St Lucia is one of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, a string of islands on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea. It is popular with cruise ships and has emerged as a significant honeymoon destination because of its many resorts and activities. The capital of the island nation, Castries, is located on the northwestern coast.

            St Lucia’s inclusion on this list of Latin America’s best tourist attractions is due to the presence of the Pitons which lie south of the capital, in the southwestern part of the island. The two conical mountains, named Petit Piton and Gros Piton, have become the recognizable symbol of the island. Because they are so close to the shoreline, separated by a picturesque bay, Anse des Pitons, they are particularly noticeable and prominent.

            The nearby fishing village of Soufriere is indelibly associated with these volcanoes, and also with another nearby volcano, Mount Soufriere, which has been dubbed the world’s only “drive-in” volcano. Cars can literally enter the centuries-old crater and visitors can stroll among boiling sulfur springs in an active geothermal area.