St. Lucia Guide

The first thing visitors to St. Lucia will notice is how exotically green it is. The 238-square-mile island is dotted by protected parklands that preserve its lush foliage, which serves as home to parrots, wild birds and a range of four-legged critters that would rather avoid human contact.

Topographically speaking, St. Lucia resembles nearby Dominica in its mountainous, volcanic appearance. In fact, its two most widely known landmarks are Les Pitons, twin mountain peaks that drop dramatically to the water’s edge near Anse des Pitons on the island’s west coast. The site is beautiful and alluring.

The island has been occupied by a number of European invaders, but the influence of the French is still most deeply felt today, in the names of its cities, towns and bays, in the architecture still evident today and in the French-inflected patois spoken by islanders here. English, however, is spoken at all the major hotels and in island restaurants.

One of the island’s main attractions is the Sulphur Springs Volcano, where visitors can get up close to bubbling pools of lava and steaming sulfurous spouts. Another popular site is Diamond Waterfall and Mineral Baths, where visitors can splash in the sulphur-infused waters or take pictures of the lovely falls. Nearly every type of water sport—water skiing, snorkeling, windsurfing and the like—is offered here, either by hotels or local operators. Diving is a very popular pastime for visitors, and the west coast is most commonly the choice because of its calmer waters. Similarly, most hotels are located on the west coast. Although a few more budget-oriented inns and small hotels are located directly in the capital city of Castries, the great majority tend to be located on or very near the beach.

Visitors should be aware that long drives are part of the deal with a St. Lucia vacation; the roads do not provide quick, direct access from Vigie or Hewanorra airports, located at either end of the island. Hotel guests are advised to stay out of Castries on cruise ship arrival days, as the narrow streets are a mob scene and not fit for man nor beast!

Hotel types run the gamut, from sophisticated hideaways with spectacular views or tiny places known only by the cognoscenti to more commercial inclusive hotels and the like. In addition, vacationers who really want to get away from everyone can choose some off-the-beaten-track places to stay, such as villas, private homes and tiny inns.

Nature lovers, divers and those who want to experience an exotic Caribbean island with still many of the modern conveniences of home will find St. Lucia to far exceed their expectations.

St. Lucia is a small island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The island was originally inhabited by the Arawak and Carib indigenous peoples before being colonized by European powers in the 17th century.

The first European to visit St. Lucia was the French explorer, François Le Clerc, in 1502. However, it was not until 1635 that the French established a permanent settlement on the island. They named it after Saint Lucy of Syracuse and quickly began cultivating crops such as sugarcane and cocoa, using enslaved Africans as laborers.

Throughout the 18th century, St. Lucia was a highly contested territory between the French and the British. The island changed hands fourteen times between the two powers, with the British eventually gaining control in 1814 under the Treaty of Paris. This marked the beginning of British colonial rule on the island, which lasted until 1979.

During the colonial era, St. Lucia’s economy was driven by sugar production and the slave trade. However, with the abolition of slavery in 1834, the island’s economy declined. Many former slaves fled to the island’s mountainous interior, establishing communities known as Maroon villages and maintaining their African cultural traditions.

In the early 20th century, St. Lucia saw a rise in banana production, which became the island’s main export. This led to an increase in immigration from other Caribbean islands, as well as from India and China, to work on the banana plantations.

In the 1950s, the island experienced a surge in nationalist movements and demands for independence from British rule. In 1958, St. Lucia joined the short-lived West Indies Federation, which aimed to unite several British Caribbean colonies. However, the federation collapsed in 1962, and St. Lucia continued its push for independence.

On February 22, 1979, St. Lucia finally gained independence from Britain and became a sovereign nation within the Commonwealth. The island’s first prime minister, Sir John Compton, led the country for most of the 1980s and 1990s, overseeing economic development and modernization efforts.

Today, St. Lucia is a popular tourist destination known for its breathtaking natural beauty, with its lush rainforests, pristine beaches, and iconic Pitons mountains. The island’s economy has diversified beyond agriculture, with tourism, offshore banking, and manufacturing now playing significant roles.

Despite its small size, St. Lucia has a rich and complex history, shaped by colonialism, slavery, and a struggle for independence. The island continues to preserve its unique cultural heritage while embracing modernization and development.