The Winding Highway to Soufrière
From Castries, going south, a highway full of curves, ups and downs, will take you to Marigot Bay, one of the most beautiful natural ports of the Caribbean, at 13 km. from the capital. In this precious harbor, British Admiral Rodney deceived the French, disguising his ships with palm tree branches. Now, this place is frequently visited by sailing lovers, and you can enjoy a refreshing beverage on board of the Doolittle, a ship crossing the harbor.

The main highway goes south, through the mountains. Drive carefully, because these curves are hair rising. Following the road you’ll reach two quiet fishermen villages: Anse La Raye (where a walk of 15 minutes will take you to an spectacular fall), and Canaries. Close to the latter is Anse La Liberté, where is a new camping place, that has an environmental education center, organizing tours through the paths of the region.

Going some 8 km. more, to the south, you’ll find Soufrière, a city with old wooden buildings lining up in the streets, some of the XVIII century, and having as backdrop the Pitons, the twin peaks that are the symbol of the island: the Petit Piton (736m), and the Gros Piton (795m).

The beauty of the landscape continues under water at the Anse Chastanet Marine Park, a submarine park, few minutes north of Soufriere, which many consider the best place in the island, for the practice of diving.

Sulfurous Smells and Awakening Baths
Nearby the Pitons, you’ll maybe perceive a distasteful smell, like rotten eggs. The odor comes from Sulfur Springs (open daily, entrance fee), some sulfurous springs in La Soufrière, a volcano south of Soufrière, where you can go by car. As soon as you park the car, in a parking between two sulfurous springs with boiling waters, a guide will lead you on a fascinating tour among black ponds formed by these waters.

Close from here, you can visit the Diamond Botanical Gardens (open daily, Sundays between 10:00 and 14:00h. entrance fee), which were built by order of Louis XVI, as a gift to the Devaux brothers, owners of three plantations, for their services to the French colony. Amid this splendid garden, where hibiscus and orchids flourish, are baths that are provided by the thermal waters of submarine springs. A commemorative placard, remembers that a young Creole girl named Marie - Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, that was to become the wife of Napoleon, used to spend her vacations here.

Plantation’s Houses Full of Charm
If you visit the surroundings of Soufriere, you can have an idea of how life went on at the plantations, during the colonial age. Since the agriculture started to decline, more houses are opening their doors to public. An example is old Soufrière Estate, an old plantation, owned by the Devaux family, with a sugar mill dating back to 1765, and that for some time, was used to provide electricity to the city of Soufrière. Here you can enjoy a delicious meal, with candle lights (to make a reservation call phone no. 459-7565).

Halfway between Choiseul and Laborie, two quiet and colorful fishermen villages, hidden inside a park of 40 hectares is the Balembouche Estate House (phone no. 459-3244), an old plantation mansion with more than 200 years of age.

The Green Heart of the Island
The only way to get into the thick jungle that grows in the inner lands of the island is joining an excursion organized by any of the Tourist Agencies in St. Lucia. It’s forbidden to walk alone through the jungle paths, partly for security reasons, but also to maintain the frail ecosystem balance. The Barre de l’Isle Trail, which name refers to the mountain range crossing St. Lucia, is a pleasant tour of two or three hours, enabling to contemplate stupendous sights of the jungle and the sea. Those fit enough; can enjoy the Central Rainforest Walk, a harsh walk of more than 10 km., through the mountains near Mount Gimie. With a little bit of luck, and specially if your group is quiet and small, maybe you can see one of the hundreds of parrots of St. Lucia, a protected species, that faced extinction during the 1970’s. From the Rodney harbor leaves a path known as Union Trail that can be completed in less than an hour, and allowing to visit a garden with herbs and medicinal plants.

Tropical Birds and Whales
Nature lovers will enjoy traveling through the east coast of St. Lucia, wet and almost uninhabited, where the Atlantic Ocean waves burst strongly. Near Dennery is the Fregate Islands Natural Reserve, where hundreds of frigate birds live. It’s spectacular to watch the acrobatic flights of these birds, trying to snatch fishes from pelicans and sea gulls.

South of the island, in front of the eastern coast of Vieux Fort, is the Mary Islands Natural Reserve, another reserve that will delight ornithology fans. In these islands, lives a wide diversity of birds, like the sea swallow, or the red feather tropical bird. Here also live two endemic reptiles: a huge and colorful land alligator, and a not poison serpent. These two natural reserves can only be visited in organized tours.

Lately, ship excursions to watch whales, have become very attractive. Toucan Travel (phone no. 452-0896) is an specialized agency for these kind of outings.