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St. Lucia is located between Martinique and St. Vincent. St. Lucia got independence in 1979. Population is of 150,000 people. The island is 43 km long x 22 km wide, and has volcanic origins, as proof by the sulfurous hot springs, the mountainous geography, the fertile soil, and the famous twin peaks, the Pitons. (map)
Official Holidays
January 1-2nd New Year Celebrations
February 22nd Independence Day
March/April Holly Week / Good Friday
May 1st Labor Day
August 1st Emancipation Day
August 30th Santa Rosa de Lima Day
October 17th The Marguerite Feast
December 13th National Day
December 25th Christmas Day
December 26th Christmas Box Day
Events Calendar
February: Carnival (two days before Ash Wednesday)
April: Festival of Comedy
May: St. Lucia Jazz Festival
October: Thanksgiving Day; St. Lucia Bill Fishing Tournament; Jounnen Kweyol Entenasyonnal
PLANNING THE TRIP
Banks and exchange
The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), though American dollars are generally accepted. There are money exchange offices in Castries, and the National Commercial Bank (NBC) has a branch at the Hewanorra international airport, open from 12:30 h. to the last flight.
Departure tax: 27 EC dollars
Tourist Information Abroad
St Lucia Tourist Board
421a Finchley Road
London NW3 6 HJ
Phone no. 0171 431 3675
Fax no. 0171 431 7920 in the United Kingdom.
St Lucia Tourist Board
800 Second Ave., Suite 400J
New York, NY 10017
Phone no. 212 867 2951/2950
Fax no. 212 867 2795 in the United States.
Websites
http://www.interknowledge.com/st-lucia
PRACTICAL TIPS
News
The most popular newspaper is The Voice, published thrice a week. Others are The Star, The Crusader, The Vanguard, The Mirror and The One Caribbean, all of them weekly.
The association of hotels and restaurants publishes, twice a year, the Visions magazine, with useful information about restaurants and cultural events.
There are two TV channels (Channel 4 and DBS), and three radios (Radio St. Lucia, Radio 100 and Radio Caribbean International), with music and news bulletins.
Post Offices
The post office at Castries, is in Bridge Street. Almost all the cities
Have a small post office. Generally they are open from 8:30 to 16:30 hours, from Monday to Friday.
Phone and fax
The area code is 758. You can make international calls from the hotels that also have fax service. However, service offered by the Cable and Wireless offices (Bridge Street, Castries) is more reliable and cheap; likewise you can buy phone cards.
Tourist Information Local Offices
St Lucia Tourist Board
PO Box 221, Pointe Seraphine
Castries, phone 452 5968/452 4094
Fax 453 1121
E-mail: slutour@candw.lc
Medical Assistance
There’s a big hospital in Castries, the Victoria Hospital, phone 453 7059). You’ll also find clinics in: Soufrerie (phone 459 7258/5001), Dennery (phone 453 3310) and St Jude’s Vieux Fort (phone 454 6041).
There are also some pharmacies in Castries.
Emergency numbers
Emergencies: 999/911
Shopping
Pointe Seraphine is a modern mall located next to the cruiser’s station in Castries; has many duty free shops. At the noisy Castries Market you can enjoy watching colorful tropical fruits, species and handicraft. Another important mall is Gablewoods Mall, opened six days a week from 9:00 to 21:00 hours.
Voltage: 220 volts, 50 cycles AC and 110 volts, 60 cycles
Night Life
Gros Islet is a quiet town, north of St. Lucia, that every Friday is transformed into a lively place, thanks to a street party, with music, dancing and food stands.
Many hotels organize shows and music concerts every night. You’ll also find bars and party halls in Castries and Rodney Bay.
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