Saint Lucia Facts for a Great Vacation

Want to visit Saint Lucia? Perhaps you are not sure about the climate and island activities? Saint Lucia offers a tropical maritime climate with northeastern trade winds. The average rainfall each year is 51 inches along the coast and as much as 150 inches in the interior. The best time to visit is January through April, during the dry season. It is also when the island temperatures are lower, about 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and the upper 60s at night.

Lumbering has occurred on certain areas of the island but there are still plenty of places to see the vast island rainforest. Be on the lookout for orchids, anthurium, and the Saint Lucian parrot. The Saint Lucian parrot is endangered, so it is a rare and beautiful sight. You may also see the Saint Lucia oriole and black finch. A unique lizard to the island is the agouti.

Like many islands and even the USA, Saint Lucia has a storied past between British and French settlers. Records show the British were the first to arrive sometime between 1605 and 1638; however, many Caribbean natives already lived on the island and the settlers left. Unfortunately, this did not deter other people from coming to the island, such as the French from Martinique who created a successful settlement in 1650. By 1674, the French crown ruled the island.

Despite the English gaining hold in the 18th century, much of the island is a mixture of Caribbean and French influence, including on the religion of the island. The French brought the Roman Catholic Church in the 1760s. The sugarcane industry and cotton were the leading reasons for French power and economic holds on the island. However, now cacao and banana industries rival sugar production.

As you tour the island you will see the rich history, flora and fauna, and the amazing sites that make it the top Caribbean destination for weddings.