Port Review: St. Lucia

[DaCruzNut]

I thought that, since we have a board to post cruise reviews, it would also be a good place to post a few port reviews. Before you choose a ship, you, usuaully, pick an itinerary....

Please feel free to post your own port reviews, also.

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If you have never been to the Caribbean, but have a picture in your mind of what a Caribbean island is like, that image will be found when you visit the island.

The beaches, mountains, waterfalls and rainforest are outstanding, and the St. Lucians, not yet ruined by we ‘ugly Americans,’ are among the friendliest, and happiest, in all the West Indies!

The first time I visited the island, I scheduled an all-day land-sea tour of the island. After I made the reservation, I began to have second thought. After all, all day on a jam-packed bus and a crowded boat! Well, I had no cause for concern.

We boarded a jitney (minibus) in Castries, on the north end of the island, where the ship docks, and headed south along the coast. To our right was the Caribbean.. This is the leeward side of the island, and the waters are calm and beautiful. To our left, the mountains and forests.

Our first stop was just outside the town of Choiseul It’s about halfway between Castries and, our final southern destination, Soufriere. We stopped for some refreshments at a quaint ‘snack shop,’ atop a hill overlooking the town, which was open on all 4 sides and had a tin roof. We had a brief shower, about 10 minutes, while there and the recorded reggae music was accentuated by the sound of the raindrops hitting the tin. The rain stopped, the sky cleared, and we were on our way.

We, then, traveled to Diamond Falls, located in the center of a tropical paradise. The river picks up various minerals, on its journey, and the color of the waterfall changes colors as you stand and watch it….

Ever want to see a volcano from the inside? Well, that’s just what we did on our next stop! Sulphur Springs, now dormant, is the only “drive-in volcano†in the world! During one of its eruptions, one entire side of the mountain blew out. You can walk among the bubbling, steaming Sulphur Springs from the safety of a paved walkway and boardwalk.

Time for lunch, and a stop at La Haute Plantation, where they served a generous buffet, with both native and “American†dishes. This is at the southern end of the island, in Soufriere. There were terrific views of the Sulphur Springs, the forest and the Pitons!

Following lunch, we boarded a catamaran for the trip north, back to Castries, and our waiting ship. They were blasting island music and serving all the free Rum Punch you can drink. We made a stop at Marigot Bay, where most of the passengers either jumped, were pushed, or fell into the water. Back to the catamaran, and the last leg of our journey.

I arrived back at the dock exhausted, but filled with awe at this beautiful island, and its people…..