In 1782, Admiral George Rodney watched from this promontory the French sails anchored off Martinique, some forty kilometres to the north. It was from here that he launched the fleet that won the Battle of the Saintes. Two and a half centuries later, ships dropping anchor in Rodney Bay, in northwestern Saint Lucia, tender their passengers ashore to explore the same ground: Pigeon Island, an 18-hectare national park where military history and swimming share two hills and two coves.

An islet turned peninsula

Pigeon Island was long an island in its own right, the hideout of the French privateer Jambe de Bois before becoming a British garrison. In 1972, a landfill causeway linked it to the mainland during the development of the neighbouring marina. The Saint Lucia National Trust now manages the site, a protected landmark, and charges an admission fee that funds its conservation. Past the gatehouse, lawns planted with century-old trees lead to the scattered ruins: barracks, a powder magazine, garrison kitchens and the former officers' mess, restored as a small interpretive centre.

The climb to the fort

Two summits shape the park. The first, crowned by the squat walls of Fort Rodney, can be climbed in about fifteen minutes along a maintained trail; period cannons and a viewpoint indicator await at the top. The second, Signal Peak, climbs more steeply, with stones and roots underfoot, to about 110 metres. The effort pays off in a panorama: the bay and its sailboats, the village of Gros Islet, the hills of the north of the island and, in the clear haze on the horizon, the silhouette of Martinique. Bring closed-toe shoes, water and a hat; the trade wind blows at the top, but the climb remains exposed.

Two coves to catch your breath

At the foot of the fortifications, two small coves of calm sand open onto waveless waters, ideal after the hike. Families appreciate their gentle slope; more curious swimmers follow the rocks where parrotfish and sergeant majors dart about, while pelicans dive a little farther off. The water, barely cooler than the air, invites you to stretch out the break until the last call for the tender. A restaurant and a few kiosks in the park serve cold drinks and simple dishes, and the Jambe de Bois pub, a local institution set in the greenery, honours the memory of the one-legged privateer.

Around the bay

Passengers wishing to vary their day will find nearby the long Reduit Beach, one of the busiest on the island, as well as the marina and its restaurants. The neighbouring village of Gros Islet retains its wooden houses and its church facing the sea; its Friday night street party is famous across the island, but only ships staying late at anchor allow you to enjoy it.

Port call pointers

As the anchor is raised

From the deck, at departure, Pigeon Island resumes its shape as a green sentinel at the entrance to the bay. You then understand why so many powers fought over this rock: whoever held these hills saw everything. Passengers, for their part, take away something else: a fort on a child's scale, a swim at the foot of the cannons and one of the finest open-air history lessons in the Lesser Antilles.