St Lucia & Martinique: lush tropical paradise

March 31, 2022

Caribbean gems

Lush tropical paradise with perhaps the most striking scenery anywhere in the Caribbean, St. Lucia and Martinique are the ideal destinations for travelers who want to experience both a typical Caribbean holiday and something that’s a little more out of the ordinary.

It’s safe to say, if you just love traveling then these are the destinations that will stay with you for a long time.

All you need to do is embark on a marvelous tour and excursion in St. Lucia and / or Martinique to discover the true heart of these Caribbean gems.

St. Lucia: A Gem Of The Caribbean Island!

Its volcanic past has left St. Lucia with a stunning geographic legacy. You can see extraordinary mountain peaks, dense tropical rain forests, healing sulphur springs, silver sands and striking cliffs.

If all you need from a Caribbean holiday is a gorgeous beach, azure blue waters and a cocktail, then St Lucia will fulﬁll your every need. But if you prefer a bit of adventure on your vacation, then this place can seem like you are in paradise.

In St. Lucia excursions the most exciting thing to do is a hike in the Pitons. These twin volcanic plugs, Gros Piton and Petit Piton, dominate the south-western landscape of the island.

Their steep slopes packed with jungle and rain forest and dramatically looming above the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean. This is one of the ﬁnest attractions in St Lucia. You can go for a hike in the slopes of Gros Piton through dense jungle and ancient Amerindian ruins. At the peak, you will get an unforgettable panoramic view across the island and the Caribbean.

Zipline Across the Rainforest Canopy

This one is for an adrenaline-fueled St Lucia tour. All you need to do is reach for the sky on a zipline canopy tour. Then an aerial tram will whisk you to the launch point, which is hundreds of feet above the ground and surrounded by the imposing treetops of the rain forest.

Here, do take a moment to survey the surroundings, the lush tropical landscape of great vibrancy and color.

This will surely take your breath away. Now as you grab the zipline and step off into thin air, you will get this experience of a lifetime, landing on 10 different platforms as you whiz through the sky.

A St. Lucia zipline canopy tour is the ideal way to enjoy some of the island’s best natural attractions, ﬂying through the air with the tropical birds that make their home here.

The Heat Is On

When you’re looking for things to do in St Lucia, one excursion stands out above all other because St Lucia boasts the most unique attraction – the world’s only drive-in volcano at Soufriere.

You can deﬁnitely drive right into the crater of this active volcano.

This can get even better as the volcano’s Sulphur Springs are extraordinary hot mud baths packed with essential minerals.

During daytime the springs, bubbling and belching out sulphur-laden steam, are far too hot for bathing but as night falls the mud drops to a more manageable temperature.

But of course, the main points of interest are Marigot Bay and Rodney Bay – real “desktop background” beaches. Just across the latter, you can see Pigeon Island National Park probably one of St. Lucia’s most important historic attractions.

From some carefully strategic chosen points, the British could monitor the moves of French army in Martinique during their battle for trying to control St. Lucia.

These are just a few of things that you can do here in St. Lucia. But with so much to see and so many things to do, this place is so delightfully pleasant that you would only want to come back here again and again.

Martinique – another unique destination to cherish:

Are you looking for the true French Experience but still prefer to enjoy it in tropical climes? Then you should consider Martinique for your next vacation. Compared to its French neighbors, Guadeloupe and St. Barts, Martinique is the social and cultural center of the French Antilles.

However, the reasons to come for vacation in Martinique are far more than its French ambiance. The exotic island contains beautiful sandy-white beaches and lush rain forests. Its people, the Martiniquaise, are both charming and elegant.

Martinique’s terrain is mountainous, especially in its northern rain forests, where the volcano Mantagne Pelee rises to a height of 4,582 feet.

As you travel to the island’s center, the mountains are smaller, with Carbet Peak’s summit reaching 3,897 feet. Martinique’s southern portion has hills, known as mornes, that peak at just below 1,400 feet.

Martinique’s shape is irregular, with ﬁve bays and dozens of coves. Martinique’s western shore faces the Caribbean, and its eastern edge borders the Atlantic.

About a third of the population of 360,000 resides in Fort-de-France, the capital and largest city.

The island almost always feels mild, with year-round temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, on average like 27 degrees Celsius.

Here, you can experience great cool weather because of a tropical breeze called alize. Rain showers are frequent, especially during Fall, but last mere minutes.

Scenery

Vegetation is bountiful in Martinique’s lush rain forests, including hibiscus, poinsettias, coconut palms, bougainvillea and mango trees. Fruits sprouting from the island’s soil encompass pineapples, bananas, papayas, avocados and custard apples.

Flavorful food plays a big role in Martinique’s personality, and excellent Creole cooking goes along with Creole customs and traditions that still ﬂourish. Other cuisines represented in ﬁne restaurants are French and Caribbean.

In addition to Fort-de-France, Martinique’s vacation spots are Pointe du Bout, The South Loop (comprised of Le Diamant, Ste-Luce, Le Marin and Ste-Anne).

The North Loop consists of Le Carbet, Montagne Pelee, Grand-Riviere, Le Marigot, Trinite and Le Francois).

Also, the Lamentin International Airport is very convenient here according to the major vacation locales.