St. Lucia
French Connection
This appealing island midway between Martinique and St Vincent boasts some of the best scenery in the Caribbean-rugged green jungles, undulating agricultural terrain, dazzling beaches and the volcanic, cone-shaped Pitons. There's even a dormant but still bubbling volcano called Soufriere that can be viewed from inside without any danger.
Francophiles love St Lucia for its French atmosphere. Many place-names are French-from the capital, Castries, to Vieux Fort on the southern tip of the island. The official language is English, but most of the 150,000 inhabitants also speak French patois, a remnant of the days of French colonization.
While St Lucia (pronounced LOO-sha) remains agricultural, with bananas the most important crop, tourism has developed rapidly. There are provisions for all sorts of summer sports, and you can enjoy good music every night. And indulge in the excellent native cuisine, with its fresh seafood, coconuts, bananas and spicy Creole dishes. Not forgetting the rum.
