St. Lucia Travel Overview
Important facts
Capital: Castries
Official language: English
Currency: dollar
Continent: Caribbean North America
Caribbean dreams come true
In Saint Lucia you can discover the full beauty of the Caribbean: white sandy beaches, warm sea water and lush vegetation
Location
According to Countryaah, the island nation is located on the edge of the Caribbean Sea and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The closest neighboring islands are St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the north and Barbados in the south.
Vacation in St. Lucia
Saint Lucia is well developed for tourists. There are many hotels on site as well as two airports with international flights to Europe. You can reach the island from Frankfurt am Main or from London Airport.
Region
Like Jamaica and most of the Caribbean islands, it is of volcanic origin, which adds to the lush vegetation. On the island you can discover a myriad of tropical fruits and walk along the white sandy beaches.
Located in the Caribbean Sea, you can count on pleasantly warm water all year round. The area is therefore ideal for diving and sailing trips and beach holidays. The region is also very popular among deep-sea fishermen.
Currency
Currency (sub-unit)
Dollars (100 cents)
ISO 4217 code
XCD / 951
Geography
Continent: North America
Region: Caribbean
Geo coordinates: N 13 ° 54 ’34 ” W -60 ° -58′ -44″
Highest mountain: Mount Gimie (950 m)
Total area: 616 km²
Mainland: 606 km²
Coastline: 158 km
Politics
Dependency: Great Britain until 1979
UN member since: 1979
Other political affiliation: Commonwealth
Form of government: Parliamentary monarchy
Houses of Parliament: bikameral
Party system: Multi-party system
State building: centralistic
Political culture: not specified
Particularities: no permanent army
Economy
Export goods: Food, animals
Electricity consumption: 282 million KWh
Cultivation area: 29.51%
Demographic data
Residents: 168,500
Residents in cities: 64,500
Minorities: Mulattos, Asians, whites
Average age: 25.2 years
0-14 years: 29.8%
15-64 years: 65%
> 65 years: 5.2%
Population growth: 1.29%
Birth rate: 19.68 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 5.08 / 1,000 residents
Migration: -1.73 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 0.97
Fertility: 2.18 children / woman
Infant mortality: 13.17 ‰
Life expectancy men: 70.29 years
Life expectancy women: 77.65 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: LC
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: LCA
ISO 3166 numeric: 662
Top Level Domain: lc
IOC country code: LCA
UN / LOCODE: LC
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Health
Number of doctors: 95
Daily food intake: 2.870 kcal / resident
Education
History
Foundation: 1979
Last sovereign since: 1979
Religion
Main religious group: Christians
Distribution of religions: 67% Roman Catholic, 8.5% Seventh-day Adventist
GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
St. Lucia is served directly from London by British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic (VS). There are good feeder connections to British Airways flights from London Gatwick in winter from Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Zurich and Basel. Lufthansa (LH) flies to St. Lucia via Puerto Rico. LIAT (LI) (Internet: www.liatairline.com) also flies to St. Lucia. United Airlines (UA) flies non-stop from New York Newark to St. Lucia once a week.
Departure fee
US $ 38 (approx. € 69) per departing passenger. Transit passengers (stay up to 24 hours) and children under 12 years are exempt from this. The airport charges are included in the flight ticket.
Arrival by ship
The L’Express des Isles (Internet: www.express-des-iles.com), a high-speed catamaran, offers connections to Dominica with stops in Martinique and Guadeloupe. The travel time from St. Lucia to Martinique is 1 hour 20 minutes.
St. Lucia is also served by some cruise lines such as Cunard (Internet: www.cunard.com) and Aida (Internet: www.aida.de) as well as by local passengers – and freight lines started.
The main ports are Castries, Vieux Fort and Soufrière. Pointe Seraphine, a free port with berths for two cruise ships, offers duty-free shops, restaurants and bars and is also accessible to non-cruise passengers. For duty-free purchases, however, you need a valid passport and a flight ticket.
Further information on ports and airports is available from the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) (Internet: www.slaspa.com).
ON THE GO
Traveling by plane
Charter and helicopter flights connect George FL Charles (SLU) and Hewanorra (UVF) airports . Charter planes to the neighboring islands are also possible.
On the way by car / bus
The road network is good and connects all major towns. The island’s main road runs from Vieux Fort in the south of the island to Castries in the north. Most of the roads are two-lane, narrow and in some cases very winding. Because of the many potholes and the unorthodox driving style, caution is advised in traffic.
Buses connect the rural areas with the capital. The connection from Castries to Gros Islet in the north of the island is good; Buses run every 30 minutes (service often also on weekends and public holidays).
Taxis are inexpensive; fixed prices apply on standard routes. You can
hire a car in Castries, Soufrière and Vieux Fort or from hotels. Buses are available for group tours. Left-hand traffic.
Documents:A temporary driving license is issued upon presentation of the national or international driver’s license. Available at both airports and the Castries Police Station.
Out and about by ship
Boats can be rented in Castries, Marigot Bay and Rodney Bay.
