1. The Plains of Vieux Fort
Stretching south-north from the foot of Moule-A-Chique to the foot of Morne Beausejour, and east-west from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, interrupted only by Morne La Tourney and Beanfield Hill and encompassing Vieux Fort Town, Beanfield, La Tourney, La Ressouce, Contonement, Cedar Heights, Black Bay, and Beausejour, the plains of Vieux Fort set it apart as the district with the largest expanse of flat land.
Indeed, according to historians, the Vieux Fort Plain is a result of a freak of nature. Some 12,000 years ago, in the fourth and final stage of St. Lucia’s formation, following a period of volcanic activity, a huge fan-shaped mudslide that started at the center of the island flowed across the Vieux Fort area, building up the land, filling up the crevices, and covering all but the tallest hills, and leaving Moule-a-Chique as one of the few landmarks that were left to stand out.
2. Pointe Sable Beach
Vieux Fort’s Atlantic coast is home to Pointe Sable Beach, the longest uninterrupted sandy beach on the island. Clothed in a colony of sea-grape, sea-almond, and coconut palms, Pointe Sable is the very image of paradise. Pointe Sable Beach (along with Bwa Shadon) is home to the island’s highest concentration of nesting turtles, including three of the world’s seven species of turtles. The Tradewinds blowing from the Atlantic and across Pointe Sable Beach provide a welcome natural air condition for Vieux Fort. This, together with Vieux Fort’s relatively low rainfall, recreational beaches, and open spaces, makes it one of the most hospitable parts of the island. The same Tradewinds have made Pointe Sable Beach home to the best kite and windsurfing beach in St. Lucia and one of the best in the Caribbean.
3. Moule-A-Chique
At its southern end, Pointe Sable Beach gives way to the 740 feet Moule-a-Chique peninsula, the tallest point on the Vieux Fort landscape, and the southernmost point on the island. On top of Moule-a-chique stands the second highest lighthouse in the world, providing ships and local fishermen safe passage. The view on top of Moule-a-Chique is probably the most spectacular view the island has to offer. From this vantage point the seascape and landscape disrobe their beauty: the plains of Vieux Fort, the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, silhouette of the neighboring island of St. Vincent, 21 miles away, the Marie Islets sitting untamed in the Atlantic Ocean, the endless stretch of Point Sable Beach, the town of Vieux Fort and its Caribbean waterfront, the full lay of the international airport, the low lying hills that form Vieux Fort’s hinterland, beyond these hills the Pitons, La Sorciere, Trois Piton, and Mount Gimie, St. Lucia’s tallest peak standing, at 3,117 feet.
4. Marie Islets
Less than a mile off-shore from Pointe Sable Beach, sit the lush and picturesque Maria Islands. Declared a wildlife reserve, the untamed Islands serve as a nesting ground for many migratory birds and a sanctuary for a specie of whiptail lizard found nowhere else in the world.
5. Bwa Chadon
At its northern end, Pointe Sable gives way to Bwa Shadon, home to the Mankótè Mongrove Forest of over 70 acres, the largest stand of mangrove forest on the island. Mankótè Mongrove along with Savannes Mangrove were declared Ramsar sites in 2002. Bwa Shadon is also famous for its high concentration of nesting turtles, crabs, and sea urchins, as well as its shallow Atlantic waters and its seabed grass forest that extends at least a mile off-shore, the likes of which found nowhere else on the island.
6. Savanne’s Bay
The picturesque Savanne’s Bay sits north of Bwa Shadon along the Castries-Vieux Fort Highway. Its Scorpion Island, along with the Maria Islands, were declared nature reserves in 1982. Clothed by mangrove forest, this enchanting Ramsar-designated wetland is a popular kayaking destination.
7. Vieux Fort Bay
With the Moule-A-Chique peninsula providing natural protection against the elements, the Vieux Fort Bay serves as the front door to the city. It is home to Port Vieux Fort, one of two ocean cargo ports on the island, and The Pond, the largest fishery complex in the Eastern Caribbean. Before long the Bay is expected to boast boardwalks, cruise ship berths, a marina, and one or two luxury hotels.
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