Saint Lucia – A Commonwealth for Charter Guests

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Caribbean Marigot Bay

Marigot Bay in Saint Lucia is a perfect anchorage bay in the tropics

Saint Lucia with an area of 616 square kilometres is one of the Lesser Antilles and belongs to the Windward Islands. The images from the Raffaello commercial would probably best match to this dreamlike place in the midst of the Caribbean. Because of its magnificent beaches and lonely bays combined with its mild climate Saint Lucia is a perfect spot for yachties. Charter tourists can get to the island with some international airlines, for example from Paris. Every now and then, cruise liners from the USA drop anchor in the harbour of Castries.
 

In regard to the island’s appearance some people tell that during his fourth journey to America, Columbus sighted it exactly on June 18, 1502, on Saint Lucia’s feast day. However, he didn’t enter the island. After European sailors initially weren’t interested in Saint Lucia, French buccaneers firstly used the island as a hideout. Later, British ships docked here in order to stockpile water. After the natives could resist all attacks over centuries, in 1660, they finally concluded a peace treaty with the French and the British. Nowadays, the island is a part of the British Crown Colony and belongs to the Windward Islands.

Like its neighbouring islands Martinique (30 kilometres to the north) and Saint Vincent (45 kilometres to the south), Saint Lucia almost entirely consists of volcanic rock. However, its northern part is obviously older which one can well recognise by the advanced erosion. The younger central part of the island is crossed by numerous streams. In many places, its surface features sugar loaf-shaped elevations, the so-called Pitons.  Beside the island’s highest mountain, the 950 metres high Mount Gimie, there is one of the most impressive miracles of nature in the entire Caribbean – the twin mountains Grand Piton (798 metres) and Petit Piton (736 metres). Due to their remarkable shape, the both mountains became famous worldwide. At the same time, they represent the landmark of Saint Lucia. The southern end of the island with its almost completely even lowland constitutes an extreme opposite to the island‘s interior. 50,000 people live in the capital city and its surroundings which is the lion’s share of Saint Lucia’s population.  The city itself is lovely situated in a sheltered, hills-bordered bay on the west coast. Having repeatedly renewed itself and its silhouettes, Castries today appears pretty modern but it is still worth a visit. 

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