TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
U.S
Driving Permit and Government Permit required |
| Currency |
(XCD)
East Caribbean Dollar |
| Electrical |
240 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 1-758 |
St.
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.
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. 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.
