Berlitz: St Lucia Pocket Guide

By Berlitz

Berlitz Pocket Guide St Lucia is a concise, full-colour travel guide that combines lively text with vivid photography to highlight the very best that this luscious Caribbean island has to offer.

The Where to Go chapter details all the key sights on this idyllic tropical isle, from the colonial architecture of Castries and iconic peaks of the Pitons to Anse Chastanet, popular with divers and snorkellers. St Lucia's attractions are covered in detail, including its spectacular rainforest, fine beaches and colourful underwater treasures.

Handy maps on the cover help you get around the island with ease. To inspire you, the book offers a rundown of the St Lucia's Top 10 Attractions, followed by an itinerary for A Perfect Day in St Lucia. The What to Do chapter is a snapshot of ways to spend your spare time, from watersports and cycling to walking rainforest trails and birdwatching, plus nightlife. You'll also be armed with background information, including a brief history of the island and an Eating Out chapter packed with restaurant listings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Sep 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781780048925

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Book preview

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How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Berlitz Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to St Lucia, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of St Lucia, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in St Lucia are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of St Lucia. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Berlitz Pocket Guides

The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

© 2015 Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

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Table of Contents

How To Use This E-Book

St Lucia’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Day in St Lucia

Introduction

A Brief History

Historical landmarks

Where To Go

Castries and environs

The town centre

Vigie peninsula 2 [map]

The Morne 3 [map]

Rodney Bay and the north

Rodney Bay 4 [map]

Gros Islet 5 [map]

Pigeon Island

The far north

East of Castries

Grand Anse

Marigot Bay and Roseau Valley

Roseau Valley

Marigot Bay

Rum distillery

Anse La Raye

Soufrière and the southwest coast

Soufrière

Anse Chastanet

Diamond Botanical Gardens

Morne Coubaril Estate

Sulphur Springs Park

Rabot Estate

Fond Doux Estate

Rainforest Mountain Reserves

The Pitons

Vieux Fort and the South

Choiseul

Balenbouche Estate

Laborie

Vieux Fort

Cap Moule à Chique

Maria Islands

The east coast

Savannes Bay

Mamiku Gardens

Praslin Bay

Fregate Islands

Dennery

Fond D’Or Bay

Transinsular Road

What To Do

Sports

Water sports

Diving and snorkelling

Kayaking

Windsurfing and kitesurfing

Fishing

Whale-watching

Sailing

Land sports

Cycling

Hiking

Birdwatching

ATV tours

Zip-lining

Golf

Shopping

Art

Crafts

Children’s St Lucia

Calendar of events

Eating Out

What to eat

Fruits

Sweets and pastries

What to drink

Restaurants

Castries

Rodney Bay and North

Marigot Bay

Soufrière and Environs

Vieux Fort and south coast

East coast

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Bicycle rental

Budgeting for your trip

C

Car hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime and safety

D

Disabled travellers

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Gay and lesbian travellers

Getting there

Guides and tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

M

Maps

Media

Money

O

Opening times

P

Police

Post offices

Public holidays

T

Telephones

Time zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Transport

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites

Recommended Hotels

Castries

North of Castries

Rodney Bay

North Coast

Marigot Bay

Soufrière

Vieux Fort and the south

East Coast

St Lucia’s Top 10 Attractions

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Top Attraction #1

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Castries Central Market. Vendors sell a huge variety of island produce – including fruit, vegetables, spices and flowers – in and around the old iron building. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #2

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Pigeon Island National Landmark. Legends abound of pirates and naval exploits; find ruined fortresses and lookouts to explore. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #3

Getty Images

Grand Anse. This huge expanse of sand on the northeast coast is one of the best places for turtle watching. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #4

Getty Images

St Lucia Distillers. The rum distillery showcases traditional and modern methods of producing this iconic Caribbean spirit. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #5

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Anse Chastenet. Snorkel or dive to see the colourful reef in the marine reserve. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #6

Getty Images

Edmund Forest Reserve. Hike and birdwatch with a forest ranger. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #7

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The Pitons. These iconic twin peaks feature on every postcard. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #8

Corbis

Cap Moule à Chique. Climb to the lighthouse for a panoramic view of the island. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #9

FLPA

Maria Islands Nature Reserve. Tiny islands offshore are home to rare reptiles and nesting seabirds. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction #10

iStock

Mamiku Gardens. A delightful botanical garden for lovers of flowers and herbs. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day in St Lucia

7.30am

Breakfast

Start the day with a good breakfast, including a selection of seasonal tropical fruits, including mango, papaya and pineapple, and juices such as fresh passionfruit, guava or soursop, followed by banana bread and cocoa tea.

8.30am

Castries

Start an island tour with a stop in the capital, visiting the market to pick up edible souvenirs such as cocoa, spices or hot sauces. Wander around the harbour to see the variety of boats and ships and stroll across Derek Walcott Square to the Cathedral.

10.00am

St Lucia Distillers

With prior reservation you can tour the rum distillery and learn how rum has been made for centuries. Finish with a tasting of some 20 different rums, which are also available to buy.

Noon

Plas Kassav

This is a great place to stop for a snack of the local cassava bread when driving down the west coast, before continuing on this scenic route which boasts photo opportunities around every curve.

1.00pm

Soufrière

There is a range of restaurants here where you can sample fresh, locally-sourced ingredients at all budgets. A delicious creole lunch can be taken in town at Orlando’s if you’ve made a reservation, or choose a more scenic option such as Boucan, overlooking the Pitons, where every dish has cacao in it.

2.00pm

Sulphur springs

Pay a short visit to see the bubbling mud and steaming vents of Soufrière’s ‘drive-in’ volcano before continuing down to the south coast, stopping at La Fargue Craft Centre near Choiseul, taking a peek at the fishing village of Laborie and skirting the airport at Vieux Fort.

4.00pm

Anse de Sables

Stretch your legs with a walk along the sand – or maybe even a dip in the sea – before stopping for a drink at the beach café, where you can admire the view over to the Maria Islands. Then head up the east coast back to Castries.

6.00pm

Sunset cocktails

Brown Sugar at Vigie Cove is a good place for a sundowner after the long drive, as well as an enjoyable dinner, if you can’t stir yourself.

8.00pm

Dinner

Rodney Bay is the place for dinner. Wander along the strip until