a journey to Soufrire, the second-biggest settlement on the island. This deep-water port stands at the foot of 2 extinct volcanoes called the Pitons. Rising to 798m ( 2,619ft ) above sea level, these are possibly St Lucia’s most famed landmarks. The city itself is often West Indian, a cluster of brightly painted arcaded buildings set against the jungle vista.
