,, The island offers beautiful beaches, astounding rainforests, cascading waterfalls. If you are more adventurous, there and hiking trails which lead to amazing views. It is a volcanic island. The volcano is dormant, so it is of no threat." (2018)
,, Saint Lucia has two faces. The South is the most authentic; the region's inhabitants are cultivating their unique culture and identity. The north, where the capital, Castries, is located, is more touristy. The most important tourist area in Rodney Bay, which attracts a mainly North American clientele."
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“A beautiful island, and perhaps the most mountainous of them all. 617 square kilometers, with 174,000 inhabitants. After disembarking and taking a look at the various taxi offers and other forms of transport available around the port, we haggled with the owner of a small motorboat. There were about 10 tourists on the boat, the sailors spoke English, which was translated into French by one of our fellow tourists. English was most useful to us. Sailing along the island’s coast, we admired the beautiful topography, vegetation, luxury villas (e.g. Mick Jagger’s house).
The most recognizable features of the island, the double volcano (the Pitons), are unforgettable. We docked there and an SUV took us into the island’s interior. We could see an active volcano, and were even able to bathe in a stream which flows from the side of the volcano, with water which is 42 degrees Celsius. It was also possible to bathe in the mid, which was most popular among the ladies. They said it made their skin extremely smooth. The mud could only be completely washed off after two days. There was a waterfall with warm water, and we could stand under it. The fascinating beauty of the jungle is indescribable: flowering trees, special palms, etc. On the way back, the ship moored for a short time at Lovers’ Rock, which is a natural stone arch over the sea. Anyone who swims under it, especially if they kiss their partner, will have a long-lasting relationship. Enjoying the unlimited grog, we sailed back to the big ship in an excellent atmosphere, across the characteristically blue, warm Caribbean Sea.” (2016)
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“As we approached the port of Saint Lucia, we had a feeling, even from afar, that this would be a much more regulated island than Antigua and Barbuda. From the hillsides, neat houses surveyed the landscape, colorful car traffic made its way up winding hillside roads. And I would say the port is quite pretty, too. The shops were arranged in a beautifully landscaped area, in a well-thought-out layout.
The island is covered with steep volcanic mountains, some of which are still active. Still, it’s true that none of them have erupted for at least two centuries. The main attractions are the Pitons, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which are two steep, cone shaped mountains standing next to each other.
Ever since the English took over the responsibility for governing the island acentury and a half ago, traffic has driven on the left. Plus, driving here means takin on steep and winding roads, lined with very deep ditches on both sides to deal with the heavy rains. So, if you’re renting a car here, practice for a day in a parking lot, driving a car with the steering wheel on the right side, to get used to judging where the left side of your car is. After all, if you drive into a ditch here, it will take a crane to get you out!
After a few photo breaks, we arrived at a banana plantation where we could taste the fresh produce. (Tastes just like at home in Tesco.) Last year’s hurricane did a nice job of clearing this place out, too, but it was clear that new shoots were already emerging from the banana tree trunks that had snapped in two. At another photo-point stop, local guys were selling birds folded from palm tree leaves while a local Bob Marley tried to entertain us with his worn-out old guitar. After a while, refreshments appeared from the depths of the fridge. Most of the other people on the bus were Americans, and they went straight for the Coca Cola, though there were plenty other treasures in that fridge. Local beer is bottled under the name Piton, and is a 5.2% lager, the only problem is it comes in tiny bottles. We also got to eat all kinds of delicacies, as well as some not-so-delicious things.
The highlight of the day was when we sat in speedboats and they took us to Sugar Beach between the two Piton Mountains, where we could take a dip. We also had the opportunity to snorkel, because we spent nearly an hour on the white sand beach. There aren’t too many beaches on the island anyway, which is why the number of tourists staying for more than a day or two is relatively small – most are cruise ship passengers, for whom all sorts of activities are organized. One of the most popular is to ride a cable car over the rainforests, but there are also some who pay for bird watching, or who go on buggy tours.
Our journey led to another local curiosity, the Soufriere mud volcano. It is actually a kind of sulfuric sludge to which healing powers are attributed. At the beginning of the last century, a lively businessman built a pool for thermal water cooled to 38 degrees and claimed that by slathering yourself in this mud, which contains volcanic ash, you could take years off your age. I don’t think this pool has been renovated since, but the price is constantly rising, either because of mass tourist credulity or just because it’s fun to get covered in smelly mud. The mud can then be washed off at the waterfall not far away, where bathing is allowed for a consideration.” (2019)
