Vigie Beach
Vigie Beach | |
|---|---|
Beach | |
Interactive map of Vigie Beach | |
| Coordinates: 14°01′29″N 60°59′05″W / 14.0247°N 60.9847°W | |
| Location | 2 km north of Castries District, Saint Lucia |
| Geology | White sand |
| Designation | Protected |
| Nearby Locations | George F. L. Charles Airport, Vigie Lighthouse, Vigie Point, Vigie village |
Vigie Beach in Castries District, Saint Lucia |
Vigie Beach is located 2 km north of Castries District, Saint Lucia, running parallel and immediately adjacent to the George F. L. Charles Airport.[1][2][3][4]
It is a protected white sand beach. Immediately opposite the airport departure lounge are a few small food kiosks.
History
Vigie Beach has been a historic "sea-bathing" destination for over 100 years; a 1927 British Colonial tour guide described it as "the famous Vigie Beach."[5] In the century between the start of organized tourism in the mid-19th century and the commercial availability of air conditioning in the 1950s, sea bathing was one of the few ways to cool off in hot weather.[6] In 1974, Fodor touted the Vigie Beach Hotel's air conditioning, along with the fishing, sand, and amenities.[7]
Vigie Field, now George F. L. Charles Airport, opened in 1941 directly to the south of the beach and across a road.
From 1960 through 1970, the "chronic sand mining" of Vigie Beach, to construct concrete, worsened the effects of hurricanes and made "coastal resources management development" more difficult.[8] Vigie Beach was so badly "effect[ed] by human interference" that "the bay was dredged in 1980 to rebuild the beach."[9]
In 2004, it became the location of a cable landing for the Atlantic Crossing system.[10]
Nearby locations
The following locations are nearby:[1]
- George F. L. Charles Airport, 14°01′13″N 60°59′35″W / 14.02023°N 60.99294°W
- Vigie Lighthouse, 14°01′21″N 61°00′05″W / 14.02245°N 61.00127°W
- Vigie Point, 14°01′26″N 61°00′17″W / 14.02383°N 61.00481°W
- Vigie village, 14°01′07″N 60°59′43″W / 14.01858°N 60.99537°W
See also
References
- ^ a b "Vigie Beach". GeoNames. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ Porter, Darwin; Prince, Danforth (2006). Caribbean For Dummies. Wiley ("for Dummies" imprint). p. 34. ISBN 9780471962519. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Cameron, Sarah (2013). St Lucia, Dominica. Footprint (travel guides). p. 397. ISBN 9781909268319. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Coffman, Linda (2007). The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises, 2nd Edition. Fodors travel publications. p. 609. ISBN 9781400018529. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Aspinall, Algernon Edward (1927). The Pocket Guide to the West Indies, British Guiana, British Honduras, Bermuda, the Spainish Main, Surinam, and the Panama Canal. Sifton, Praed & Company, Limited. pp. 172–173. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ See, generally, Robert Caro (1974). The Power Broker. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-72024-5., Chauncey, George (1994). Gay New York. Basic Books. ISBN 9780786723355., and Siry, Joseph M. (2021). Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970. Penn State University Press. ISBN 9780271089256. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Fodor's Guide to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda. 1974. pp. 423, 425. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Clarke, John R. (1985). Coastal Resources Management Development Case Studies. Research Planning Institute (Columbia, S.C.). pp. 244, 246, 276. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ St. Lucia: Country Environmental Profile, Caribbean Conservation Association, 1991, pp. 154, 239, 310, retrieved February 1, 2026
- ^ Actions taken under Cable License Act. FCC. pp. 447–478. Retrieved February 1, 2026.