| S t. Lucia is the sort of island that travellers to the Caribbean dream
about--a small, lush tropical gem that is still relatively unknown. One
of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located midway
down the Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and
north of Barbados. St. Lucia is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, with
a shape that is said to resemble either a mango or an avocado (depending
on your taste). The Atlantic Ocean kisses its eastern shore, while the
beaches of the west coast owe their beauty to the calm Caribbean Sea. |
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In
natural beauty, St. Lucia seems like an island plucked from the South
Pacific and set down in the Caribbean. Its dramatic twin coastal peaks,
the Pitons, soar 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering magnificent rain
forests where wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise flourish.
Brilliantly-plumed tropical birds abound, including endangered species
like the indigenous St. Lucia parrot. The rainforest is broken only by
verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees.
St. Lucia has been inhabited since long before colonial times, and its
cultural treasures are a fascinating melange of its rich past and its
many different traditions. The island's people have earned a well-deserved
reputation for their warmth and charm, and the island itself is dotted
with aged fortresses, small villages, and open-air markets.There is a
broad array of exciting and exotic activities available
on St. Lucia.
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The island's steep coastlines
and lovely reefs offer excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. The rainforest
preserves of St. Lucia's mountainous interior are one of the Caribbean's
finest locales for hiking and birdwatching. Of course, the island also
possesses excellent facilities for golf, tennis, sailing, and a host
of other leisure pursuits. Not to be missed is St. Lucia's Soufriere
volcano, the world's only drive-in volcanic crater.
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