Status:
Some areas open to public; Maria Islands Nature Reserve strictly no access except by National Trust tours (fees apply); Some private lands
What:
Beaches; park; hiking; nature reserve; views; kayaking; windsurfing; horseback-riding; sea-moss farm tours; swimming; snorkeling; restaurants; Atlantic coast
Cost:
Entrance Fees to Maria Island apply – book tours with Saint Lucia National Trust Southern Office Adults – US$50; Some areas of PSEPA free – if you enjoy the PSEPA area, please donate towards the upkeep here
Location:
South Eastern coast of the island. Vieux Fort
Opening Times;
Maria Islands tours available from ??am to ?? pm during the months of ?. Otherwise closed for bird nesting season.
Rules:
Take nothing with you except what you came with, your photos, memories, and your purchased souvenirs. Maria Island Nature Reserve, strict sanitary protocols apply – access forbidden except through Saint Lucia National Trust authorised tours.
Contact: 1 – 758 452 5005, info@slunatrust.org
This 1038-hectare site was designated an environmental protection area in August 2007 under Saint Lucia’s Physical Planning and Development Act of 2001. The OECS Protected Areas and Associated Livelihoods Project (OPAAL) used the PSEPA as a demonstration site until 2011.
The Maria Islands are a treasure trove of amazing flora and fauna, some of which are endemic not just to Saint Lucia, but to the tiny 12-hectare Maria Major and smaller Maria Minor islands themselves. There’s the Saint Lucia Racer snake, the world’s rarest snake! Kouwès in Kweyol, (Liophis ornatus) this tiny, harmless snake is believed to be a population of only around 20 snakes!
Then there’s the Saint Lucia Whiptail Lizard, Zando, endemic to the Maria Islands, the males of which are the same colours of the Saint Lucia national flag.
The Trust is partnered with Durrell International to save this precious wildlife from extinction.
The PSEPA also possesses the largest basin-like mangrove in Saint Lucia known as the Makote Mangrove. This mangrove is home diverse flora and fauna including seventeen (17) species of fish. It’s a marine reserve and is declared as a “wetland of significant value” under the RAMSAR convention of 2002.
The PSEPA also includes large areas of seagrass beds and is home to various types of coral reef. The increasingly popular health-product seamoss, has been produced here for decades and lobster and other fishers, charcoal producers, , crafters, tour guides offering kayaking, windsurfing, horse-back riding and diving tour guides all make their livelihoods from the sustainable use of resources within the PSEPA.