Guided Tours in St. Lucia

Taxi drivers are well informed and can give you a full tour and often an excellent one, thanks to government-sponsored training programs. From the Castries area, full-day island tours cost $40 to $75 per person for up to four people, depending on the route and whether entrance fees and lunch are included. If you plan your own day, expect to pay the driver $40 per hour plus tip.

Jungle Tours. This company specializes in rain-forest hiking tours for all levels of ability. You're required only to bring hiking shoes or sneakers and have a willingness to get wet and have fun. The cost is $95 per person and includes lunch, fees, and transportation via an open Land Rover truck. Cas en Bas, Gros Islet. 758/715-3438. www.jungletoursstlucia.com.

St. Lucia Helicopters. How about a bird's-eye view of the island? A 10-minute North Island tour ($85 per person) leaves from Pointe Seraphine, in Castries, continues up the west coast to Pigeon Island, then flies along the rugged Atlantic coastline before returning inland over Castries. The 20-minute South Island tour ($140 per person) starts at Pointe Seraphine and follows the western coastline, circling beautiful Marigot Bay, Soufrière, and the majestic Pitons before returning inland over the volcanic hot springs and tropical rain forest. A complete island tour combines the two and lasts 30 minutes ($175 per person). George F. L. Charles Airport, at the hangar, Vigie, Castries. 758/453-6950. www.stluciahelicopters.com.

St. Lucia Heritage Tours. The Heritage Tourism Association of St. Lucia (HERITAS), a volunteer group that represents local sites and institutions, puts together "authentic St. Lucia experiences" that focus on local culture and traditions. Groups are kept small, and the tours can be tailored to your interests. Some of the unusual sites visited include a 19th-century plantation house surrounded by nature trails, a 20-foot waterfall hidden away on private property, and a living museum presenting Creole practices and traditions. Plan on paying $75 per person for a full-day tour. Pointe Seraphine, Castries. 758/451-6058. www.heritagetoursstlucia.org.

Sunlink Tours. This huge tour operator offers dozens of land, sea, and combination sightseeing tours, as well as shopping tours, plantation, and rain-forest adventures via jeep safari, deep-sea fishing excursions, and day trips to other islands. Prices range from $30 for a half-day shopping tour to $135 for a full-day land-and-sea jeep safari to Soufrière. Reduit Beach Ave., Rodney Bay Village, Gros Islet. 758/456-9100. www.sunlinktours.com.