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St. Lucia: Not Just Your Average Beautiful Island!

St. Lucia possesses a stunning beauty, matched by few islands in the Caribbean. Its culture is rooted in a wonderful fusion of French, British and African tradition, and its approximately 150,000 people bring this beauty and rich cultural heritage to life. St. Lucia has a decidedly different dynamic than other islands in the region. Only recently has St. Lucia attracted the massive amounts of tourists that visit islands like St. Thomas and St. Croix. Most of the development is located around the capital city of Castries, and the rest of the island is relatively untouched. A vacation in St. Lucia can be as active or as lazy as you want it to be. A day's activity can include swimming,parasailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, and pleasure boating. Or you can lie back in the Caribbean sun on one of St. Lucia's extraordinary beaches. As long as it's on St. Lucia, your time cannot be better spent!

Castries, the capital, is a busy commercial city of approximately 65,000 citizens. A walking tour of Castries will take visitors past historical monuments, the bustling harbor area, and a farmers market that has become a daily icon. In the middle of town sits the Derek Walcott Square, named for the native poet/playwright who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992. The square is lined with historic buildings that display both the French and English architecture that is part of the island's past. Every morning, except Sunday, the Castries Market comes alive with vendors selling produce, crafts, and other assorted nick knacks. Pick up some souvenirs that you won't find anywhere else. More bargains can be had at Pointe Seraphine, a duty-free shopping complex on the north side of Castries Harbor.

The beaches in St. Lucia range between simply stunning and outrageously spectacular. Choc Bay is a long stretch of white sand lined with palm trees located on the northwest coast. Close to Castries, the beach is great for swimming, and is very popular with families with small children. Marigot Bay is a postcard perfect Caribbean cove. Hollywood thought so, anyway, when they used Marigot as a backdrop for the movie Dr. Doolittle, starring Rex Harrison. Surrounded on three sides by steep, emerald-colored hills, and garnished with palm trees, Marigot Beach is blessed with calm waters that ripple only when passing yachts slide saunter through. Pigeon Point Beach, located off the north shore, is a great spot for picnicking, and is part of the Pigeon Island National Historic Park. The park will delight history buffs with its depictions of the areas past between 1000 A.D., up until the British defeated the French in 1782, during the Battle of Saints. One of the best kept secrets on St. Lucia sits just north of Soufriere at Anse Chastanet. The darkish sand (almost red!) is contrasted with the backdrop of the lush green hills, and the tall palm trees shade visitors from the fierce noonday sun.

Scuba divers and snorkelers will also appreciate Anse Chastanet for its wonderful coral reef that is perched just off shore. No boat is necessary to enjoy this reef wall that drops from 20 feet of water to 140 feet. Near Anse Cochon, a 165-ft freighter, the Lesleen M, was deliberately sunk to create an artificial coral reef. Divers can explore the entire ship and see some of the black coral trees, huge barrel sponges, and reef fish that have taken up residency.

Deep within the mountainous terrain of the island, the St. Lucia Rainforest makes up 19,000 acres of protected land that is guarded by the St. Lucia Forest and Lands Department. The tropical reserve divides the eastern and western portions of the island and provides some of the best hiking opportunities in the Caribbean. One of the most popular hikes is the Barre De L'isle Trail. The trail provides panoramic views from four lookout points along the path. The Pitons, located near Soufriere, is St. Lucia's most famous landmark. These primeval twin peaks, top out at around 2,000 feet. Only the most daring climbers have ventured an ascent to their summits, but they can be seen in all their glory from Mt. Gimie or from the decks of a boat offshore.

On Friday nights Lucians flock to the sleepy little fishing village of Gros Islet, and the street festival called Jump Up. Calypso sounds are cranked up by street musicians. Food venders sell barbecue, fried fish, hot cakes, and jerk pork. The event gets started around 10:00pm, and lasts until the wee hours of the morning. Bring your dancing shoes and try and keep up!

St. Lucia is a carnival for the senses. Jasmine breezes waft along pristine, sugary, white sand beaches. Mountains rise out of the mist of a tropical rainforest. French, patois, and various African languages blend with British accents in a symphony of native sound. Test your hiking skills. Ride the waves. Listen to Calypso and try some conch. Sit under a palm tree or snooze in the Caribbean sun. However you choose to spend your vacation, just be sure to spend it in St. Lucia.