St Lucia: The Caribbean’s Uncut Gem
Source: By Joshua Ostroff, AOL.ca
Posted: 07/30/09 1:56PM
Filed Under: Travel
Back when the French and British were fighting fiercely over the tropical islands dotting the Caribbean sea, the most prized piece of paradise was St. Lucia. The mountainous beach-ringed slice of land was known as "Helen of the West Indies" because of its near-mythological beauty—and because the two empires went to war over it a full fourteen times.
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- St Lucia: Jade Mountain
- St Lucia: Jalousie Plantation
- St. Lucia: Ti Kaye Village
- St. Lucia: Coco Palm Resort
- St Lucia: The Caribbean’s Uncut Gem
The Brits finally wrested control in 1814—making English the official language, though place names are largely French and the islanders also speak Creole patois—and St Lucia celebrated 30 years of independence in February. But somehow when the tourism hordes invaded, they established beachheads in the Bahamas, Trinidad and Barbados, but largely overlooked this small windward island-nation nestled on the edge of the Lesser Antilles.
Of course, there are all-inclusive hotels on the island—heck, Amy Winehouse has been kicked out of most of them—but St Lucia also boasts some spectacularly unique boutique hotels and one-of-a-kind luxury resorts that allow you to properly experience this practically unspoiled island the way it deserves.
Most flights land in the far southern tip of the island, on a US air force base turned international airport, which means there’s some travel to get to wherever you’re going. Nothing is very far—the entire island is only 620 km² and much of that is taken up by the interior’s sprawling, 19,000 acre St Edmunds rainforest—but there aren’t many roads, either. No worries, though, since the slim, windy road circling and bisecting the island takes you on a spectacular drive past dramatic coastlines and fern-encrusted cliffsides, coco plantations and Colonial military forts, pastel-coloured villages and verdant jungles.
St Lucia boasts a throwback feel. People still wash their clothes in the river, schoolchildren all wear crisp uniforms, the old colonial families (Deboulay, Devaux, Chastenet) still hold some sway, and the former capital of Soufrière is a one-traffic light town. With a population of only 160,000, almost half of whom live in the capital Castries, the volcanic island never feels crowded, not even from tourism.
Of course, that is at least partially due to the ongoing Great Recession which has affected travel throughout the region. But mostly it’s because of St Lucia’s renowned boutique resorts like Jade Mountain, Jalousie Plantation, Ti Kaye Village and Coco Palm. These private, luxurious hideaways eschew the cookie-cutter approach of the traditional all-inclusive in favour of a refreshingly unique vacation experience.
The busiest tourist area is Rodney Bay, a former upscale residential neighbourhood that attracted bars, cafes and restaurants to serve the local and expat population. Soon, small hotels and all-inclusive resorts began popping up to bring travelers close to Reduit Beach, the longest stretch of sand in the region, and Pigeon Island, a historical landmark that was once home to Amerindians, British troops and, most infamously, the original wooden leg pirate Jambe de Bois.
Despite this, Rodney Bay is by no means overrun. Though staying here certainly offers the most party opportunities on this otherwise laidback island—especially on Friday nights when the nearby fishing village of Gros Islet brings out the speaker stacks, Piton beers and local foodstuffs (not to mention dreadlocked rastas selling “bob marleys”) for the weekly street party known as the Jump-Up. The tradition began about 25 years ago as a local party, but as the hotels blossomed grew in Rodney Bay, more and more tourists would come by. It may not feel as authentic as it once did, but wait it out a few hours and after the senior citizens head back to bed, the locals (and remaining drunk tourists) start to let loose to the pounding dancehall and soca.
Travel Photos of the Week
The luxury cruise ship "Celebrity Equino
The luxury cruise ship 'Celebrity Equinox' makes its way with the help of tug-boats at the Meyer shipyard in the northern German city of Papenburg on June 6, 2009. The new ship has a length of 317 meters and can reach a speed of 24 knots.
Nigel Treblin/AFP/Getty Images
The high-speed Cat ferry leaves Portland Harbor, bound for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, on its first run of the season, Friday, June 5, 2009, in Portland, Maine. In the past the ferry's owners focused on enticing Americans to travel to Nova Scotia but this year the relatively strong Canadian dollar is causing Bay Ferries to shift some of its efforts to luring Nova Scotians to travel to Maine.
AP
A scavenger walks through a garbage dump in Denpasar on the resort island of Bali on June 4, 2009 ahead of World Environment Day. A principal vehicle through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action, World Environment Day falls on June 5.
Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP/Getty Images
Vehicles travel along a flooded street in Manila on June 3, 2009 after heavy downpour hits the Philippine capital. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) bulletin June 3, the heavy downpour was due to a southwest monsoon affecting the islands of Luzon and Visayas.
Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images
The Nippon Maru, which was a sail training ship for Japanese sailors between 1930 and 1984, is displayed at Nippon Maru Memorial Park on June 2, 2009 in Yokohama, Japan. Yokohama, located a short distance from Tokyo, attracts many visitors all year around with various sightseeing spots.
Getty
Rocio's Virgin is paraded in Almonte, Huelva, on June 1, 2009 during the annual El Rocio pilgrimage in the southern Spanish city. The pilgrimage to Almonte, home to the Virgin del Rocio, is the largest in Spain with hundreds of thousands of devotees in traditional outfits converging in a burst of color as they make their way on horseback and decorated carriages across the Andalusian countryside.
Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty Images
Children in Ecuadorian folk costumes prepare to perform in the annual Carnival of Cultures parade in Kreuzberg district on May 31, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. The carnival, in German called 'Karneval der Kulturen', celebrates Berlin's ethnic and cultural diversity.
Getty
A man jumps into a public swimming pool in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on Monday May 25, 2009, as an airplane prepares to land, as temperatures rose to 30 degrees Celsius (86F).
AP Photo/Frank Augstein
A Komodo dragon walks on a beach on Komodo island, Indonesia, Thursday, April 30, 2009. Attacks on humans by Komodo dragons _ said to number at around 2,500 in the wild _ are rare, but seem to have increased in recent years. Komodo dragons have a fearsome reputation worldwide because their shark-like teeth and poisonous saliva can kill a person within days of a bite.
AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
A view of lake Segara Anak is seen at Mount Rinjani, also known as Gunung Rinjani, on May 19, 2009 in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The 3,726m active volcano is the third highest in Indonesia, and has been erupting this time around April 27, peaking on May 10. The volcano's crater lake, known as Segara Anak, is home to many goldfish and mujair fish and is a popular fishing spot for locals.
Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
If you’re looking for a more laidback experience, than simply head south to the small fishing village of Anse La Rey, where a weekly “Fish Fry” takes over the small streets every Friday. More focused on food than dancing, it’s a don’t-miss experience while on the island. The town is quaint, the people are friendly, the kids are cute and it’s the best opportunity to gorge on traditionally prepared St Lucian seafood, like fishcakes, fried snapper and BBQ conch, all drenched in Baron’s West Indian hot sauce.
But the one place that you really can’t miss is the pyramid-shaped Pitons. Oprah even said so, famously dubbing this UNESCO World Heritage site one of the five places everyone should see in their lifetimes. These enormous 250,000-year-old volcanic cones were prayed to by original Carib Indian tribes and provided shelter to escaped slaves. The base of the Gros Piton, where you enter the steep-but-well-worth-it climbing trail, is the community Fond Gens Libre, from where black freedom fighters launched a slave rebellion in the mid-1700s. Many of their descendants still live there and act as hiking guides up the 800 meter slope. The Petit Piton is also climbable, though the government would prefer you didn’t since it requires proper mountain climbing gear and is extremely dangerous. Last fall, an American climber infamously fell and was caught by a tree branch, only to have to hold on for 12 hours until a rescue copter arrived from Martinque.
Nearby the Pitons is sleepy Soufrière, which sits within a volcanic caldera and boasts a still-bubbling “drive-in” volcano on the outskirts of town. You can walk amongst the steamy sulphur springs or take a dip in the stone mineral baths just like the island’s one-time resident, French empress Josephine Bonaparte. There are also beautiful waterfalls—as seen in Superman II and Romancing the Stone—and if you head inland, plenty of jungle hikes.
Tourism has been on the rise in recent years, especially from Canada thanks to an increase in direct flights, so right now is the best time to enjoy one of the world’s most relaxing places. St Lucia won’t be so wonderfully chill forever.
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