Taking a look at what St Lucia has on offer - overview

I recently spent two weeks in St Lucia (in October)and for the first time, I could truly understand what the term 'tropical paradise' really meant. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; but what I plan to do is to share an objective, but constructive look at what St Lucia had on offer.

Located in the south of the Antilles chain in the Caribben, St Lucia is a small, volcanic island, just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. It is primarily made up of golden, sandy beaches and lush green rainforest. To the north there is Castries, the capital and to the south, the two Pitons, an iconic and famous UNESCO World Heritage site.



Temperatures range from 26c - 32c and the seasons on this tropical island shift between wet and dry. When I was there in October the weather was mainly sunny, with blue skies; sometimes a little humid and it rained on the odd occassion for a couple of hours. It was moving in to the dry season which will run from December to April.

Looking at the 2010 statistics released from the Tourist Board, I can see that primarily, tourists are honeymooners, the majority of which come from the US and UK. The amount of people getting married on the island are decreasing, but honeymoon numbers are looking healthy; up 31% from 2008 to 2009. Every month of 2010 has seen higher number than the same period in 2009.

Hewanorra International Airport is located in the south of the island; from here there is one main road which circles the island - but I'll come back to roads later! Accommodation in St Lucia ranges from apartments and small guest houses to all inclusive, five-star, fantasy-like resorts. During my time there I stayed in two resorts (Rendevous and The Jalousie Plantation) and one private estate with villas (Crystals). They varied widely and I'll be giving you the low-down on all of them in a separate post.

(Rendevous)

So, 'what about adventure sports?' I hear you cry! There was more than enough to stimulate my senses, every day. Infact, it took some time to get my energy levels back to normal upon my return home! St Lucia has loads on offer; scuba diving, brilliant snorkelling, rainforest hikes, dinghy sailing, kayaking, nature tours plus comprehensive activity programmes at the resorts. I'll be posting another blog about the sporting adventures I had on the island shortly.

We Love The Summer Holidays!!

Well, the summer is definitely here! Tourist numbers are right up and our accommodation providers, OPI, are all reporting high occupancy rates. Bookings for Costa Adventures are our best yet, with large numbers of families and groups doing activities.
Our top activities include sailing, power boat fun days, sea fishing, wakeboarding, scuba, quads, horse riding, air rifle shooting and archery.
It's just too hot for some of the other activities, such as pole dancing, although we are taking bookings for the winter now.
So far it has been very hot, with temperatures going right up in to the 40's, so we are always advising people to replace not just fluids but salts and minerals. Heat exhaustion is caused when you are exposed to the high heat and do not look after yourself properly, it is very dangerous and can lead to heat stroke. If you think you have it (symptoms include sickness, diarrhea and fever), then get straight to a doctors or accident and emergency at your nearest hospital. Don't forget your E111 and passport.
The beaches are packed and fiestas are happening all over the Costa, so people are making the most of the culture and entertainment while partying till the sun comes up.
Being so busy means less time for my own adventures, but I will be trying out wakeboarding next week! That should be a laugh, for everyone watching me. I'll be writing about it for my next article in the Round Town News and posting the article and pictures here so keep your eyes open.