Just 43km long and 22.5km wide, enviably green and dense, St. Lucia is a picture-perfect island. Tempting as it might be to take cheap flights to St. Lucia and spend all your vacation on the beach, you'd miss a lot of what the island has to offer.
This Caribbean gem - one of the Windward Islands - was fought over by the British and the French for years. Many St. Lucians are descended from African slaves and East Indian servants. The result is an English island in terms of education, politics (St. Lucia is a member of the British Commonwealth) and the legal system and French in terms of food and music.
The rainforest covers the interior of the island so most of the population reside in the low-lying parts of the island or on the hillsides. Most of the resorts are situated near Castries, the capital, and Soufriere, the former French capital, that sits at the foot of the mighty Piton Mountains.
One landmark makes St. Lucia unique - the drive-in Volcano in Soufriere. You'll know you're close when you catch the smell of sulphur, very like rotten eggs. St. Lucians bathe in the waters, believing them to have therapeutic qualities.
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St. Lucia has a tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 21 and 32 degrees Celsius. June through November are the rainy months, and December through May are the drier months. The dry season is when most travellers take cheap flights to St. Lucia.
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Peak Season:
Mid-December to mid-April is the high season. The hurricane season has ended, rain fall is negligible and the weather is warm.
Off Season:
June through November are the off-season months. This is hurricane season in the Caribbean. Rain fall and humidity levels are high, but the crowds and prices for flights and accommodation are lower. Some hoteliers and restaurateurs close for a couple of months or renovate during the low season so it's important to do your research before booking flights.
Carnival is held in June/July so if you are planning to take cheap flights to St. Lucia around this time, shop around to get the best deal. The carnival features calypso competitions, steel pan contests and the Carnival Queen competition.
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Once visitors have stepped off their cheap flights to St. Lucia, there are several ways of getting around. Renting a car is an option. You'll be navigating some narrow and winding roads - on the left side of the road too. There are several rental companies and the daily cost hovers around the $60 mark. A temporary permit is required to drive on the island; this can be purchased via the rental company, local police or immigration desks at the airports. Travellers with an international driving licence won't need a permit, but you will need to have your licence stamped.
Several companies offer van tours to the tourist attractions. Taking a minibus is a great way to experience island life. The timetable varies by route.
Or, you can take to the water - by yacht, catamaran or sailboat - to the volcano and nearby botanical gardens.
Perhaps the most memorable way of seeing St. Lucia's sights is from the deck of the Brig Unicorn, the 43.5-metre-tall ship that "starred" in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The majestic ship glides from the Rodney Bay Marina to Soufriere (and on to the Botanical Gardens and Sulphur Springs or Toraille Waterfalls and Gardens and Sulphur Springs).
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- If you've taken cheap flights to St. Lucia and are there on a Friday, head to Anse La Raye or Gros Islet for the Friday Night Fish Fry.
- The Pitons can be climbed in about two hours. A bath in the nearby Sulphur Springs, a mineral-rich river, may soothe tired muscles afterwards. A bottle of the local beer, also called Piton, may also help.
- Grande Anse beach is one of the best-known leatherback turtle nesting sites in the Eastern Caribbean. There are turtle watches every Saturday between March and August, under the direction of the St. Lucia's Naturalists' Society.
- Hike through the rainforest: the Barre de l'lsle Trail, which divides the island into two, takes about three hours to complete.
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Airports in St. Lucia include:
Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) (website: http://www.slaspa.com/) The airport is located 67km from Castries, on the southeastern tip of the island.
George F. L. Charles Airport (Formerly Vigie Airport) (SLU) is 2km north of Castries.
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Visitors must hold documents for the next destination, return or onward tickets and sufficient funds. As part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), all travellers travelling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States. If departing from the USA a valid passport will be required by immigration authorities.
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Canadians may enter St. Lucia with a passport, or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's licence, as well as proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. No visa is required for a stay of up to six weeks.
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