Summer news from Saint Lucia

It’s so easy to fall in love with Saint Lucia. With sandy beaches, tranquil blue waters, lush tropical rainforest, and an abundance of activities, and food, your only worry will be how to fit all of it into your holiday. Yet, summer brings a unique and exciting adventure with experiences like Saint Lucia Carnival.

In this edition of our newsletter, find out how you can immerse yourself in the culture, creativity and excitement of Saint Lucia Carnival this summer, learn a little more about our Creole language, see some highlights of the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, and take advantage of some amazing deals on accommodation in paradise. The island of Saint Lucia has also produced many talented people, and this month we feature one that is very well known in the UK. Scroll down to find out more.

Birding in Saint Lucia

Discover the splendor of this captivating island, and experience the exhilaration of birdwatching in paradise firsthand. The island is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, making all the best sites for bird watching easily accessible. Its extraordinary avifauna combined with the highest count of endemic birds in the Eastern Caribbean makes it one of the most important destinations in the region for observing unique bird species.

Saint Lucia is home to six endemic species, one of which is the island's national bird, the Saint Lucia Parrot (Amazona Veriscolor), a species that recovered from dangerously low population numbers in the early 1980s. The other endemics are the Saint Lucia Pewee, Saint Lucia Warbler, Saint Lucia Oriole, Saint Lucia Black Finch and Semper’s Warbler.

Want to learn more about birding in Saint Lucia? Visit the Saint Lucia stand at the Global Bird Fair in Oakham from the 14th -16th July 2023. There you can sample local Saint Lucian rum and banana bread, while learning more about birdwatching on the island. Click here to learn more.

A look back at Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival 2023

Sting and Shaggy

Pigeon Island National Landmark

Kassav

Saint Lucia recently welcomed back the renowned Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival. After a three year hiatus, this highly anticipated event returned with a bang, captivating global audiences. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Pigeon Island national park, the festival showcased a diverse programme featuring world-renowned musicians, artists and performers. From Grammy winners to rising stars, the stage came alive with an eclectic mix of genres. Initial figures reveal that over 10,000 festival goers attended each day with approximately 9,000 international visitors purchasing tickets to the events over the duration.

Visit stlucia.org to learn more about the festival.

Learn a little more about Carnival in Saint Lucia.

Nothing sweeter than that!

Summer time means carnival in Saint Lucia and this display of culture, music, creativity and art is a must-see. The island comes alive to the catchy, pulsating beats of soca music, steel pan and Dennery Segment, a genre of music indigenous to the island, which combines the local creole and English language to create music guaranteed to get everyone off their feet. On the two main parade days, masqueraders adorned in feathers and brightly coloured costumes take to the streets and dance their way through the city, creating an air of celebration.

This parade is preceded by two weeks of parties, competitions and community carnivals. Some of the notable competitions include the annual National Carnival Queen show where 10 contestants compete for the title of National Carnival Queen.

Additionally, there is the Groovy Soca and Power Soca Monarch, Calypso Monarch, and Panorama Competition. The King and Queen of the Bands competition is the greatest display of creativity throughout the festival, with costumes towering over 30 feet uniquely telling the story of ‘mas,’ revelry and freedom. With something for everyone, Saint Lucia Carnival offers an unforgettable experience.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Hotel of the Month

Windjammer Landing

This summer is the perfect time to gather the family and tick Saint Lucia off your travel bucket list. Windjammer Landing Beach Resort makes multi-generational travel easy with a wide array of Mediterranean-style suites and villas staggered on the northern hillside, ensuring the perfect front row seats of the island's golden sunsets.

The beach front resort offers several dining options, a kids club, water sports, and a smart spa. Keep the whole family entertained and enjoy this summer, Saint Lucia style. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Do you know Les Ferdinand?

Les Ferdinand MBE is a football coach, and former professional footballer who is currently the director of football at Queens Park Rangers. He was capped for England 17 times and has also played for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Leicester City. He is the eleventh-highest scorer in the history of the Premier League, with 149 goals.

Les was born in Acton, London, however, he is of Saint Lucian parentage.

In a 2009 interview, Les named Saint Lucia as one of his favourite travel destinations, and getting on the plane to visit his grandparents in Saint Lucia as his favourite journey.

Activity of the Month

Splash Island water Park

Splash Island is an inflatable water park located on the popular Reduit Beach in the north of the island. Splash Island was the Caribbean's first open-water sports park. Kids, families and warriors of all ages, will delight in the water park's many obstacle-course style features including a trampoline, climbing wall, monkey bars, a swing, a slide, hurdles, double rocker, flip, and water volleyball.

All users of the water park (who must be 6 years of age and older and 3 1/2 feet tall) are required to wear life vests irrespective of their swimming abilities. For more information, CLICK HERE.

Welcome to our Kwéyòl (Creole) Corner

Sa ka fete? Welcome back to our Kwéyòl Corner. It’s always summer time in Saint Lucia. So as the UK begins to warm up, this month we’ll teach you how to describe the weather in creole. The term ‘cho’, pronounced ‘show’, translates to hot; so to say “it’s hot”, you’d say ‘I ka fé cho’ pronounced ‘e cah fair show’.

Alternatively, the word for cold is ‘fwét’, pronounced ph-wet. So to say “it’s cold”, you’d say ‘I ka fé fwét’ pronounced ‘e cah fair ph-wet’.