St. Lucia

All eyes focus on St. Lucia for 10 days each May, when the St. Lucia Jazz Festival welcomes renowned international musicians who perform for enthusiastic fans at Pigeon Island National Park and other island venues. St. Lucians themselves love jazz—and, of course, the beat of Caribbean music resonates through their very souls.

Located between Martinique and St. Vincent, St. Lucia (pronounced loo-sha) occupies a prime position in the Caribbean. Its striking natural beauty easily earns it the moniker "Helen of the West Indies." The capital city of Castries and nearby villages in the northwest are home to 40% of the population and, along with Rodney Bay farther north and Marigot Bay just south of the capital, are the general destinations of most vacationers. In the central and southern parts of the island, dense rain forest, jungle-covered mountains, and vast banana plantations dominate the landscape. A torturously winding road follows most of the coastline, bisecting small villages, cutting through mountains, and passing by fertile valleys. On the southwest coast, Petit Piton and Gros Piton, the island's unusual twin peaks that rise out of the sea to more than 2,600 feet, are familiar navigational landmarks for sailors and aviators alike. Divers are attracted to the reefs found just north of Soufrière, the quaint capital city during French colonial times. Most of the natural tourist attractions are in this area. "If you haven't been to Soufrière," St. Lucians will tell you, "you haven't been to St. Lucia."

St. Lucia has evolved over the years into one of the Caribbean's most popular vacation destinations—particularly for honeymooners and romantics enticed by the island's natural beauty, its many splendid resorts and inns, and its welcoming atmosphere. And the evolution continues. Renewed emphasis from both the public and private sectors is being placed on enhancing the island's tourism product and supporting new and renewed lodgings, activities, and attractions. That's great news for visitors, who already appear delighted with St. Lucia.

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