You've come to the right place.
St. Lucia's Simply Beautiful
With an advertising slogan like 'Simply Beautiful' St. Lucia has a lot to live up to. But whether approached from the south coast Hewanorra Airport or the northern tourist resort of Castries, visitors will be simply enchanted by their first sight of the island's distinguished twin peaks. Lathered in greenery, rocky and romantic, the Piton mountains tower above Jalousie Bay's pristine Petit Piton Marine Reserve.
St. Lucia is also distinguished by a colorful history: the English arrived in 1605 only to be repelled by the local Carib Indians; the French West India Company landed in 1651 to beat the natives; and over the next 150 years the island changed hands 14 times. So, besides this Commonwealth country's lush scenery and excellent diving, families will find an educated, friendly people and a sophisticated European sensibility.
On a press trip hosted by the Odyssey St. Lucia Resort (now Club St. Lucia, a Splash Resort -758/450-0551), I had a chance to tour the island with my family and several others, including nine children between the ages of 4-12. Our mixed lot of parents, mostly from the northeastern USA, traveled from five to six hours to the eastern Caribbean's Windward islands, including a change of planes in Puerto Rico. After four days of R'n'R, we were eager to return when the kids were old enough for more active challenges.
The St. Lucia Tourist Board (888/4-STLUCIA) teams up with hotels and tour operators each year to offer summertime packages. Here's a preview of attractions and adventures around the island.
Fun Family Outings
Despite St. Lucia's compact size, transportation is slow and expensive and many Americans will not feel comfortable driving the interior mountain roads on the left.
The best way to sightsee is by sea, and the 19th-century replica Brig Unicorn which whisked us away from Vigie Cove was the fairest of the sloops available. The child-proclaimed "pirate ship" was a wonderful form of transport and a day-long adventure in itself. Watching the jet-black St. Lucian sailors in navy suits hoist pearl-white sails up towering masts was totally cool; approaching the Pitons from the sea was very dramatic.
When the kids weren't snacking or climbing in and out of portholes to the captain's cabin, they were watching the friendly sailors crochet $2 beaded bracelets and anklets made to order. (One sailor explained they couldn't graduate from the naval academy without learning how to weave ropes, floor mats, nets and by extension, jewelry.)
After a brief stop in the funky Carib port of Soufrière, the ship's passengers join a bus excursion to the Soufrière Estate, an 18th century land grant from King Louis XIV that boasts a restored sugar mill, the Botanical Gardens and the small Diamond Waterfalls. The sweetly educational Botanical Gardens has shaded paved pathways that are more toddler-friendly than stroller accessible. The well-trained staff punctuated a 40-minute walking tour of the grounds with dissections of many exotic fruits, followed by demonstrations of their use. Why is it that girls seemed much more interested than boys in cocoa pods, papaya, breadfruit, and other jungle delights?
The so-called 'World's Only Drive-In Volcano' is the island's most promoted sight. In reality, it's a hot and smelly sulphur pit emanating from a nearly dormant volcano. The scalding steam and odors initially sent the kids fleeing back to their bus seats, but soon their curiosity prevailed and they willingly succumbed to more fumes.
Post your comment