Continuous Change of Flags
St. Lucia landscapes are not the only typical Caribbean features: their history follows the same characteristic mold of the region. Probably, Columbus and the Spaniards saw the distant twin Pitons Mountains, but they never landed. Years later, some daring British and Dutch men tried to go inside the island, and found the resistance of the Caribbeans, with no intention of abandoning the place, they called Hewanorra (land of the iguanas). In 1650, the French signed a treaty with this tribe that allowed them to control St. Lucia. The eternal battle for power, between the British and the French started, and the island changed hands fourteen times. Finally, in 1814, the British got control over St. Lucia that in l979 was converted in an independent state within the British Commonwealth.

However, the French influence is still here. Though English is the official language, a melodic creole patois, a mixture of French and African, is also spoken. Another important point is, that eighty percent of the 150,000 inhabitants are Catholics, while the Anglican Protestants are a small minority. As in the other British Caribbean islands, cricket is played here, but people also love dancing the beguine from Martinique, or merengue from the Dominican Republic. In the national feast days, women wear colorful dresses, as well as in carnivals, which is very common in the French Antilles.

Poet Derek Walcott, that in 1992 was granted with the Nobel Prize for Literature, has been always sarcastic about his Creole roots, and his entangled identity, as he says in his poem: “I’m only a poor Negro/I had a sound colonial education/Inside me are a Dutch, an African, an English/sometimes I’m nobody, and sometimes I’m a whole nation”.

Castries, a City Resurrected from Ashes
Castries, a modern city of 50,000 people, is the capital of St. Lucia. Named in honor of Maréchal de Castries, a French Marine ministry that contributed, decisively, to the economic development of the island, at the end of the XVIII century. But apart from its privileged situation (is located in a beautiful harbor), has no interesting historic buildings, due to two fires that, in 1927 and 1948, turned into ashes the old part of the city, later rebuilt with concrete buildings.

Fridays and Saturdays, the stands in the Mercado de Castries (market) animate Jeremie Street and Peynier Street. The farmers pile up boxes with pink potatoes, papaya, and bananas, among all the different aromatic species that grow in the prolific volcanic land. Artisans show their works next to boxes with fresh fish, or stands selling chairs and old furniture. Close to the market, old men play their warri games. At the end of Peynier Street, is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, a catholic church with gloomy aspect, in contrast with the colorful frescos of Dunstan St Omer, a St. Lucia artist, whose paintings have gained world applause. In front of the cathedral, is a square rounded by the only XIX century buildings that survived the fires. Named before Columbus Square, was renamed in 1993, after Derek Walcott, thanks to whom the name of St. Lucia, was printed in all the journals around the world, when he was granted the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1992. The square is under the shadow of a huge saman tree with more than 400 years of age. Three kilometers south from the city, and on top of Morne Fortune, also known as the hill of Luck, emerge the walls of Fort Charlotte, a fortress built by French and British in the XVIII century, and now restored to host a university, and from where you can see Pointe Séraphine, a modern commercial center, with lots of duty free shops.

The Animated Night Life of the Northern Beaches
Going north out of the capital, after leaving behind the Vigie airport, where small planes coming from the neighboring islands land, you’ll find the best white sand beaches of St. Lucia. At Rodney Bay, baptized with the name of the famous admiral, rest hundreds of elegant catamarans and luxurious sailing boats. For a time, in this sheltered harbor was a naval base built by the US, to protect the Panama channel. Hereby is Reduit Beach, for many the best beach in the island, and where young peddlers, rasta style, walk around offering their goods to the many tourists laying under the sun.

At sunset, the sound of the reggae and steel pan bands animate the nearby bars.
North of the island is Gros Islet, a little fishermen village, whose peace is broken every Friday night, by a crowded street party, where everybody is invited. Fun is granted, thanks to the spontaneous outdoor discotheques, where people dances till dawn.
St. Lucia inhabitants love to party!

Close to Gros Islet, a highway connects St. Lucia with the small island of Pigeon, where is the Pigeon Island National Park, a park of 16 Has, where you’ll find beautiful beaches, and a network of well signaled roads, to practice trekking. The ruins of Fort Rodney dominate the harbor. Here is a little museum (open from Monday to Saturday; entrance fee), dedicated to the figure of British Admiral Rodney, who left the island in 1782, just before defeating the French fleet in front of the Guadeloupe coasts, in the Saints battle. From this place you can also watch Pointe du Cap, the most northern point of St. Lucia. Nearby is the Club St. Lucia, the major resort of the island.