St. Lucia - It's all about those Piton mountains

Although the flight from St. Kitts to St. Lucia was only an hour long, the plane experienced some delays due to heavy rain at 7am on departure in St. Kitts. But the flight in the tiny plane was without problems. 

I was impressed by the sprawling hilly terrain that was clearly visible from the plane. The trip to St. Lucia took me through some of the island's most picturesque landscapes.

The international airport itself was a single flat building with a large room where immigration, customs, and baggage claim were handled - it looked like a slightly larger canteen. 

St. Lucia and St. Kitts don't look the same

Having traveled through the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, and St. Kitts, I noticed that the climate and landscape become more southerly. St. Kitts was a bit greener and hillier than Antigua, and St. Lucia was even more mountainous and verdant. St. Lucia tends to attract more tourists and has a larger range of activities, while St. Kitts is more laid-back.

The most important things to differ the two are definitely the Piton mountains in St. Lucia. Also, the humidity from the rainforest was definitely noticeable in St. Lucia. 

Yes, St. Lucia has the famous Pitons and it's probably the most important landmark to see when here. So I went looking for it too.

A rental car in St. Lucia is the best option

Once I arrived, I picked up my rental car, which was relatively new, and set out to explore the island. Rental cars aren't that expensive in the Caribbean, around 40-50 USD per day, but the availability is the problem. 

This time I was lucky, I had arranged a few days before, but I had massive problems finding a car on other countries the Caribbean. I was even searching for days, without luck.

The roads were extremely steep, winding and narrow, and it would have been torture to navigate them in an old unreliable car, or in a huge SUV.

My journey started in Castries, in the north of the country, and followed the west coast southwards.

There were currently two cruise ships in the harbor, so it was teeming with tourists. Most of them remained near the port and did not have the time to see more of the country.

The roads went steeply uphill.

At first, I thought they sided streets, but this road type was the main thoroughfare throughout the country.

It was full of steep sections and narrow stretches, so driving along the coastline to the south of the country to "Laborie," where my accommodation was located, was quite an experience.

The hilly landscape and numerous narrow curves made each new intersection exciting, with new views of the countryside on offer. Unfortunately, stopping was often difficult because the locals raced up and down the narrow roads, and there wasn't enough visibility around the curves.

Along the way, I stopped at various picturesque towns and beaches.

Marigot bay is a small fishing village on the east coast of St. Lucia.

The roads are generally in good condition, but extremely narrow.

At many parts, there are fantastic lookouts, even though it was difficult to stop as there was almost zero parking space in the narrow street.

Canaries is a small coastal town.

Palmiste is a small village nestled in the lush greenery of St. Lucia's mountainous interior. From here one of the best viewpoints onto the Pitons.

Anse Chastanet and Soufriere. Soufriere is a town and area where most tourists reside when traveling through the island.

I stopped for a quick look at the beach.

The Tet Paul Nature Trail. This hiking trail winds through St. Lucia's and is a relatively short but steep trail.

On the top, there is a Piton lookout platform. 

Finally, the Pitons. Once on the top of the Tet Paul trail, those two mountains reveal.

It's a great view, not only onto the Pitons but all over the southern part of St. Lucia. 

My journey today ended in Sapphire, in the Laborie area.

Day 2 - The east coast is also worth a visit

Started to drive back to Castries along the east coast.

I was told that the east coast wasn't spectacular, but that wasn't the case at all. Although there were no Pitons, the drive was still worth it. Also, it doesn't make sense to drive back the same way as when coming down here.

I drove up Morne Le Blanc, to see the viewpoint, and was pleasantly surprised by how good the view was. I stopped at a house to take some photos and was then invited by an elderly couple to take photos from the balcony of their large house at the top of the hill.

I then continued to Moule La Chique, where I was treated to yet another incredible view, this time from a different angle of the island. 

The views from the road were nice and always offered something new and spectacular. For example the view on Anse Des Sables Beach.

Driving back from the south coast to Castries would be possible within two hours. But there are many nice spots to spot all over the coast.

Day 3 - A visit in the capital Castries

On day three, I took it easy and spent the day planning for the next few days of my trip to the Caribbean. Only went on a trip to the capital to visit Castries downtown.

Definitely a capital that is not impressive at all. Especially when comparing it to other Caribbean countries' capitals, it's boring.

Went to the beach in the north of Castries, in Rodney Bay.

Day 4 - Departure to Dominica in the evening

Last day in St. Lucia. The airport is right beside downtown, so I had not had to worry about planning many hours for the trip to the airport this time. Enough time even for visiting the beach, which was just around the corner from the apartment and 10 minutes from the airport.

In the afternoon I took a bus to the airport and flew to Dominica with Inter Caribbean.

This trip to St. Lucia was a worthwhile experience with stunning natural landscapes. I didn't really expect the Caribbean to be like this but I'm positively surprised about it. I thought in general the islands in the Caribbean are mostly all flat and covered with beaches and its cruise ship tourists. But I haven't been to the other countries in the area yet, so I will see very soon if there will be a different scenery.