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The most
notable and the most
photographed landmarks
in St
Lucia are without doubt the Pitons.
The towering twin
Volcanoes of Gros Piton
and Petit Piton dominate
the landscape of the
west coast of St Lucia.
Gros
Piton stands 797 metres
above sea level
and it's smaller twin Petit Piton
stands 750
metres above sea level; close to the
town of Soufriere in the
southwest of the island.
The Pitons, which are now dormant
volcanoes, are one of
the most famous
landmarks in the
whole Caribbean region. |
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Covered
in lush green
vegetation, the Pitons
seem to majestically
rise from the blue
waters of the Caribbean.
What makes them so
spectacular is that they
do rise straight from
Piton Bay and viewed
from every angle they
are just as impressive a
sight. |
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Between
the two peaks lies an
area of forested high
ground known as the
Piton Mitan which has a
few buildings and a
hotel (Ladera Hotel).
Tucked
underneath Petit Piton
is the old town of
Soufriere. Soufriere was
the capital of St Lucia
(before Castries) during
the period of French
rule. Today it's a small
fishing village with a
few tourist attractions
including the
Diamond
Botanical Gardens and
the nearby
Soufriere
Volcano (known as the
'drive-though' or
'drive-in' volcano) as
there is a convenient
road through the very
centre of the active
crater. |
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Pitons
and Soufriere area
picture map |
Pitons
from a local hotel |
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Passengers from visiting
cruise ships docked at
Castries, can book a
full day shore excursion
(6 to 7 hours) which
will take in the
delights of the Pitons,
a visit to the Soufriere
Volcano (sulphur
springs), a walk around
the Diamond Botanical
Gardens, lunch in
Soufriere and a stop
over at
Marigot Bay. The
trip down the winding
west coast road through
the
rainforest takes a
couple of hours and the
Pitons excursions are
easily the most popular
in St Lucia. This is a
long day, but well worth
it. Remember that St
Lucia is a mountainous
island covered in lush
rainforest and the
climate is much wetter
than most islands and
fairly unpredictable. |
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Travel, holiday, vacation and
cruise guide to The
Pitons St Lucia,
Caribbean
All text and images are Copyright
Paradise Islands
org 2009. |
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Castries |
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Rodney Bay |
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Drive-In Volcano |
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Marigot Bay |
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Diamond Botanical
Gardens |
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Rainforest |
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More Photos |
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