WEST INDIES
Discover West Indies from 414 €
Corsair in the West Indies
Since 1990, Corsair has been offering cheap flights to the Caribbean. At your service, Corsair continues to provide quality daily service to Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre) and Martinique (Fort-de-France).
The average flight time for this destination is : 8 hours for Pointe à Pitre, 8 hours 30 for Fort de France
Please note that to get to Saint Lucia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin you will have to make a first flight lasting about 8 hours and then another flight of 3/4 hour operated by Air Antilles.
Practical informations
Before leaving, you need to bring with you:
- An ID card
- Or a valid passport
Information on customs and security formalities is provided as a guide.
Under no circumstances may Corsair be held responsible if your official documentation is not in order.
Good to know
No vaccination is required. However, bring sunscreen, sunglasses and mosquito repellents. However, vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory if you come from a country located in a risk zone.
On site
Shopping hours
- Stores are generally open from monday to friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm and from 01:30am to 04:00pm, and saturday from 8:00 to 12:00pm.
- Banks are open from 8:00am to 03:00pm from monday to friday. Some are open until 5:00 p.m. on Fridays but are closed all weekend and on holidays, except at Rodney Bay Marina, where they are open on Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Transports
- Renting a car is the best solution if you have enough people and little time. Avoid driving at night if possible, and have comprehensive insurance if possible.
- Cabs are numerous, easy to find but expensive. It is better to fix the price of the race before leaving.
- Make sure it is an official cab (red license plate beginning with TX and red sticker on the windshield).
- Numerous and practical (especially in the North), minibuses and buses are easily recognizable. They criss-cross all the roads but the schedules are random.
- The main station is located behind the Castries market, on Jeremie Street.
- If you are traveling by boat, there are many anchorage areas. Rodney Bay, with its marina, is the most important port.
Security
No particular recommendations. If you go swimming, be careful with some fish and marine animals. Saint Lucia is subject to the same sanitary norms and regulations as the mainland.
Holidays and celebrations
January 1st and 2nd: New year's eve.
February 22: anniversary of the island's independence (1979).
May: Jazz festival. For more than a week, the island lives to the rhythm of saxophones and double basses.
June 9th: festival of the fishermen. They decorate their boats in homage to the patron saint.
June-july: carnival of Saint Lucia in Castries. The festivities unite the entire population for a little over a week.
1st monday of august: Emancipation Day, day commemorating the abolition of slavery.
August 30th: feast of Saint Rose de Lima.
October 5th: Thanksgiving.
October 17th: Feast of Marguerite.
October: month of creole culture.
November 22: feast of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians.
December: Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, a transatlantic race starting from the Canaries at the end of November.
December 13: national holiday that commemorates the discovery of Saint Lucia in 1502 by Christopher Columbus. This day is also the festival of lights in Castries.
December 25th: Christmas, and Boxing Day (on the 26th).
To see
The Antilles are located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Ideally situated, these islands offer numerous activities, sunny weather, and lush fauna and flora.
Martinique: Exploring the island (by 4x4, on foot, or on horseback) and beach activities are the main highlights of your stay. You should also explore the wild expanses, waterfalls, streams, virgin forests, volcanic landscapes, and the stunning Caribbean beaches with their lagoons and coral reefs.
Guadeloupe: This archipelago, bordered by both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, consists of five islands. With its long beaches (white sand in Grande-Terre or Marie-Galante, and black sand in the south of Basse-Terre), its National Park in Basse-Terre, cliffs in the north of Grande-Terre, and exotic fauna and flora, it boasts breathtaking landscapes. You can experience the heart of one of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World in Les Saintes or the geological reserve of La Désirade.
Gastronomy
A delicious exoticism
The cuisine of Saint Lucia is an exquisite blend of flavors, revealing the different civilizations of the island. From European dishes to Caribbean spices and Indian subtleties, Creole cuisine is refined and surprising.
Coconut and ginger are widely used. There are also many curries and fish-based dishes, such as sea bream. Bananas, mangoes, pineapples and papayas complete this exoticism.
Local dishes
Stuffed crabs, tuna steaks, fresh fish with a spicy sauce, or fried plantains are part of the Creole culinary traditions of Saint Lucia.
A certain English influence is also present, which can be seen in the carrot cake, very sweet desserts, pork ribs or fried chicken drumsticks.
Restaurants
Because of the important tourism coming from the USA, you can find many fast foods and pizzas. However, French, Indian and Italian restaurants are still numerous, as well as those where quality local cuisine is preferred.
Drinks
In addition to the traditional local rum (including Bounty Rum, a dark rum), there are also drinks made from seamoss, a seaweed found on the island's coast. When macerated and combined with milk, nutmeg and cinnamon, it creates sweet and creamy drinks.
Banana
The cultivation of bananas is very important in Saint Lucia. This fruit is therefore naturally very present in the local cuisine.
Culture
Picturesque celebrations
Many beliefs and traditions are mixed on the islands of the West Indies such as cockfights or religious dances. There is an abundance of rituals and other mystical manifestations brought from Africa that are still very much integrated in the local culture, which you can attend, especially in the capitals.
Celebrations
The festivals are real "cultural baths" and closely associate music, games and culinary art. Among the most popular are the celebrations of All Saints' Day, which illuminate the cemeteries, the Carnival, Christmas, Easter and Pentecost celebrations. Numerous patronal celebrations also take place every year, including around Pointe-à-Pitre in Martinique.
Music
Creole music and dance are omnipresent. The zouk, especially and even the zouk-love, a languorous and moist zouk, to be danced "glued-tight". More traditional, the dances with orchestra remain current in certain balls. The waltz, the mazurka, the polka (memories of the colonists) and especially the biguine, very practiced in the city.
Climate
Mild all year round
The climate is tropical. The dry season is from January to May and the rainy season from June to December. The average annual temperature is 27°C and the hottest season is usually from June to August, when it can easily reach 35°C. However, there are a few breezes that cool the atmosphere.
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