Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Romantic Activities
Island Sights
The toughest part of your St. Lucia vacation is trying to decide
what to do. The choices are all so tempting that you can easily
spend several days touring the island - and still have plenty of
sights to justify a return visit.
On the northern reaches of the island lies
Pigeon Island,
a 35-
minute drive from Castries. No longer a true island but con-
nected to the main island by causeway, Pigeon Island has a long
history as everything from a pirate hideout to a military fort.
The ruins of the fort can still be seen at
Pigeon Island Na-
tional Park,
a popular day-trip for north shore vacationers,
and the site of many of St. Lucia's festivals. North of Pigeon Is-
land lies
Gros Islet,
known throughout the Caribbean for its
Friday night Jump Up (see
Nightlife
, page 296).
Most couples stay on the northeast section of the island near
Castries,
the island's largest city with a population of 60,000.
This capital city was destroyed by fire several times, but some
colonial period wooden structures still remain. You'll see sev-
eral of them as you head south on
Government House Road.
This twisting, climbing slice of road is slow going but offers you
a great view. Save time for a stop across from the
Governor's
House
for a panoramic look at the city. From atop
Morne For-
tune
(Hill of Good Luck), you'll have a postcard view over
Castries Harbour, Vigie Peninsula and Pigeon Island.
Continuing south, the road soon drops into a veritable forest:
the first of several banana plantations. Driving past this dis-
play of the island's number one crop, you'll see blue plastic bags
hanging from many trees. These cover the bananas to shield
the crop from insects and bruising by the banana leaves. The
banana plant yields only one crop during its lifetime, a process
that takes nine months to bear fruit.
Marigot Harbour,
located just off the main road, on Bridge
Street, is the next stop. This magical harbor, often considered to
be the most beautiful in the Caribbean, is dotted with yachts
from around the globe. If you don't have your own, don't worry.
The Moorings,
a company headquartered in the British Virgin
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