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Saint Lucia is hailed as the precious gem of the Caribbean, often dubbed as the “emerald paradise of Earth”. Many speculate it to be a piece of Hawaii drifted to these waters. From above, the tear-shaped island of Saint Lucia appears like a precious jewel fallen from the sky onto the Caribbean Sea, adorned with emerald green mountains, golden beaches, and crystal-clear waters sparkling like diamonds under the sun.
Exploring Saint Lucia – Nature's Emerald Paradise
The Dual-Identity Island
The island nation of Saint Lucia spans only 619km², with a population of just under 200 thousand people, yet it stands as one of the most visited islands in the Caribbean. This petite emerald paradise was first explored by Europeans in the early 1500s, and since then, it has been a battleground for British and French dominance. Due to this historical tug-of-war, Saint Lucia is also referred to as the “Helen of the West Indies” akin to the tale of “Helen of Troy” in the Iliad.
It wasn't until 1924, after 14 bouts of British and French struggle, that the representative government of Saint Lucia was established. From 1979 onwards, Saint Lucia officially became an independent nation and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
This place is also renowned for its 'small but mighty' reputation: two residents won Nobel Prizes, Sir W. Arthur Lewis (1979 Nobel Prize in Economics) and poet Derek Walcott (1992 Nobel Prize in Literature). The majority of Saint Lucians are of African descent, speak English, and use the US dollar.
Located amidst volcanic mountains in the ocean, Saint Lucia boasts a natural landscape unlike any other in the Caribbean. It features breathtaking mountain ranges formed by volcanic activity, ancient towering forests, lush green meadows, and countless vibrant flower gardens...
The highest point here is Mount Gimie (950m), while the most famous are two nearby peaks called the Pitons (about 600m high), resembling a woman's breasts. These two peaks are well-known among tourists and have been chosen as symbols of Saint Lucia.
The advantage of natural beauty has led to a thriving service industry here. While agriculture and industry make up a very small proportion of the island nation's GDP, the service sector contributes over 70%.
Most visitors here are families and honeymooning couples. After immersing themselves in the stunning scenery, tourists can relax at hot mud baths, pristine white beaches, or embark on an exciting volcanic exploration.
Saint Lucia boasts over 20 hot springs that bubble year-round, with temperatures soaring above 300°C. The color of the sea here is peculiar due to the blend of three hues - black, brown, and gold - the colors of iron, sulfur, calcium oxide minerals...
To the north of the island nation lies Rodney Bay, adorned with numerous modern resorts. In the south, Soufrière serves as the hub of a stunning region with ancient plantations, private beaches, and the geological wonders of the twin Pitons, always praised by tourists as 'Nothing beats this!'.
Beach Fun and Exploring Castries
The capital of Saint Lucia is Castries. Right at the port is a hub of upscale shopping and duty-free stores in Castries. Here, tourists can purchase diamonds, gemstones, clothing, leather goods, souvenirs...
Especially, a tourist information counter is ready to provide maps of Castries for self-exploration. There are plenty of tour programs for tourists to choose from, from conquering Gros Piton for those who prefer adventurous travel, exploring by zipline, segway, volcano crater exploration to bird watching in the forest, snorkeling to see corals, kayaking...
Since we only wanted to hit the beach right away and weren't ready for a tour, we strolled to the shore. Right outside the hotel, there were local tour vendors inviting us, for example, if we took a taxi to the beach, it would cost 25 USD for two people, but if we waited for more people to join, it would only cost 6 USD per person. It was still early so we sat and waited, watching the bustling tourists come and go. About half an hour later, when there were six of us, the car finally departed.
The skilled black driver cum tour guide drove while giving us a brief introduction to Castries. The road from the port to Reduit Beach is about seven kilometers long, with very good asphalt. Along the road, there are quite charming houses.
If on the right are homes nestled on the mountain slopes, then on the left, along the coastline, are luxurious hotels or resorts. Driving past a serene yet beautiful beach named Choc Beach.
Along the road from Castries to Reduit Beach, there are many bus stops, so the locals get on and off quite frequently. From a distance, one can faintly see a small bay with numerous yachts docking. Just over 15 minutes later, we arrived.
Reduit Beach lies within Rodney Bay, stretching about two kilometers. The sand here is slightly golden and coarse. The sea is clear, with a hint of jade hue. The waves are not big, suitable for the swimming and frolicking needs of tourists, but unfortunately not calm, with quick slope changes.
Looking southwards, at the end of the beach is a low hill, while to the north is Pigeon Island - a small island, also a conservation area, connected to the shore by a bridge. Along the coastline, similar to Vietnam, locals set up parasols and loungers for tourists to rent and relax.
Various water sports like jet skiing or parasailing are ready to serve tourists. Though still early, the sun was radiant as an invitation, and we plunged into the sea. Luckily, the sea was warm enough to keep us lingering for about an hour.
After a dip in the sea, from the pier, we walked to the market about two kilometers away. Castries Market sells many souvenirs as it's accustomed to tourists' needs. Behind the market is where fresh produce is sold to cater to the daily needs of the locals such as meat, fish, vegetables... Especially, spices like turmeric, curry... are abundant.
In the market, there are also restaurants, refreshment stalls similar to markets in Vietnam. Notably, we noticed on the side of the market a 'Vietnamese peach blossom' tree with four round fruits dangling like watermelon on the branch. According to the sign, it is a calabash tree, recognized as the national tree.
Exploring with Buggies
Eager to conquer Gros Piton but lacking the stamina, we opted for a tour. The mode of transportation was buggies - an off-road electric vehicle.
Starting from Soufriere in the south of the island nation, tourists are taken through the central area of Saint Lucia, then the buggy winds up to the mountaintop to reach a convenient viewpoint. There, we had the opportunity to observe two ocean regions, one belonging to the Atlantic, the other to the Caribbean.
At noon, we dined at a restaurant within an old plantation growing bananas. Besides exporting bananas to England, locals also process bananas into 'banana chips' and banana puree for bottling. Invited warmly, each person in the group bought a bottle to try.
After the meal, we went to bathe in the mineral mud baths from the volcano. The natural hot springs here attract many tourists as they are believed to cure all kinds of ailments, from joint pain, insect bites to skin discoloration...
In the past, the French knew that the water source here contained many minerals with healing properties, so since 1713, they built baths near the Diamond botanical garden and mineral baths.
First-time visitors here are always amazed when they see the multicolored mineral streams cascading down from above. One strange thing is that all types of plants around the lake, from pears to guavas... grow tall up to five or six feet.
Our horseback riding tour in Saint Lucia passed by quickly. There are still many other interesting things to discover, but considering from many aspects, it's enough for now. Farewell Saint Lucia and see you on another occasion, perhaps next year!
Source: Saigon Businessman
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Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook
TravelBuzz.comApril 6, 2016
