A vibrant and lush Caribbean treasure
Many visitors to St Lucia are day-trippers from cruise ships, and their experience is limited mainly to tourist shops in the main port town of Castries. Stay a while and venture further in, however, and you will be enchanted by the sheer natural beauty of this idyllic tropical treasure.
St Lucia is one of the Windward Isles in the eastern Caribbean, and is just north of Barbados. Although tiny (just 27 miles (43km) long and 14 miles (23km) wide and shaped like an avocado) and still relatively undeveloped, this vibrant, lush tropical island has an excellent array of good accommodation and some discreet holiday resorts.
St Lucia was first settled by Arawak Indians in around 200AD and then fought over for many years by France and Britain. Although Britain gained final control 1814 and granted independence in 1979, the island now has a distinctly French flavour.
The Creole people of St Lucia are as warm as the tropical climate, and holiday-makers are treated to plenty of smiles as they make the most of the island’s natural beauty and secluded golden beaches, where coral reefs beckon snorkellers and scuba divers.
There are many walks and cycling trails on St Lucia, giving access to natural beauty spots such as the fascinating Soufriere volcano, with its bubbling sulphur springs. The Pitons, two volcanic peaks, rise up from the ocean and dominate the skyline, sheltering the rainforest, which is exotically decorated with orchids and flamboyantly colourful birds.
If you’re considering St Lucia for your next holiday, Co-op Holidays can find you a great deal at the lowest prices.