St Lucia travel guide

Names for many places on St. Lucia date back to when the French controlled the region in the 1700s. It's no different for the little fishing village Anse la Raye, which name means the "Bay of Rays" referring to the fish. It's a wonderful shabby place with lots of character in both people and architecture. Houses are either old dilapidated buildings or colour fishermen shacks, which the new cute wooden street signs fit well with. The oversized Catholic church dates back to 1907, but there has been chapel there since 1745. Near the beach there is a line of souvenir stalls for the cruise tourists who whisk by.

The capital of St. Lucia is lovely located at the bottom of an expansive bay, where the big cruise ships are anchored. It's a very low key place with some nice colonial buildings. Beside the many souvenirs stalls aimed at the cruise ship tourists at the central market, the city hasn't been tarted up for profit. It's just a chilled Caribbean city with some welcoming people without too much to offer besides wandering the streets. For magnificent panoramic views over the city and the cruise ships, drive up the hill of Morne Fortune, where the final battle over St. Lucia between the French and British took place.

Beach Chastanet lies in a sheltered bay enclosed by high cliffs on three sides. The short drive from Soufriere is rough, but fun if you don't mind potholes, hairpin turns, and steep hills. Like Sugar Beach, Chastanet Beach stretch out right in front of a hotel and are used as the hotel's private beach, but just remember all beaches in St. Lucia are public, so anyone is welcome to use it.

Dennery is another wonderful fishing village with houses in every pastel colour. The beach isn't pretty, but rocky and covered in seaweed with rough waters as Dennery lies out to the Atlantic Ocean. The small fish market is interesting if fishermen have come in with their catch. Otherwise, the unproportional large cathedral is another landmark worth having a look at. Else just walk around and have a chat with the friendly and curious folks.

These smallish waterfalls are beautiful set with a chilled pool at the base. They are privately own and the owner has managed to create a lovely vibe on his ground with fruits trees and medical herbs. There is a second pool on the ground which is fun to fool around in.

Pigeon Island National Park lies at the northwestern tip of St. Lucia. It's actually no longer an island, as it got artificially joined with a strip of sand to the mainland in the 70s. Today, it's a natural park with some ruins dating back to the colonial times when the British controlled St. Lucia. But the main reason to come here is to walk up to the top of Fort Rodney and afterwards scale Signal Hill, for magnificent views over Rodney Bay and the north coast. Within the tiny national park there are also a nice small beach and a restaurant, also with great views.

St. Lucia's landmarks are the two volcanic spires, so-called pitons, rising high over the town Soufriere on the west coast. The smallest, Petit Piton, is is 743 m (2,438 ft) high while the tallest, Gros Piton is 771 m (2,530 ft) high. Both peaks can be hiked and/or climbed. Gros Piton is the most doable and can be done in 4-6 hours return and is not too difficult. A guide is required and hired at the park center. Scaling Petit Piton is a different story as it's steep with some challenging sections with fixed ropes. The pitons are UNESCO World Heritage site and depicted on St. Lucia's flag and national beer.

A top modern marina with an equal impressive gathering of sailboats from all over the world. The waterfront is lined with stuff that modern-day sailors need, like banks, supermarkets, cafes and fine restaurants. It's a nice place for a stroll or even a beer and meal.

Sandy beach is more for wind- and kitesurfer, than honeymooning beach strollers. Long, windy, and rough with choppy waters without any facilities.

Sault Waterfall is considered to be the most scenic waterfall in St. Lucia. It's about 20 m high, thought nobody seems to have measure it, and drops into a nice pool, before it flows down some rocks and into the river. During winter (dry season) the cascade might have been reduced to no more than a dribble. Though it's a known waterfall for locals and tourists alike, you rarely meet more than a handful of other people here. To find Sault Waterfall head inland from Dennery, pass the Zip-line adventure park, a few hundred meters down the road a shelter will mark the start of the trail. The hike into the waterfalls takes no more than 10 min.