Traveling in St. Lucia

Among the other Caribbean islands, St. Lucia is known for its mountain ranges the most popular of it are probably the Pitons. Actually, mentioning the name St. Lucia will definitely be followed by mentioning the Pitons, being the country’s number one landmark. In fact, these are considered to be the most loved subject of photographers that visited in St. Lucia due to its dramatic, scenic view.

But what does a Piton mean? The Pitons we’re mentioning here are the volcanic twin peaks located in a World Heritage Site in St. Lucia. These are two volcanic spires springing up from the side of the sea. Geologists believe that the Pitons are contained in a volcanic center called the Soufriere Volcanic Center which is a remnant of a collapsed volcano.  The larger of the two is called the Gros Piton and the other one is the Petit Piton.

The twin peaks are not just subjects for photographs but they are also a great place for mountain climbers and hikers in St. Lucia. It is a popular climbing destination and the 786 meter summit (of the Gros Piton) will definitely provide anyone with a breath-taking view of the sea and the coastline.

The Gros Piton

The taller Piton, standing 2619 feet in height is the second highest peak in St. Lucia next to Mount Gimie. Among the two Pitons, this is the most accessible by foot with established tour hikes. Furthermore, the hike through this Piton does not require any professional training and special skills; anyone can actually hike. Hiking up the peak will take you about two hours and several interesting stuffs will be encountered along the way. There are rich vegetations and woodlands, and historical sites composed of caves, tunnels, camps, landing sites and shelters used by freedom fighters in the slave rebellion in 1748. During the hike, expect also some tropical birds that will meet you along the way.

Nothing to worry about your safety for professional hikers will accompany you all throughout. As you approach the peak, you’ll get to view St. Lucia from two viewpoints: one on the Southern part of the island and the Northern end on the other with the view of Petit Piton. 

Petit Piton

The smaller Piton, located north of the Gros Piton stands 2,461 feet. The Petit is steeper and definitely harder to climb than the other. There are also no established hike tours to guide you along the way but there are locals that know the route and will serve the hikers well. The summit is a smaller area, but it offers a better view of St. Lucia and the Piton Bay.

Image credit: http://caribbeancelebs.com

St. Lucia is just a small island with mountainous landscapes and rainforests in it. But the island activities it has to offer cannot be measured by its size. With its 19, 000 acres of rainforest, you can’t just limit yourself on the box but try to experience every activity it provides. 

St. Lucia’s rainforest is known to be a good spot for finding rare plants and animals. This is one of the few places where you can feel nature’s power everywhere you focus your eye. The trees that cover you from sunlight and the flowering plants that scent the air combined with the different buzz of animals around will definitely attract you from going back over and over. With all the wonders St. Lucia’s rainforest now has, no one can ever think that this was once thought to be inhabited by evil spirits. This folklore started by the Arawak Tribe 2,000 years ago has been the reason why the rainforests have maintained their beauty up to this moment. 

As mentioned, due to large portion of rainforests in St. Lucia, walking and hiking tours have been established. Here are some of the popular trails in St. Lucia:

Barre De L’isle Trail

The name comes from the fact that this trail serves as a ridge that divides St. Lucia into two halves. This is a one mile trail and it takes an hour to walk on this trail. As you walk through this trail, you will be amazed by how it is able to provide you a viewpoint of St. Lucia from four points. At one point you will see the Caribbean Sea, on the other there’s Fond d’Or beach and from the other side you can see Mount Gimie. 

Edmund Forest Reserve Trail

As the name implies, this trail directs you to Edmund Forest Reserve on the Western part of St. Lucia. Walking on this trail will take you three and a half hours but as you approach the heart of the island, you’ll get the chance to enjoy nature at its best with all the bromeliads and ferns on the side. It passes through a place accented by tall and mature trees surrounded by ferns. As you get to approach its West side, there you will see Mount Gimie, the highest mountain on St. Lucia.

Des Cartiers Rainforest

This trail goes through the Quilesse Forest Reserve and will provide you the opportunity to see the rare St. Lucian parrot and all the other species of birds. Trekking throughout the rainforest provides a breath-taking view of a lush rainforest and a glimpse of its endemic wildlife.

Image credit: http://www.geocities.ws

St. Lucia was originally known to its first inhabitants as being the ‘Land of the Iguana’, the island Lounalao. Due to its native largest land mammal, the St. Lucia Iguana, the animal really became an emblem to represent the island. This iguana is found in no other place in the world, except in St. Lucia.

One amazing thing about these large reptiles is that their DNA represents that they lived on the island about one and a half million years ago, even long before humans inhabited the area. This also proves that this specie is different among the other green iguanas native on the island. 

The St. Lucian Iguana cannot be found on all parts of the island, but usually, they inhabit the areas on the North East coast. The name ‘Lounalao’ given to St. Lucia before showed that Iguanas were present almost on all parts of the island with great abundance. But unfortunately, in the present times, the St. Lucian Iguana faces great threat to its survival. A survey made in St. Lucia in 2002 showed that based on the hatchlings found, there can only be a hundred, not more than one thousand still living in the area. This finding is alarming; knowing that several factors done up to this day account for continual decrease of St. Lucian Iguanas. 

 Major Dangers

Not just only human practices account for gradual degradation of Iguanas. But hunting is found to be a relevant factor for such situation. There are practices in the island where hunters have their eye on these lizards. On the other hand, other animal predators also cause this problem. Dogs and cats are known to kill adult and even baby iguanas. Note also that sand beaches are important for breeding grounds for iguanas, but at present, due to sand mining, hatching and breeding becomes nearly impossible. 

Conservation Efforts

The government of St. Lucia, especially the Forestry Department has its eye on protecting the remaining number of Iguanas in the island. They are working on information dissemination to communities telling them how their everyday activities affect the environment and the Iguanas of course. The department also provides alternatives to people on how to lessen the effects on the animal. The last frontier for the Iguanas, the North East coast is still under the protection of the government against habitat destruction and hunting. 

The people of St. Lucia must work hand in hand to preserve their natural treasure – the St. Lucian Iguana to which their first country name ‘Lounalao’ was derived. It is important for future generations to see a proof on themselves the real picture of an Iguana, to which the nation first stands. 

Photo credits to: http://www.yomagazine.net