1. Cover Story — 40 Under 40 Awards 2012
Pinnacle Point Beach And Golf Resort
Cover Story — 40 Under 40 Awards 2012
Pinnacle Point Beach and Golf Resort
She has successfully launched marquee hospitality and lifestyle bands including Stingaree,
Searsucker, W Hotels, Starwood Luxury Collection Properties, Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts and
Sprinkles Cupcakes. J Public …. His philanthropic commitments …
St. Lucia Snap Shot
Article by Janus Gyan
St. Lucia Snap Shot
The foremost attractions in St. Lucia are great beaches, friendly people, stunning mountain
scenery, a steaming volcano, plantations, bird-watching, turtle-watching, all forms of watersports
(including scuba diving, sailing, snorkeling, windsurfing and kite-sailing), hiking, tennis and good
food.
With all its natural beauty and hiking trails, St. Lucia is a great destination for outdoor
enthusiasts who want to visit a Caribbean island-especially if they prefer less-developed areas.
But anyone who loves great beaches amid beautiful scenery and plenty of peace and quiet will
be very happy in St. Lucia.
St. Lucia Sightseeing
Exquisite gardens abound on the island of St. Lucia. There’s Diamond Botanical Gardens in
Soufriere, which features restored mineral baths, picturesque waterfalls, a nature trail and
estate; and the Mamiku Gardens in the eastern part of the island. If you have time, also visit the
Bonne Terre Tropica Gardens on the north side of the island and the gardens at the La Sikwi
Historical Sugar Mill & Plantation at Anse La Raye.
St. Lucia See and Do Guide
Visitors to St. Lucia in the Caribbean will find a lush tropical island. Gardens abound-including
the Diamond Botanical Gardens, Waterfalls and Mineral Baths-as do beaches with sand in a
variety of colors. (Anse de Sables and Pigeon Point are both excellent.) The St. Lucian waters
provide several ways to spend the day, including snorkeling and diving. Hikers also will enjoy a
St. Lucia vacation, with many trails exploring the rain forest.
Shopping on St. Lucia consists of some duty-free shops and lots of specialty shops selling local
arts and crafts. For travelers on Caribbean vacations, St. Lucia provides plenty to do and see,
both underwater and on shore.
Beaches-all of them public-come in a variety of colors on this island. Those along the northwest
shore tend to be very white, those in the middle have beige or tan sand and those farther south,
around the volcanoes, have black sand. (St. Lucia originated from a volcano, and the presence
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2. of volcanic rock causes the black sand). If there’s a bad beach on the island, we haven’t found
it. Waves are quite powerful along the Atlantic Coast, where only strong swimmers should
venture out. On the western (Caribbean) side, the water is much calmer.
With the exception of Reduit Beach, fronted by a number of hotels, most beaches are big, clean
and relatively isolated. Two of our favorites are Anse de Sables, across from Hewanorra Airport,
near Vieux Fort, which is popular with surfers, and the beach on Pigeon Point, north of Castries,
which has white sand and is good for swimming and picnicking.
Marigot Bay, south of Castries, has a white-sand beach that is known as the setting for the
originalDoctor Doolittle movie. Just north of Castries Vigie Beach is a palm-shaded stretch of
beige sand at the end of Choc Bay.
The little beach at Soufriere is better for sunning and lunching (at the Hummingbird Hotel and
Restaurant) than for serious swimming-there are a lot of yachts anchored right offshore. For a
great beach, exciting snorkeling and fine food, take the bone-crunching drive on a rutted dirt
road to Anse Chastanet Resort, north of Soufriere, where the views of the Pitons are
spectacular, and the snorkeling and diving are world-class.
You can also reach the beach by water taxi from Soufriere, and the views are even better from
the water. (If you do take a water taxi, be sure to reserve one for the return trip.) The water taxi
will also pick up and drop off at Anse Mamin, a quiet hideaway around the coastal curve of the
resort’s property.
Other nice beaches on the Caribbean coast include Anse Cochon, south of Marigot Bay and
most easily accessed by boat, and the beach at Laborie, the fishing village between Choiseul
and Vieux Fort. Your presence will probably attract some attention from local children-be
prepared to chat or play soccer.
For a real adventure, rent a four-wheel-drive Jeep and take the road from Babonneau east to
Grand Anse on the Atlantic coast. It’s about a 90-minute drive. The spectacular, windswept
beach is often deserted, and it’s a great place to camp, picnic or stroll. Beware of the strong
currents, however. Grand Anse is the most dangerous beach on St. Lucia, and you’re taking a
risk if you do anything more than wade in the water.
Leatherback turtles go ashore on Grand Anse to lay eggs, and the endangered creatures, the
largest marine turtles in the world, are protected during the August nesting season by a youth
organization that patrols the beach.
As for beach attire, there’s been some French influence, but the British attitude predominates:
Unless you’re in an isolated setting, plan to wear a swimsuit at the beach.
Bird Watching
St. Lucia is the only place on Earth bird-watching enthusiasts will spot the rare St. Lucia parrot
(Amazona Versicolor) which is called jaco or jacquot by islanders. Once among the most
endangered parrots in the world (as few as 100 lived in the wild in 1975), the population now
stands at about 800, and there is a US$ 5,000 fine for hunting the bird. The cobalt-blue
forehead and scarlet breast are especially striking.
Special four-hour tours are arranged through the Forestry and Lands Department for early
morning or late afternoon trips. Tours are US$ 30. For more information, phone 451-1691.
Boating & Sailing
Several cruise operators offer full-day and half-day tours of the island’s coast that include
snorkeling in secluded bays, refreshments or lunch, and perhaps some type of entertainment.
Sunset cruises and party boats also are popular.
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3. St. Lucia has excellent surfing-board, kite and wind-in the bay near Vieux Fort in the south and
at Cas-en-Bas in the north. Beginning surfers will prefer the calmer waters on the Caribbean
side of the island, and equipment and instruction are available at most large hotels and
watersports shops on many beaches. (US$ 15-$ 30 per hour or US$ 40-$ 50 per day for
boards; lessons are US$ 75 per session. Prices go down for longer rentals, multiple lessons and
packaged surfing vacations.)
Sea kayaking has become increasingly popular, especially with ecotravelers, and St. Lucia’s
shoreline is cut by fantastic coves, hidden caves and steep cliffs, which are ideal for exploring
by kayak. Guided tours run about US$ 70-$ 90 per person.
Fishing
St. Lucia’s waters are good fishing grounds for blue marlin as well as for mackerel, kingfish,
tuna, dorado, wahoo, barracuda and sailfish. Most boats accommodate six to eight anglers.
Golf
St. Lucia has ideal conditions for golfing vacations, and the island has an 18-hole course and
two nine-hole resort courses that are open to the public. Also, an 18-hole Greg Norman
signature course has been laid out along the remote Atlantic shores of Praslin Bay, and Jack
Nicklaus has designed an 18-hole course for the Raffles Resort development on the far north
coast at Cas en Bas.
Hiking & Walking
Much of St. Lucia’s interior is rain forest, and the best way to experience it is on a hike. A guide
is recommended for hikes of all levels in the rain forest because it’s easy to get lost in the
dense plant growth. Wear sturdy shoes and take a rain poncho, a bottle of water and a snack.
Hikes along designated trails, priced at US$ 2-$ 30 depending on distance and duration, may
be arranged by contacting the Forestry Department. Phone 468-5645.
http://www.geocities.com/sluforestrails.
The two small Maria Islands are a nature reserve operated by the National Trust. They can be
visited by advance arrangement. Phone 453-7656.
Scuba & Snorkeling
Diving and snorkeling are best in the Soufriere area, which is protected by the Soufriere Marine
Management Area (park fee US$ 5 per day or US$ 15 per year). In fact, the beach and reef at
Anse Chastanet Hotel, just north of Soufriere, are considered one of the 10 best dive sites in the
Caribbean, with more than 150 species of fish (including the bizarre and uncommon frogfish and
a 6-ft/2-m worm that has defied classification). The reef and the impressive underwater
pinnacles nearby are accessible just by wading out from shore.
You can see giant sponges at the Piton Wall. Wreck divers may want to explore the Volga, just
to the north of the Castries harbor, or the Lesleen M, a freighter sunk intentionally near Anse
Cochon in 1986 with several open compartments in its hull.
In the event of a diving emergency, the Diver’s Alert Network (DAN) will provide treatment
advice and, if necessary, arrange for evacuation. Phone 919-684-8111 or 919-684-4326. (Both
lines connect to DAN’s headquarters in the U.S. and accept collect calls.) DAN also answers
health-related questions about diving. For more information, phone 919-684-2948 or toll-free
800-326-3822. http://www.diversalertnetwork.org.
Tennis & Racquet Sports
Many of the large hotels and resorts have tennis courts for guest use. Nonguests may play at
some hotels when courts are not being used by guests.
If racquet sports are the prime focus of your vacation, consider staying at one of the following:
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4. Rex St. Lucian in Reduit Beach, Jalousie Plantation in Val des Pitons or Windjammer Landing in
Labrelotte Bay
As in most of the Windward Islands, St. Lucia was originally inhabited by the Arawak, who were
driven out by the Caribs before the arrival of Europeans. Accounts differ as to the first
Europeans to visit St. Lucia: Some maintain that Columbus sighted the island on 13 December
1502 (though his logbook suggests otherwise and St. Lucians have changed the name of the
public holiday from Discovery Day to National Day); others believe that it was another Spanish
expedition, a group of shipwrecked French sailors or Dutch explorers who first reached the
island. The Carib warriors prevented any permanent settlement of the island until the
mid-1600s, when French colonists established themselves there.
Like so many other Caribbean islands, St. Lucia became a political Ping-Pong ball, bouncing
back and forth between France and England 14 times. As a result, both countries influenced the
island’s culture. In 1814, France ceded St. Lucia to England, and it remained an English colony
until the 1970s.
Nonetheless, French traditions remain strong: The local Roman Catholic Church is influential,
and most residents speak Creole. English is the official language, however, and except for truly
remote areas of the island, most people speak English.
St. Lucia gained its independence from England in 1979 and is now a member of the British
Commonwealth. The major businesses are agriculture (primarily bananas, though that crop’s
profitability is declining) and tourism. Efforts to attract offshore banking have been relatively
successful. The country also has the most diverse manufacturing sector in the Eastern
Caribbean; products include clothing and toys.
St. Lucia has been the site for a number of Hollywood movies, including the original Doctor
Doolittle, Superman II, Water with Michael Caine and Firepower with Sophia Loren.
Leatherback turtles, the largest on Earth, lay their eggs on Grand Anse beach on the northeast
side of the island between March and July.
In the past 30 years, the population of the native, endangered St. Lucia parrot (Amazona
versicolor), or jacquot, has tripled, from as few as 100 in 1979-when the jacquot became the
island’s protected national bird-to approximately 800 now living in the central mountain rain
forest.
St. Lucia is a popular honeymoon destination, and some couples even choose to tie the knot on
the island. Visitors must reside on the island for two days before applying for a marriage license,
which will be processed within two business days. (Don’t schedule your wedding to take place
until the fifth day you’re on the island.) Couples will need a passport, birth certificate and, if
applicable, proof of divorce or the death of a former spouse.
Cap Estate, at the very northern tip of the island, is an exclusive community with palatial homes
set on at least an acre/hectare each. It also has the elegant Great House restaurant, which
contains the Derek Walcott Theatre. (Walcott is one of two St. Lucian Nobel Prize winners. He
won the 1992 prize for literature, and Sir W. Arthur Lews won the Nobel for economics in 1979.)
The nature preserve on Maria Island, off Vieux Fort, is home to two species found nowhere else
on Earth: the Kouwes snake and the Zandoli Terre lizard. The islands are closed to visitors
annually April-September.
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5. About the Author
Driven by a relentless curiosity, Janus began his research on St.lucia travel to identify what it is
that clients want. One year later, after intense data mining, blog reviews, travel reviews and
forums the answer was shockingly apparent. Adventure travelers want fun, raw island adventure
fun. Not Just some tour guide trotting along with little or no engagement with his team.
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.
The Links – Pinnacle Point Beach & Golf Resort
Visit at Pinnacle Point Beach & Golf Resort; www.thelinks.eu.com
Pinnacle Point Beach and Golf Resort
More information on South African experience at :
http://southafricanexperience.com/cover-story-40-under-40-awards-2012/
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