The Maria Islands

Maria Major and Maria Minor lie a short way off the southern tip of Saint Lucia, and between them they hold two species that exist nowhere else: the Saint Lucia racer, a small harmless snake that was thought extinct for decades and is now considered the rarest snake in the world, with surveys estimating fewer than twenty individuals, and the Maria Islands ground lizard, a blue-tailed species also confined to these rocks. Both were driven off the mainland by introduced mongooses. Access is controlled by the National Trust, guided, and closed entirely from May to July while seabirds nest.

What you actually see

• The Saint Lucia racer - among the rarest snakes on earth.
• The ground lizard - blue-tailed and endemic to these islands.
• The seabird colonies - terns and tropicbirds nesting in season.
• The dry cactus scrub - the habitat both reptiles depend on.

When to go

The reserve is closed from May to July for seabird nesting. Visits run from August to April through the National Trust, guided and by arrangement. The crossing is short but exposed and cancelled in swell.

Honest expectations

Access is by arrangement with the National Trust only and is not routinely available; there is no scheduled service. The racer is so rare that seeing one is very unlikely. Nothing may be taken and nothing brought ashore, since a single rat reaching the islands would end both species. The reserve closes for three months a year.

Nearby

Vieux Fort is on the mainland opposite; Anse de Sables is the departure beach.