Saint Lucia

Understand

Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia's economy. Its economic importance is expected to continue to increase as the market for bananas becomes more competitive. Tourism tends to be more substantial during the dry season (January through April), although there are a handful of events held at other times of the year attracting visitors including the St. Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival (May), Carnival (July), and the Creole Heritage Month (October). The island is called the "Helen of the West Indies", due to its striking beauty.

History Saint Lucia's first known inhabitants were Arawaks, believed to have come from northern South America around 200-400 CE. Numerous archaeological sites on the island have produced specimens of the Arawaks' ancestors well-developed pottery. These Caribs gradually replaced Arawaks during the period from 800 to 1000 CE. Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean. The British failed in their first attempts at colonization in the early 17th century. The island was first settled by the French, who signed a treaty with the local Caribs in 1660. Like the British and Dutch, the French began to develop the island for the cultivation of sugar cane on extensive plantations.

Caribbean conditions were hard, and many slaves died before they lived long enough to have children. The French (and later British) continued to import slaves until the latter nation abolished the trade, and then the legal institution. By that time, people of ethnic African descent greatly outnumbered those of ethnic European background. Following the abolition of slavery, the British brought in many indentured Indian labourers to work on the plantations instead, and a significant minority of Saint Lucians are of at least

See

The Pitons - Two volcanic plugs arising from the sea created by volcanic activity in the past. They are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and depicted in the national flag. Pigeon Island nature reserve - just north of Gros Islet, the park has some of the oldest buildings on Saint Lucia and affords views across to Martinique. The green flash, if you're very lucky. This is sometimes seen in the tropics in the last split-second of sunset, when just as the sun vanishes the sky above it is momentarily a brilliant green. Conditions have to be just right: you need a hot calm day, with a clear view out to the sea horizon. Even then, most evenings all you'll get is a false flash, when staring towards the sunset leaves a green after-image on your vision. You'll begin to doubt it exists, but keep watching for it every clear sunset. Once seen, never forgotten.

Do

The Sulfur Springs - just south of Soufriere, these hot springs are one of the main attractions on the island. There is a pool that the hot water runs through, so make sure to take your swimming trunks and go for a dip! Rainforest hikes - there are several official hiking routes on the island. The Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries site has links to information about the ones they support. Climbing the Gros Piton is an achievable goal for most people. The trailhead begins at an elevation of about 600 feet (approx. 180 m) above sea level and requires about two hours of moderate to

Getting there

Entry requirements Citizens of the following countries do not need visas: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Beglium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (includes Faroe Islands and Greenland), Dominica, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Zambia. For dependencies:

The Dutch municipalities of Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and the Dutch constituent countries of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Marteen The French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia and Saint Martin The French overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadelope, and Martinique The British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, and the Turks and Caicos Islands All three British Crown Dependencies Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. If your nationality is not mentioned anywhere above, you will need to apply for a visa. As of the moment, citizens of Haiti do need visas but this is temporary. Most nationalities pay $50 for a single-entry tourist visa. It lasts 6 weeks, and extensions can sometimes be

Getting around

The main way for tourists to get around Saint Lucia is by taxi, either arranged by the hotel, taxi agency or individual operators. The tours arranged by resorts are usually the most expensive way to travel but might offer food and drink. Using a local taxi operator to plan your own adventure will be much more affordable. Your hotel staff should provide you with a number of a taxi agency or operator that they use regularly. The prices are generally fixed but you can shop around to get the best rate if given several numbers. Many taxi drivers that run from the resorts to the marketplaces will offer tours of the island for around $145 per van load. Each van will hold between 6 and 12 people. For the budget travellers or the more adventurous tourists, local buses provide a cheap and fun way of getting around. They are small vans which hold around 10-14 people and vary in quality. They run irregularly, but frequently from rural towns to urban centers, (i.e. Soufriere to Castries, Soufriere to Vieux Fort, Vieux Fort to Castries), each day most travelling to Castries in the morning and returning to Soufriere late afternoon. They are very affordable and provide a unique experience each time; the vehicle operators often decorate the interiors and play their own music, either a mix of Caribbean flavours or country. If you want to try to take a transport discuss your route and travel time with one of the local staff familiar with the bus system. Many of them likely take a transport to and from work. Water taxis are a main source of income for many locals and can be a much quicker, convenient and picturesque method of traveling short distances to private beaches or coastal towns. Many water taxi operators in the Town of Soufriere can be found at the jetty. The rates of these driver