Pigeon Island

Pigeon Island from Reduit Beach

On holiday in St Lucia. It's very hot and not easy to reach the small number of designated trails, so we haven't done any walking so far. However, Pigeon Island is only a short taxi ride away from where we are staying and there is no excuse for not doing this walk.

Pigeon Island is in fact no longer a real island, having been joined to the mainland by a causeway in 1970. It is now a National Park owned by the St Lucia National Trust and it has an interesting, and violent history. It was a pirate stronghold in the 16th century and was fortified in 1788 by Admiral Rodney (for whom nearby Rodney Bay is named). It was at that point a strategically important location in relation to France's key base at Port Royal in Martinique 25 miles to the north. It was from here that Rodney defeated the French at the battle of the Saintes in 1782, ending French naval power in the Caribbean. It was later used as a whaling station and as a naval wireless base by the Americans during the second world war.

The walk begins with a fine avenue of trees leading away from the main entrance to the park.



A short detour leads down to a pleasant beach with a view of Rodney's Fort ahead.



We resisted the temptations of the beach and continued uphill along a leafy track.



At the end of this, there is a steep climb up to the Fort. There is not much there - just a few old British cannon and the remains of the powder room - but there are fine views to the south. To the north, there is a fantastic view of the ridge which leads up to Signal Peak at 110m.



You walk up the grassy ridge, and then round the right side of the peak and up a steep winding path to reach the summit. There are great views to the north, where on a clear day you can see Martinique. We enjoyed the view back down to the Fort.



There is a sort of flag pole at the top and we climbed its base and had our picture taken. As does everyone who makes it this far. Then we retraced our steps.

Distance: Only about 2 miles, but a good work out.

Conditions: Very hot.

Rating: Four stars.