Although it has become increasingly difficult to travel to Haiti, I decided to take Colin on a trip to the Caribbean. At the time we lived in Wisconsin, USA, and we decided to escape the cold and get a preview of the summer, though by the end of our trip we were quite delighted to return to the much cooler weather. There were several options for Caribbean countries, but we decided to stick to someplace more mountainous. We ended up choosing Saint Lucia, after all, it is the only country in the world named after a woman. This beautiful country of the West Indies is situated in the eastern Caribbean and spans an area of 617 km2 (238 square miles). As of 2022, the island has an estimated population of 180,000 people. Saint Lucia was one of our lazy adventures and is perfect for people who need a good excuse to not do a thing.
The Arawaks are believed to be the first settlers on the island in AD 200-400, followed by the Kalinago in 800 AD. The French settled on the island in 1660, then the British settled on it in 1663. The French and the British fought for control of the island 14 times, but eventually, the British took full control of it in 1814. English is the official language in Saint Lucia; however, Saint Lucian Creole (Patwa) is widely spoken in the country as well.
Micoud
This lesser-known beauty was a wonderful introduction to Saint Lucia. It was a quieter place, and our hosts were some of the most inviting people we have ever met. We stayed at their lovely bed & breakfast, Zamacà, with a beautiful view of the ocean. Though not as mountainous as Soufrière, it was a beautiful, sprawling area. We took a hike near a lovely and quiet beach. It was as if we had the whole island to ourselves.
We were even invited to play Dominoes with Saint Lucia natives, which was a wonderful way for us to learn more about the people and the culture. We found them to be so open, inviting, and beautiful. If you do visit this awesome bed & breakfast, be sure to bring Ellen some wild rice. She loves wild rice, and it’s something that she claims is difficult to find in Saint Lucia. Ellen graciously drove us to the bus stop the morning we left for Soufrière, and made sure the drivers who took us to Soufrière did not overcharge us.
Soufrière
The Pitons
Soufrière is one of the most well-known of the areas in Saint Lucia. It is the former capital of Saint Lucia and has stunning views of its main attraction, “The Pitons.” This is the perfect place to spend time in a not-so-expensive resort with a beautiful view. While we were tempted to hike the lovely green mountains, we were deterred by the hot and humid weather. We decided that the expense, heat, and humidity of hiking the Pitons was too much.
You can expect to pay approximately USD 90 per person to climb Gros Piton Climb. If you do it, bring plenty of water.
We stayed in the lovely, La Haut Resort. The service was lovely and the employees were very helpful. Hotel staff helped answer our questions about the area, as well as acquire transportation. Although we traveled in November, and it was not the right season for the resort to offer us a basket of fresh fruit, we heard that the resort often picks fruit from the trees and offers it to guests during their stay when the fruits are in season.
This was one of our more leisurely trips and we enjoyed the pleasant sways of the hammock, the view of the Pitons, and the sound of rain, which was frequent during our stay and a very welcome break from the heat.
The Town of Soufrière
The town of Soufrière is quite lovely with scenic views of the island’s tropical terrain, lush green plants, and colorful houses. We tried to get an early start, hiking down the hill from our hotel into downtown Soufrière in hopes we could avoid the scorching heat. It didn’t work very well, and we’d often be drenched in sweat by the time we made it down, nevertheless, it was worth it for our trip to our favorite roti place, Fedo’s. Fedo’s was the best roti we had in all of Saint Lucia.
Roti is one of my favorite dishes. I used to enjoy indulging in this treat in Brooklyn, NY, though the ones I had in New York were made by Trinidadians. Nevertheless, I remained optimistic. Well, maybe I set my hopes too high because Saint Lucia was not the place to find a lot of roti options. We did, fortunately, discover Fedo’s and it was the best we had in Saint Lucia, with enough spice and curry to hold me over until a trip into my old neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. We took our foil-wrapped roti to go and sat at a waterfront park. We spotted some furry friends (cats), eager to get a taste of our delicious treat. Soufrière was full of them and also vocal roosters.
We went to Saint Lucia in 2021 where we were required to test for COVID before entering the USA. We had the misfortune of spending hours waiting in a curious, outdoor waiting room surrounded by roosters and awaiting our visit to the doctor. The hospital was very understaffed, and it is not an experience we would want to repeat. I am quite used to “island time,” but I did not particularly enjoy the extremely long wait in the humid outdoors. We were joined by a local woman and her children. I listened to her as she was complaining in Creole on the phone about the wait. Nevertheless, we were eventually greeted by a kind doctor and we were able to move on from the unpleasant event. Hopefully, if you take a trip to Saint Lucia your experience will be much easier.
We found booking a taxi was taxing. I recommend asking your accommodation about a taxi service. We were able to call our resort, and they called the taxi service and gave them our location. This made return trips from the town center easier. Be careful, as some people may offer to take you to your destination and overcharge you. It’s best and safer to go with the taxi service that is connected to your hotel if possible.
Morne Coubaril Estate
We took a very pleasant visit to Morne Coubaril Historical Adventure Park where we explored an old plantation and learned about the slave and colonial history of Saint Lucia. It was sad to explore some of the inhumane areas that slaves were forced to live in under French and British rule; however, the beautiful gardens and our vibrant and knowledgeable tourguide lifted our spirits. What I like to call the “cacao dance” made me feel at home, as we watched another young man working at the park mash cacao fruit into nibs. We got to taste the delicious cacao fruit which is grown throughout the island. We learned about the process of making coconut oil and lotion and breaking the coconut to get its juice. We even got to drink some refreshing coconut water. This was probably my favorite experience of my visit to Saint Lucia.
We followed our Morne Coubaril stop by a visit to the botanical gardens. The gardens were so beautiful, lush, and tropical and had lots of information about local island plants like castor, ginger, cacao, etc., and their uses. We also happened upon a lovely small waterfall in the garden. It was very pleasant, and one of our cooler stops as the surrounding plants gave us some protection against the scorching sun.
Castries
Castries was my least favorite place in Saint Lucia. Crowds and busy cities do not excite me. Saint Lucia’s capital and largest city, Castries, may be worth visiting, especially for those eager to find some Saint Lucian souvenirs. We stopped by a market in the city center full of art, food, clothing, and more. It was cool, though I once again had the pleasure of eves-dropping on some Saint Lucian bantering in Creole when two vendors wanted to sell dresses to me. One accused the other of stealing her customer. I ended up purchasing a dress from the first woman to end the conversation. Then I rushed away from that part of the market.
Once again we were on the lookout for roti. We enjoyed roti from one small place, and before heading back we thought to get one for dinner as well. Unfortunately, that roti place closed. We searched for more roti shops and ran into a woman with a bubbly personality, her greeting was so colorful that we decided to purchase roti from her. We grabbed corosol, a drink also made in Haiti, it was a satisfying way to quench our thirst. After drinking the delicious beverage, we decided to grab a couple more to consume with our roti dinner.
Unfortunately, the roti was nothing compared to the delicious roti we had at Fedo’s. Saint Lucia as a whole did not satisfy our roti cravings, but now having been, it just doesn’t seem like a widely made dish as we had thought.
For other foods, we had the national dish, green figs, and salt fish, which we found very appetizing, as well as fritters that reminded me of Haitian Akra, and generous and tasty cocktails. So although I believe Trinidad is more likely to satisfy my roti cravings, I did find some appetizing food in Saint Lucia.
I highly recommend this tropical retreat for those who truly just want to relax and enjoy a good book on a hammock with a view of a tropical paradise.
What To Pack For Saint Lucia
- Comfortable shoes or sandals – I recommend Tevas!
- Your camera
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- A book
- Comfortable clothing for warm weather
- A bathing suit
You made it to the end! All you have to do now is pack your bags! Safe travels!
Leave a Reply