Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a small and lush tropical island that is still relatively unknown. St. Lucia stands between the Eastern Caribbean and north of Barbados. The Atlantic Ocean lies on its eastern shore. The west coast of Saint Lucia lies in the Caribbean Sea. As far as natural beauty is concerned Saint Lucia looks just like an island plucked from the South Pacific and set down in the Caribbean.
The twin coastal peaks, the Pitons, of Saint Lucia go up to 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering magnificent rain forests where wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise flourish. Tropical birds, including endangered species like the indigenous St. Lucia parrots can be seen in this island. The island also possesses excellent facilities for golf, tennis, sailing, and a host of other leisure pursuits. The very famous Soufriere volcano, the world’s only drive-in volcanic crater is worth watching. There are also resort developments on St. Lucia, which has made it one of the Caribbean’s best package-tour destinations. Tourists can savor the bananas which draws more business than tourism in this island paradise.
The western shores of St. Lucia are a fascinating place from December to March. At this point of time, the rain eases a bit. For your information, these are the busiest months on the island when the numbers of tourists and the costs of food, airline tickets, and accommodation are higher. The visitors enjoy the Carnival in July. Moreover, St. Lucia is also a beautiful volcanic island with rain forests, agricultural land, and beaches.
It is also one of the world’s breeziest places. The land of St. Lucia has got immense potential as a tourist destination. Therefore, the government is now focusing on further diversification directed towards the creation of a service sector based on tourism and financial services. There are excellent beaches, mountain scenery, the Qualibou Volcano, boiling sulfur springs, orchids, exotic plants, and tropical flower-lined roadsides of Saint Lucia. People here are also very friendly and hospitable. This is an added advantage for the tourists.
Also Read : 10 Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean Islands
Getting In
This Caribbean island country is located between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. As the country is surrounded by water on all sides, no major modes of transport are available other than flights and boats. The tourists from far off countries have no other option than to choose from the number of flights available to enter this country. Covering a total area of 616 sq km, this country has two accessible airports of George FL Charles Airport, which is located near Castries and Hewanorra International near Vieux Fort. Getting to Saint Lucia, will be convenient if the traveler board some of the airlines like, Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson), Air Jamaica (Atlanta, Barbados, Boston, Chicago-O’Hare, Miami, Montego Bay, New York-JFK, Newark) American Airlines (Chicago-O’Hare, Miami), British Airways (London-Gatwick), Caribbean Airlines (Port of Spain), Condor Airlines (Frankfurt), Cubana (Havana), Delta Air Lines (Atlanta), US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia), Virgin Atlantic Airways (London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK)) USA 3,000 (Pittsburgh), etc., which operates from the Hewanorra International Airport.
Several airlines such as, Air Caraibes, American Airlines, American Eagle (Bridgetown) LIAT (Antigua, Dominica, St. Vincent, Georgetown, Barbados, Trinidad), British Midland, Air Martinique (France), Virgin Atlantic (London), etc., ply from the George F. L. Charles Airport in Saint Lucia. More than 500,000 visitors every year come to this country with the help of the flights.
Those who are willing to have a good travelling experience can always choose a sea-based route. By sea, the tourists can have a great ride by Caribbean Express, which operates a hydrofoil service between St. Lucia and Martinique. Some people can have a great deal of entertainment and fun if they decide to enter the country by Cruise ships which arrive daily at Port Castries and Soufriere. Cruises can enter at a few ports around the island and the travelers can get some brief breaks at locations around the island.The visitors can have the privilege of Getting to Saint Lucia with the help of Catamaran rides. These rides are conducted from Soufriere to Rodney Bay. Most of the cruises generally enter through Pointe Seraphine in Saint Lucia.
Transport
This beautiful island country is a treat to explore no matter what mode of travel you are availing. Far from the congested traffic and pollution, this small corner of the world operates some eco-friendly vehicles which give a trouble free ride across the country. Covering a meagre area of less than 625 sq km, this country offers a variety of transport facilities along with taxi, bus, helicopter, etc. The visitors can freely have a comfortable ride on any of the options found in Saint Lucia. You can mainly travel by taxi, which is affordable. There are a number of a taxi agencies with whom you can negotiate the prices. The ride to different parts of the island is really mesmerizing if you get into any of the taxis. They gift you a leisurely ride across the country, and that too, without hurting your pocket.
The country has an efficient provision for the travelers to catch a bus. The bus ride, like the taxis are also comfortable, but they have fixed rates. These privately-run bus services connect to the main centers of the country like Castries, Vieux Fort, and Soufriere. After satisfying their desire for a leisure travel, the visitors will be over flooded with another opportunity of a dream ride in a rented car or motorcycle. Traveling in Saint Lucia, can be considered quite feasible, as there will be no limit to your fun. But the travelers must have a temporary license. The country welcomes you to travel around the small coastal villages. The majority of the visitors who have the nerve to spend their vacation in pursuit of adventure, can get the genuine taste of it once they decide to ride in a helicopter taxi. These modes of transport can be taken from Hewannora airport and it will let you witness some spectacular sights till it ends its journey at the Vigie airport.
The most cheap and feasible mode of travel in the country is to take a bicycle and explore the mountainous jungle. This is also efficient as you can reach the nearby regions with the least difficulty. The visitors who cannot resist the call of the beaches, can have a great time traveling on a ferry. The ferry operators travel from island to island in the southern Caribbean. This service is available almost all the year round and makes it a wonderful trip. The small vans found irregularly in all parts of the country can easily accommodate around 12 people. If you are willing to go to a nearby market or to any urban centers like Soufriere to Castries, Soufriere to Vieux-Fort, Vieux-Fort to Castries, etc., the vans are very cheap and quite comfortable.
Leisure
Saint Lucia does have a rich assortment of scenic beauty and some great excuses for entertainment tantamount to other famous destinations of the world. This little gift of nature to us is worthy of traveling. The country is bestowed with virgin landscapes and unspoiled beaches. The tropical climate attracts the tourists to come to this country. The large gathering of mountain regions, volcanoes, and forests, appeals to the adventurous part of your heart.
The tourists are generally drawn into the main cities of Castries Soufrière, Marigot Bay, and Gros Islet. The 1890s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Charlotte, at the top of Morne Fortune (an 845-foot hill) are worth visiting. The tourists will find that the greatest concentration of hotels, resorts, and restaurants are scattered in Castries and other towns like Gros Islet, Soufrière, and Rodney Bay. Some beautiful beaches like Malabar Beach, Choc Beach, and La Toc Beach are top attractions of the tourists. The tourists will be amazed to see the “drive-in” volcano (Sulfur Springs), the Diamond Botanical Gardens with waterfall, historic mineral baths, black sand beaches, etc. The country offers a wide collection of activities like scuba diving, surfing, etc.
You must attend the Friday Night Street Party, which is considered as a major tourist attraction. Also known as the jump-up, this party is a concoction of some tasty local dishes (Barbecue chicken, Piton Beer) and soothing and rejuvenating local music. To have the most out of it, it is better to spend a night in this small town. The night life is very active and be prepared to expect something extra. Owing to some fabulous beaches, waterfalls, and terrains, the visitors can look forward to some amazing experience. Other entertainment options include seeing the Saint Lucia Rainforest Wonder, go whale watching or Dolphin spotting, Trail Trippers Adventure, Waterfall Bike Hike, Deep Sea Fishing, visiting St. Lucia’s gardens and forests by jeep, walking along the rainforest, some good wedding packages on the beach. The visitors can go for shopping in the capital city of Castries, where they can find local handicraft items and souvenirs. You will have a great time buying jewelry and materials made of silk. Lastly, you must visit the Balenbouche Estate and climb to the idyllic place like Gros Piton Mountain.
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