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Destination : SAINT LUCIA

Saint Lucia is one of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. It is situated midway down the Eastern Caribbean chain between Martinique and Saint Vincent, north of Barbados. It ranks among the most carefully developed Caribbean islands. Many old-island traditions remain intact and the lush mountainous terrain packs some of the Caribbean's greatest beauty. St. Lucia's natural beauty is preserved by its 19,000-acre Rainforest. Tourists come to snorkel, dive, horseback ride, and hike into its wilderness below and high above the surface. The island's interior and eastern Atlantic shores are largely pristine and a nature-lover's dream.

The island, with its fine natural harbor at the capital Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. The passive Arawak Indians first occupied St. Lucia, until the hostile Caribs stormed in. They managed to forestall colonization, scaring off prospects with a religious ritual they termed cannibalism. Pirate Jambe de Bois was the first known European to settle the island. He attacked Spanish ships from his base on Pigeon Island. In the course of the next century, Dutch, English, and French settlers made their mark. St. Lucia changed hands between the French and English 14 times. Warring stunted its sugar industry potential; still, Africans brought as slaves to work plantation fields settled much of the island. In 1838, St. Lucia became part of the Windward Islands, with its government seat in Barbados. In 1979, the island gained full independence.
From one end to the other, Saint Lucia measures only 27 miles long, and is 14 miles across its widest section. One main road twists down the entire west coast, swings around the southern tip, then heads north up the eastern shoreline, making most of the 238-square-mile pear-shaped island easily accessible. Occasionally, this loop road branches off across mountains and cuts through the dense rain forest to remote sites, but it’s virtually impossible to get lost.

Most of the population lives in the north around Castries, the contemporary capital and main port. Inland, the mountainous land is covered by a thick jungle-like rain forest that gives way to sprawling banana plantations. The gorgeous southern coast is sparsely populated and is dominated by the volcanic Pitons that rise straight up out of the ocean.

Castries is the bustling modern capital and main seaport. Fires have destroyed many historic sites, but a few landmarks and attractive colonial buildings remain. Morne Fortuné, the hill of good fortune, rises over the south side of the city, offering panoramic views of the town and harbor. The town of Soufrière is quite a contrast to Castries. It is a sleepy fishing village, engagingly out of step with modern times, that sits on the southwestern coast in a dormant volcanic crater.

Mount Soufrière, a dormant volcano near the town of Soufrière, is called the "drive-in volcano" because it is actually possible to drive a vehicle into the crater. Natural sulfur springs that flow there are rumored to have therapeutic properties, and people often bathe in the waters. Farther south, the twin peaks of the Pitons loom on the horizon, dwarfing everything around them. Gros Piton is shorter, but wider, and rises to 2,460 feet. The leaner Petit Piton stands 2,619 feet above sea level. Vieux Fort, at the southernmost point of the island, is one of the oldest settlements. Miles of palm-lined white-sand beaches extend along the coast just outside the colonial town.