Equal parts beauty and mystique, St. Lucia captivates anyone who sets foot on her coastline.  Always evocative, she welcomes visitors with her soothing waves, warm beaches, and hospitable people. The only sovereign nation to be named for a woman, the island personifies adventure and inspiration. Her visitors invariably find themselves reluctant to leave and eager to return.

History
In the 1600s, the French, English, and Dutch all attempted to take St. Lucia as one of their colonies. The Dutch attempted to build Vieux Fort in the 1600s but were pushed out by the Caribs. In 1639, the British sent 400 settlers to the island, who were wiped out by the Caribs in less than two years.

In 1651, a member of the French West India Company purchased the land from the Caribs to make it a French colony, and the English immediately sent 1,000 men to take back the island. This fighting continued until 1814, when the French ceded St. Lucia to the English. Fast forward to modern times, St. Lucia was one of the last European colonies to finally declare independence. In fact, she only became independent within the British Commonwealth in 1979 and finally has a thriving, peaceful economy, and sovereign government.

Imagine yourself reclining on the sandy white beaches, soaking in the volcanic mud baths of Soufrière, ziplining through lush rainforests, indulging in authentic island food, club-hopping on the Rodney Bay strip, and riding ATVs through the countryside. Envision exploring abandoned sugar plantations, snorkeling in crystal clear waters, chasing brightly colored fish in the shadow of the Pitons, or experiencing a live sea turtle hatching in the last light of dusk.