The Pitons of St. Lucia hold such a place of pride for the country that they are prominently featured on its flag. There was no way I was going to pass up a visit to the twin peaks when I traveled to St. Lucia in the fall of 2016, so I hired a driver from a tour company in the port of Castries to take me to the Pitons Management Area in the southern part of the island, near the town of Soufrière. Along the way I passed banana plantations, fishing villages, and scenic Marigot Bay, but I was most impressed when the Pitons first came into view along the coastline. Before visiting the peaks, my driver took me to the Sulphur Springs geothermal area, which was rather decent to visit, even though I have seen similar areas in other countries. Following Sulphur Springs, we drove to a farm on the Piton Mitan ridge, which connects Gros Piton with Petit Piton. There was a hike on the farm which gave me a spectacular view of the Pitons--particularly Petit Piton--set against the deep blue of the Caribbean. I thoroughly enjoyed the natural beauty of the peaks, and I have fond memories of that evening as I left the island, getting one last view of the Pitons silhouetted against the horizon as the sun set.

Logistics: The Pitons Management Area is probably easiest to reach via private transportation.