Postcards from the Past: St. Lucia

The Pitons

When and Where:           12/2001 – Castries

                                           02/2022 – Castries

13th Country Visited; 8th North American Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

-        St. Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman. 

-        More than any other country, St. Lucia has the highest rate of Nobel Prize winners among its population.

Back in 2001, a few months after 9/11, my friend Allan and I took a cruise which brought us to St. Lucia.  We opted for a cruise excursion: an overland Jeep jungle adventure.  As we disembarked the boat, we passed through Castries, the capital.  Impoverished and run down, Castries was a third-world city.  Houses were in disrepair and businesses were operated out of sheds.  Like many former British colonies, the citizenry lived in abject poverty.   Our tour continued up into the lush inner-island jungle.  St. Lucia’s jungle canopy was vibrant green and lush.   Our driver brought us up a rough path to a spectacular view atop the summit.   St. Lucia is naturally beautiful; one of the prettiest islands with the exception of the capital.  On the way back, we stopped at a dramatic overlook and took pictures of the countryside below and the ship. 

Fast forward to 2022, Joe and I also took a cruise which brought us to St. Lucia.  I had a much different experience this time.  Castries has since been cleaned up.  The beaches now look pristine and the coastline is breathtaking.  We took a boat excursion this time.  Our first stop was to Pigeon Island, is islet north of Castries with dirt paths, historic forts, and spectacular views of mainland St. Lucia.  We traversed the dirt and cobblestoned paths to the top of the fort.  The views were even more impressive from above.  Next, our boat made its way down the beautiful west coast of the island.  The rum punch was flowing and Reggae music was playing.  The crew was dancing and encouraging others to join.  I sat and enjoyed the show.  We passed sleepy villages and unspoiled beaches.  The further south we went, the Pitons came into full view.  The Pitons are two mountainous volcanic spires located on the southwestern coast of the island.  The massive mountains offer great photo opportunities.  Because of the island’s natural beauty, scenes from many movies were filmed here including Doctor Doolittle and Superman II.  After a closeup view of the Pitons, our tour boat made its way back to Castries.  Again, I was in awe of the countryside and beaches.  I’m glad that St. Lucia is now a thriving, vibrant island.  Offboarding our tour boat, we have a little time to walk the streets of Castries before we had to be back on our ship.  Overall, it was a memorable visit.  I would definitely return to St. Lucia for a vacation.

Pigeon Island, St. Lucia (2022)

Remote village along the coast of St. Lucia (2022)

The Pitons (2022)

Castries, St. Lucia (2022)

Lush canopy atop St. Lucia (2001)

St. Lucia (2001)


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