St Lucia is one of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, located midway down the Eastern Caribbean chain. The Atlantic Ocean washes the eastern shore, while the calm Caribbean Sea laps at the western shores. Small though the island may be – only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide – it has everything that one dreams of in a Caribbean island.

Fought over by the British and the French no less than fourteen times, the British finally took over in 1803 and St Lucia remained under British rule until 1979, when it gained independence and joined the British Commonwealth. Happily, much of the French influence remains and can be seen in the food, the music and the culture. The local language is Patois, a Creole dialect, but most people speak English.

The island has long been a favourite for Brits of fairly substantial means – there are for instance very attractive tax incentives for those that make it their home plus a number of investment inducements.

Amazingly for an island of its size, St Lucia has two airports; Hewenorra Airport in the south and George F.L Charles in the north. There are many international flights serving the island, from airlines as various as Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, West Jet to name a few.

BA recently introduced daily flights from Gatwick to St Lucia, a decision that will please the many living on the island and those visiting friends and relations or holidaying too.

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