Choiseul

Choiseul on Saint Lucia's southwestern coast is the island's craft district, where basketry, pottery and woodcarving are made in techniques traced back to the Kalinago and earlier Amerindian populations, with a craft centre on the road selling work made in the surrounding villages. Clay pots are still fired in the open. The coast here is rocky with small beaches between headlands. The Kalinago population survived longer in this part of the island than elsewhere, which is generally given as the reason the techniques persisted here.

What you actually see

• The basketry - the woven work in traditions traced to Amerindian practice.
• The open-fired pottery - clay pots made and fired in the villages.
• The craft centre - the outlet on the road selling the district's work.
• The rocky coast - small beaches between headlands along the shore.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. The craft centre keeps set hours. Pottery firing happens on no fixed schedule.

Honest expectations

The craft centre is the main formal outlet and seeing work being made depends on chance. Some stock is imported rather than local. The coast road is winding.

Nearby

Balenbouche is southeast, and Soufriere is north.