A stop in Santa Lucia

Having reached the island of Santa Lucia at the port of Castries, the capital, aboard the Costa Atlantica. We barely have time to disembark before we take, directly from the quay, a big catamaran to sail the waters off the western coast of the island. Despite the dark sand of this volcanic land, the spectacle of the luxuriant nature and of the mountains that seem to plunge into the sea reminds us that, although it's an island different from the others, we are still in the Caribbean. We pass in front of colourful fishing villages before spotting, ever more closely, the famous Pitons, two volcanic cones that majestically outline the bay of the same name where we arrive. From here we head back north, passing closer to the coast. The catamaran anchors in front of Anse Cochon where we go into the sea for a refreshing swim near the little beach.

Here we are welcomed by characteristic pastel-coloured little boats where young rastas try to sell us big madreporic shells, used by them, as they skilfully show us, as a sound lure. During the return to Castries we make a detour into Marigot bay, a tourist harbour surrounded by beautiful tropical vegetation where the film 'Dr. Dolittle' with Rex Harrison was shot. Back in Castries, together with my wife and a couple we met on the cruise, we took a modern microbus-taxi to get to know a bit of the island's interior. After driving through the streets of the capital's centre and the surrounding residential hills, we headed through an up-and-down road into the rainforest. To reach the forest you pass through the Cul de Sac valley wrapped in banana plantations, where the taxi driver informs us that the fruit of these plants is destined for Great Britain.

As you leave the valley and climb into the forest the vegetation becomes ever richer and more varied; we happily observe mango, nutmeg, breadfruit, papaya, avocado, coffee and cocoa. Below us valleys covered with bananas and palms; the occasion is favourable to stop at the edge of the forest to open a coconut and drink its nectar. Our taxi driver is very well stocked and in the car he has everything needed to satisfy us: the coconut, a big knife and the straws with which we savour the delicious liquid. We return to the valley and then climb again along a road that takes us to a point where we can admire Marigot bay from above. We then return to Castries to board the ship.