One of the Windward Islands of the West Indies’ Lesser
Antilles, Saint Lucia is situated between Martinique and St.
Vincent. The deep blue Atlantic Ocean surrounds the 238
square-mile island on the east coast and the tranquil turquoise Caribbean Sea laps its shores on the west. At the island’s heart, pristine rainforest cloaks rugged mountains. In
the valley below lies fertile farmland, including vast banana
plantations. The landscape also includes one of the world’s
few drive-in volcanoes and the Pitons, the signature twin
volcanic cones that tower more than 2,600 feet above the
sea and which are preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
Saint Lucia’s climate is generally warm and sunny, tempered by northeastern trade winds and light showers. Mid-December to mid-April is high season, when the island is
pleasantly hot during the day and cool at night. Rainy season lasts from June to October, when short, heavy bursts of
rain soak the central rainforest at a rate three times heavier
than on the coast. Hurricane season runs roughly from late
August to October.
The island population numbers 160,000 and is predominantly people of African origin, but the historic influences
of Amerindian, European, and East Indian cultures remain
strong. This is a Creole society in the broadest sense: an intriguing combination of races, cultures, languages, and cuisine. Though English is the official language, a French-based
Creole (or patois) laced with African and English grammar
and vocabulary is also spoken throughout the island.
In contrast to the serenity visitors enjoy on Saint Lucia
today, for nearly two hundred years, the island was the object of some of the bloodiest battles that raged in this part
of the world. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Saint Lucia changed hands between Britain and France a record 14
times. This fact, plus the island’s unsurpassed beauty, earned
its enduring moniker as the “Helen of the West Indies.” History buffs can visit Pigeon Island National Landmark, a strategic military post used by French pirates in the 1550s and
by U.S. armed forces during World War II.
St. Lucia is an intriguing combination of races, cultures, languages, and cuisine.
Culture
The small island has produced two Nobel Prize Winners,
economist Sir Arthur Lewis and poet and playwright Derek
Walcott. Saint Lucians love to “jump up” (dance in the street)
and there is no better time to visit than during one of the
island’s festivals. The renowned Saint Lucia Jazz Festival in
May draws performers and audience members from around
the world. Carnival in July and International Creole Day in
October, though, are when the island’s free-spirited, colorful
culture truly reveals itself with wild costumed street parades
and indigenous music and dance.
