Canaries, Saint Lucia

This tiny fishing village on Saint Lucia's west coast has been around since 1763, when its original settlers arrived from Martinique. Until the 1960s, Canaries was only accessible by boat, and the construction of the West Coast Road has done little to improve the village's isolation. With a school established in 1876 and an infant and junior school added in 1929, the place has some basic amenities, but the closure of the local sugar estate in the mid-20th century led many to seek work in England, with remittances from abroad fueling the rise of local businesses. The bureaucratic headaches of getting around this remote outpost are a persistent hassle, so Canaries is best suited for those seeking a tranquil, slow-paced life away from the crowds.