As Nature Intended

St Lucia is one of the most stunningly beautiful islands in the Caribbean, with an active volcano, waterfalls and rainforest and no high-rise hotels to spoil the breathtaking views.

It’s an exciting time for St Lucia: several new luxury hotels have just opened, making it more alluring than ever, and of all the Caribbean islands, St Lucia is perhaps the most recognisable, with the dramatic, soaring twin Piton peaks creating a very distinctive skyline.

From lush tropical interior rainforest, to the sandy beaches, St Lucia is a nature lovers’ paradise. The hilly terrain means long, winding roads with wonderful views – though it’s often quicker to travel by boat.

St Lucia’s neighbours Martinique and Barbados may attract the jet set with glitzy hotels and gourmet restaurants, but it’s St Lucia, the second largest of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, that is top of the tree when it comes to flora and fauna.
Botanists will wax lyrical for hours about the island’s fertile volcanic soil that allows it to grow vast quantities of pretty much anything, including bananas, of which the island is one of the key exporters in the Caribbean.

Luckily, St Lucia’s lush landscape is what has helped it to remain incredibly unspoilt, despite an increase in tourism over the past decade. Nineteen-thousand acres of rainforest-covered mountains prevent motorways being carved out of a terrain that hasn’t changed since the French and British battled for occupation in the 18th century.

St Lucia gained its independence in 1979, but there are European influences everywhere, from place names such as Gros Islet to the language; most St Lucians are tri-lingual, switching effortlessly from French to English to a Creole French patois.

Exploration of this volcanic isle is best done by hire car, but be warned, sightseeing happens at a very gentle pace due to the hillside roads. In fact, it can take a day to drive around an island that is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide.

It’s tempting to head straight for one of the island’s hottest natural commodities, its beaches, and spend a vacation soaking up the sun. While the stretches of sand are special, it’s worth peeling yourself off a sun lounger for a couple of days to seek out some of the amazing natural wonders that form the island.

For example, the Gros and Petit Piton peaks and the volcano in the south of the island have been proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as has the nearby Diamond Falls and Mineral Baths, which cascade in six stages through sulphur springs changing the colour of the water to brilliant shades of yellow, green and purple.

Marigot Bay is one of the world’s most stunning natural harbours that once provided a hideout for pirate ships and was also the setting for the film Dr Dolittle, while the Maria Islands Nature Reserve, a scattering of tiny islands off southern St Lucia, are home to rare wildlife, including several species of birds that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. Frigate Islands off the east coast of St Lucia form another reserve where you get the chance to see majestic Frigate birds nesting.

And the abundance of natural beauty isn’t just confined to land. St Lucia is a magnet for divers due to the immaculate coral reefs that ring the island. Particularly good are the reef at Anse Cochon and marine park at Anse Chastanet on the west coast where you can catch a glimpse of colourful tropical fish and rays, octopus and shark if you’re lucky.

Water sports of all kinds abound. For something different, try kite-surfing, there’s a centre in the grounds of The Reef Beach Cafe in Vieux Fort.

Of course, there are other attractions besides the jaw-dropping scenery and wildlife. The capital, Castries, is a hub of shops and restaurants and has a large working port frequented by cruise ships. There are some truly unique hotels to relax in that frequently pop up in lists of the world’s best and the yearly St Lucia Jazz Festival has become one of the hottest festivals on the world’s music calendar.

Each year from the end of April to the first week of May the island rocks to the sound of cool jazz from the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, the Isley Brothers and the Kevin Mahogany Quintet.

But you can party any time on St Lucia, head to Gros Islet in the north for Jump Up on a Friday night. The weekly street party attracts lots of St Lucians and a smattering of tourists, all there to enjoy the live music and delicious barbecued chicken and rice. Another fab Friday night for foodies is the seafood fry street party in the village of Anse La Raye.