St Lucia

Paradise on Earth!

St. Lucia was first settled by Arawak Indians in around 200 A.D., but the history of the island’s European discovery is a little less clear. It was long believed that Columbus had discovered St. Lucia in 1502, but recent evidence suggests that he merely sailed close by. Fraught with a prolonged series of enormously destructive colonial battles for ownership over the years, the island was finally British by 1814. Over the next century or so, the island settled into the stable democracy and multicultural society that it is today, remaining under the British crown until it became independent within the British Commonwealth in 1979. The island’s French cultural legacy is evident in its Creole dialect.

St. Lucia’s culture is diverse and rich, the groups who have been present on the island over the years have all left their mark: you are likely to drive on the British side of the road to an Indian restaurant in a French town, greeted all along the way in Creole patois. The island’s cultural diversity is seen nowhere more clearly than in its food. The fertile, volcanic soil yields an enormous supply of produce, and the island is one of the leading banana exporters in the Caribbean. A wave of foreign investment over the past few years has turned St. Lucia into a popular and fashionable destination but it is far from being commercialized or overdeveloped.

Airports

St Lucia has two airports: (international) Hewanorra International Airport in the southern tip of Vieux Fort, and (domestic) Vigie Airport in the islan’s capital Castries. You can fly direct to St Lucia from New York, Miami, Toronto and London. L’Express des Iles operates an 80-minute express catamaran between Castries and Fort-de-France in Martinique. If you come in by yacht you can clear customs and immigration at Rodney Bay, Castries, Vieux Fort and Marigot Bay, which is the easiest because you can anchor in the inner harbour. The Caribbean’s major domestic carrier, LIAT, runs flights between St Lucia and Caracas as well as daily nonstop flights to Vigie Airport from Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Martinique, St Vincent and Trinidad. All air passengers leaving St Lucia pay a EC$54 departure tax.

Getting Around

Taxis are plentiful at the airports, in the capital Castries and in the main tourist areas. Ensure you establish the fare with the driver before you get in, especially if you might want him to stop en route so you can see something of note. Although the island is small, be aware that its hilly terrain can slow you down. Most islanders use the cheap and convenient minivan bus service but be warned that getting a bus after dark can be difficult and that few buses run on Sunday. Car hire is possible at the airports and Rodney Bay. You’ll need an International Driving Permit, which you can obtain from both airports. Additionally, most car rental companies can either issue one or take you to a nearby police station to get one. Drive on the left.

Passports and Visas

Valid passports are required for all visitors who stay for less than six months. Visas are not required for citizens of the US or Commonwealth countries, or where there is agreement for exemption between the home country and St. Lucia.

Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD; symbol EC$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of EC$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of EC$1, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. The Eastern Caribbean Dollar is linked to the US Dollar at the exchange rate of US$1 to EC$2.65. US Dollars are readily accepted throughout the island and Canadian dollars and UK sterling traveler’s cheques can also be changed without difficulty. Most hotels will exchange reasonable amounts of foreign currency, and there are exchange bureaus in Castries. There are ATMs in Castries and Rodney Bay. Tourism is the main source of income for the island, closely followed by its enormous banana export industry.

Visa, MasterCard and American Express are the most widely accepted credit cards and can be used widely.

An 8% tax and a 10% service charge are added onto the bill at all but the cheapest hotels and restaurants; there’s no need for an additional tip.

Bills from restaurants, bars and clubs include a 10% service fee. It is still customary to tip attentive services of waiters, tourist guides, maids and bell boys. Water: Tap water is not recommendable for human consumption. It is advisable to drink only Mineral Water or filtered water.

St Lucia’s top temperatures vary little over the course of a year and even in the official hurricane season (June to late-October) showers rarely last long. In January, the average daily high is 81°F (27°C), while the nightly low is 68°F (20°C). In July the average daily high is 85°F (29°C), while the nightly low is 72°F (22°C). Humidity ranges from 76% in February to 83% in November. Visitors should bring cool, comfortable clothing. While jacket and tie are rarely requisite, overly casual beachwear is rarely appreciated off the beach.

Telephones

Country code: 1 758

International direct dial service is widely available throughout the island. Credit card calls can be made through local operators or through AT&T, and phone cards can be purchased through Cable & Wireless offices throughout the islands.

Mobile Telephone

Internet

There are Internet cafes throughout St. Lucia. Wi-Fi is increasingly available, especially in hotels.

Post

There are Post Offices in most towns. Airmail to Western Europe takes up to two weeks.
Post office hours: 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday to Friday

St. Lucia’s immense appeal lies predominantly in its stunning tropical beauty. In the mountainous interior lies the enormous National Rain Forest, and the island’s protected coastal sights include the breathtaking, unforgettable spires of Les Pitons - these twin volcanic peaks located near Soufriere, topping 2,000 feet, are probably St. Lucia’s most famous landmark and were designated a World Heritage site in 2004. All sorts of programs have been developed to showcase the island’s natural assets, allowing visitors to enjoy the island without harming its complex and fragile environment. Visit the Sulphur Springs, the world’s only drive-in (dormant) volcano, or Diamond Falls, natural, mineral-rich waterfalls where you can enjoy an invigorating shower under the cascading waters.

In addition to the broad choice of opportunities to hike, birdwatch, and tour St. Lucia’s outstanding natural attractions, the island is bursting with recreational facilities. Tour the island for a day by horse, charter a yacht for an evening sail or day cruise, or relax with a round of golf. For the more active visitor, watersports abound: windsurf, scuba dive, waterski. Alternatively, play tennis or squash or visit one of the island’s many gyms. There are also many opportunities to sample authentic and traditional St. Lucia life: go deep-sea fishing, or dare yourself to immerse yourself in one of the weekly ‘jump-ups’ at Gros Islet; go to the weekly market at Castries or visit one of the wonderful old colonial forts. If you have any energy left, St. Lucia also provides great opportunities for shopping, both for duty-free luxury goods and for authentic arts and crafts. Finish it off at one of the island’s numerous, wonderful restaurants.

St. Lucia’s uniquely diverse culture has naturally evolved from the intermingling of the many different groups of people who have participated in its history. Amerindians, Europeans, Africans – each group has infused the island with its different beliefs and traditions and all are reflected in the life of the island to this day, from the British-based legal system to the Creole patois. Its rich heritage is summed up by its food but the island’s culture extends far beyond the table. The island has long held a reputation for its intellectual and artistic talents, producing two Nobel Prizewinners: the late Sir W. Arthur Lewis, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979, and poet Derek Walcott, who won the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature. From the first settlers - the Arawaks and the Caribs - Amerindian peoples indigenous to the entire Caribbean, to the next next group to arrive on the island’s shores, the Europeans, all had a massive impact on the island’s history and culture. The British contributed their language, educational system, and legal and political structure, whereas French culture is more evident in the arts: music, dance, and Creole patois, which exists comfortably alongside the official language of English. African culture became established through the arrival of slaves for European plantations and, it is their descendants who constitute the largest percentage of the island’s population. The island is massively proud of this heritage and it has had an enormous impact on St. Lucia’s character as a nation. African traditions have survived the repressions of slavery and servitude to become the strongest element in St. Lucian culture today.

Food and Drink

Food is all-important in St. Lucia. The fertile, volcanic soil yields an enormous supply of produce, including the ubiquitous banana as well as mangoes, papayas, pineapples, soursops, passionfruit, guavas, and coconuts. Local chefs combine the island’s fresh produce with a wide variety of straight-from-the-water seafood to create curries, Creole-style entrees, and pepperpot stews. Callaloo soup, made from a leafy green similar to spinach, is the national dish. Fresh fruit juices are available and alcoholic drinks, such as beer (Pitons) and rum (Bounty), are brewed locally. While many of the chefs in St. Lucia draw heavily upon the spices and garnishes of Creole cuisine, the island’s fantastic value-for-money fish fries, hotel restaurants, and unpretentious beach bars ensure that the overall fare is varied, international, and compelling.

The duty-free allowance into St. Lucia is 200 cigarettes (or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars) and one litre of spirits or wine. Duty-free shopping for luxury imported goods such as perfumes, crystal and china and is widely available throughout the island.

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