The Best of St. Lucia’s Attractions
By Claire Bryant
St. Lucia may be famous for its dormant volcanoes, which offer
spectacular views over the surrounding area, but in the unlikely
event that you tire from exploring such perfect natural beauty
on your St. Lucia holiday, the island also offers plenty of
alternative options:
Diamond Botanical Gardens and Mineral Baths
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but in the botanical
gardens of St. Lucia they are also said to have healing
properties. The therapeutic powers of the baths have been known
since 1784 when it was discovered that they contained much of
the same properties as the famous French baths ‘Aix-les-bains’.
The suitably impressed King allocated the necessary funds to
have a stone building built containing 12 baths, which can be
accessed on your St. Lucia holiday by payment of a nominal fee.
The Diamond Baths also feature an old mill, hiking trails,
botanical gardens and a waterfall. Although you may expect the
waterfall to be a crystal-clear colour you’ll be surprised to
find on your luxury holiday in St. Lucia that the sulphur
springs change the colour of the water to a mixture of purples,
greens and yellows.
La Sikwi Sugar Plantation
If you have a sweet tooth then you may want to visit a restored
sugar plantation whilst on your St. Lucia holidays. The growing
of sugar was an integral part of St. Lucia’s economy from 1790
to the 1950’s and the restored plantation should give you an
insight into the amount of work that went into running a
successful sugar plantation. La Sikwi features an Old Mill,
which sadly is no longer working, and a theatre and museum. The
400-acre estate is open daily for tours but due to the
popularity of the attraction these must be booked well in
advance of your St Lucia holiday.
La Toc
The restored British fort at La Toc is definitely worth a visit
whilst on your luxury holiday in St Lucia. La Toc was built in
1888 and still features an original 18-ton muzzle-loader cannon
on-site. The history of St. Lucia is truly incredibly and
although it is now a British-owned colony, the island has
changed possession between the French and British a total of 14
times. If this is a fact that particularly fascinates you, then
you can find more information on the island’s history at the
adjoining museum whilst on your St. Lucia holiday. However, one
of the main highlights of this particular site is the vast
collection of bottles. The museum is said to contain over 900
bottles, which were thrown into Castries Harbour more than 300
years ago by the warring British and French soldiers.
Jungle Biking
If you want to do something active whilst on your St. Lucia
holiday then you’ll find that a number of excursion operators
offer trips diving, snorkelling or even windsurfing in the
ocean. However, if staying on dry land is more your thing then
why not attempt a jungle biking tour on your St. Lucia holiday?
The concept is much like mountain biking, but with jungles
rather than mountains. Paths cut through the famous Anse
Chastenet are suitable for beginners, whilst more advanced
cyclists can attempt the tight switchbacks and uphill climbs on
a more advanced route in the same region.
About the Author: Claire Bryant is a St Lucia holiday expert
for key2holidays, an online tour operator that will help you
book your ideal St Lucia holiday
http://www.key2holidays.co.uk/stlucia, as well as trips to
Australia, Cuba, Europe, Egypt, the Far East, the Maldives, the
Seychelles, Dubai and the Arabian Gulf
