Must See

Anse La Raye

Anse La Raye is a colourful and vibrant little fishing village, situated on the west coast south of Castries. The harbour is home to colourful fishing boats, where the locals make their boats from gum trees. Every Friday evening there is the Friday Night Fish Fry BBQ for everyone to enjoy.

The town square is located opposite the main pier, and is surrounded by several ornate colonial buildings. South of the main square is the church and an ornate rectory. North of the square is the local bread bakery which uses a wood fuelled oven.

Castries

St Lucia's bustling capital is set among a number of hills, and with a wide, safe harbour it is one of the Caribbean's most beautiful towns. The town was founded in about 1768 by the French with the name Car'nage and renamed in 1785after a French official. In the 19th century, the British made the town a major naval port and built fortifications on Morne Fortune (hill of good luck), the mountain which overlooks the harbour. Climbing Morne Fortune will give visitors an excellent panoramic view across the city and the surrounding area.

Castries is a major port of call for cruise ships, which dock at Pointe Seraphine. Highlights of the city include the spacious Derek Walcott Square, which is home to the 19th-century Catholic Cathedral, standing in the shade of a 400-year-old samaan tree. There is also a colourful, bustling market.

Pigeon Island National Park

When the British recaptured St Lucia in 1778, they established a naval base on Pigeon Island in order to monitor the movements of the French at their base in Fort Royal, Martinique to the north. It was from here that Admiral Rodney set sail in 1782 and destroyed the French Fleet in one of the most decisive engagements in European history. Travellers may visit the interpretation centre that occupies the partially rebuilt officer's quarters and mess, and may also see the ruins of enlisted men's barracks. A hike up to the lookout point will give an idea of the strategic importance of the location that protects Rodney Bay.

Pigeon Island National Park is one of the island's most popular spots to relax. Just north of Gros Islet, this park offers some excellent hiking, historical sites, beaches and is the venue for the Jazz Festival. The park is 44 acres and has now been joined to the mainland by a causeway built in 1972.

Soufriere

The old capital under French rule boasts one of the most awesome and photographed sites on the island, the volcanic Pitons. The city is encased by hills and these twin peaks of two extinct volcanoes are dominant, jutting straight out of the sea like sentinels over the town. This colourful fishing village is wrapped around a beautiful bay and is best seen from an overlook on the main road to Vieux Fort, which climbs the hill that forms the southern arm of the bay.

Make time to explore the typical West Indian town, with its buildings with filigreed balconies and tin roofs, as well as the beaches, sulphur springs and mineral baths to the south. The town square was the site of the guillotine erected in 1780, where many plantation owners and their families were executed.

The Pitons

The Pitons are the prime geographical feature of the Soufriere region, where they soar out of the sea to great heights. Formed by volcanic activity about 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, the Gros Piton (large piton) to the south is798 m (2,619 ft) and the Petit Piton (small piton) is 750 m (2,460 ft).

Soufrière Estate

Established in 1745, Soufrière Estate is part of the land granted to the three Devaux brothers in 1713 by King Louis XIII for their services to the crown. The estate is one of the very few within the Caribbean where ownership has been retained by the descendants of the original owners.

The Diamond Falls section of the Estate offers three attractions of interest: beautiful gardens with flowers and shrubs from around the tropical world, mineral hot spring baths and a waterfall magnificently coloured by mineral deposits. Other attractions include the old mill and waterwheel, where visiting groups are served a Caribbean buffet.

Sulphur Springs Park

The last major volcanic eruption in St Lucia occurred about 40,000 years ago, although the volcanic pit still continues to vent sulphur into the air and heat pools of water to boiling. Soufrière's terrain resulted when a volcanic dome collapsed into a 7 acre caldera depression. Although the multicoloured surface of the caldera is too thin to walk across, the road traverses the edge of the 900 ft crater making it one of the world's rare drive-through volcanoes.

St Lucia Forest Reserve

As an alternative to the beach, visitors may explore this achingly beautiful 19,000 acre national park, with its abundant flora and fauna.

Watersports

One of the breeziest places on earth, St Lucia is an excellent destination for windsurfers and sailors. West coast beaches have safe swimming but the Atlantic coast is rough. The artificial and natural coral makes the island an ideal location for snorkelling and scuba diving, and it is not uncommon to see seahorses, nurse sharks, turtles and even 'The Thing' (a mysterious creature seen during the night around Anse Chastanet, said to be St Lucia's Loch Ness Monster). Popular diving sites include Anse Le Raye, Anse Chastanet, Fairy Land at the base of Anse Chastanet, Coral Gardens at the base of the Gros Piton, Superman's Flight and Lesleen M Shipwreck. St Lucia is said to be one of the best places in the world to see whales, with up to 20 species seen off the coast, including pilot whales, sperm whales and humpbacks. Sea fishing trips are also available, fishing for kingfish, mackerel, barracuda and more.