In the 1970s Barbados made the Caribbean come of age，drawing newly affluent British and American tourists and holiday-home buyers to its undeveloped coasts，unspoilt villages，basic bars and roadside restaurants。
Those days have gone；Barbados has since attracted celebrities，large apartment schemes and restaurants with London prices。Now there's another Caribbean location for those wanting a home combining sun and the simple life in the shabby-chic style of the old Barbados。Welcome to St Lucia。
It is compact-238 sq miles，with a population of 160，000—and the terrain is the most mountainous of the larger Caribbean islands。Everywhere there are unkempt but charming villages，linked by twisting roads revealing spectacular views of bays and coves by the coast and rugged landscapes of palm trees inland。
The capital city is Castries，where a third of the locals live。This is also where 10-story ocean liners dominate the skyline，disgorging thousands of US tourists for one day visits-a symbol of what many see as a down market tourist tradition that should be shed。On St Lucia's eastern coast there are beautiful beaches but also rip-tides and some Atlantic storms；on the north-west coast the seas are calmer but the beaches much busier，particularly near the prime tourist and real estate haven of Rodney Bay。
Recent changes to limit development include a compulsory environmental impact survey to measure the effect of a scheme on land，local people and wildlife。There is also a ban on building new homes within 100 metres of the coast。
“The local authorities are acutely aware of the high density building on some of the other Caribbean islands，”says Charlotte Wilson of Savills，the London-based estate agency that sells property on the island。“They're working with conservationists and introducing restrictions to ensure St Lucia doesn't go the same way。”
Until the late 1990s St Lucia's economy was dominated by bananas。But locals now tell stories of how banana groves are being hacked down to make way for homes。Certainly there are many new schemes under way，although most seem to be of a scale and location that will not destroy the island's natural integrity。
“Most international buyers look for homes in the$500，000-$1.3m range（properties tend to be priced in US dollars in the Caribbean）。Britons account for most buyers，by a large majority，followed by the Irish and Americans”，says David Farrin，a Londoner who has lived on St Lucia since 2002 and runs Doubloon Real Estate，selling holiday homes in Rodney Bay。Many investors opt to buy a simple home aimed at the local market and extend or rebuild it to international standards。Prices start at about$100，000 for the property with modernisation costing about the same amount。But most overseas buyers opt for new-build properties with two bedroom apartments typically starting from$450，000 and villas priced from$1m，depending on size and view。
Le Paradis is easily the largest scheme under construction。The five-star luxury project is being led by Westin hotels and is set in 554 acres at Praslin Bay on the hitherto less-favoured Atlantic coast。It has 600 homes，a Greg Norman-designed golf course，and is due to be completed next year。
The Landings，on 19 acres at Rodney Bay is managed by Colorado-based hotel group Rockresorts。Its 228 apartments-being built in four phases from 2005 until 2010—line a 60—berth harbour along the coast from a current marina now being dredged for use by mega-yachts from early next year。
“It's one of the few schemes here to have direct access to the sea and it's one of the few to have professional facilities management to look after the pools，maintenance and landscaping。”explains Richings，whose builders have had to link water，electricity and sewage services to the site。
As if to emphasise its exclusivity，buyers at Allamanda may also buy 5 per cent fractional shares in a Beneteau 505 sailing yacht-a must for hopping through the so-called“Caribbean chain”of islands，which has St Lucia roughly in the middle。
A sail round the island on that boat，or any of the thousands of others bobbing on the opal Caribbean waters，will reveal how relatively undeveloped St Lucia remains in spite of the onset of mass tourism。There are few big coastal resorts except in the north-west，only a handful of marinas and scarcely any“mega-homes”with moorings。
This simplicity is the island's chief selling point in an increasingly sophisticated Caribbean and is what draws people such as Natalie Greenaway。She is a British lawyer in her early 30s from Hampshire，who moved to Marigot Bay in St Lucia in June 2007 for what she intended to be a career“gap year”。Now she is thinking of staying for good。“If you want a predictable，guaranteed，reliable lifestyle then St Lucia isn't for you。But it's this simplicity that makes it so beautiful，”she says。
Greenaway's arrival on St Lucia coincided with what was to have been a major spur to local property sellers，the 2007 Cricket World Cup held across six Caribbean islands。Tourist officials predicted up to 10，000 British fans would attend，the St Lucian cricket ground was spruced up and one early-round match involved England，a crowd-pleasing choice on this island where the old country is still revered。But the tournament backfired-badly。
“It was an unmitigated disaster”，explains David Farrin。He says it was too long，played on too many islands，and was too expensive for fans to attend Non-cricketing holidaymakers who feared an invasion of sports fans avoided the area，so the combined result was a tourism slump and lost rental income for home-owners。
Although St Lucia trades on its relatively unsophisticated image，it is not bereaved of celebrity glamour。Former world-boxing champion George Foreman and rock star Mick Jagger have holiday homes in Marigot Bay。British TV polymath Carol Vorderman owns two homes in Rodney Bay，plus an estate agency based on the island，selling properties that she calls“an excellent alternative to those available in the neighbouring but more expensive Barbados”。
St Lucia is clearly an island on the move；one can only hope that it will retain its unspoilt charm。
上世纪70年代，巴巴多斯让加勒比地区走入成熟，它将英美的新富游客和度假房产购买者们，吸引到该国未开发的海滨、未受破坏的乡村、小酒吧和路边餐厅。
那些年代已经过去；此后巴巴多斯吸引的都是名人、大型公寓项目以及可与伦敦价格媲美的餐厅。如今，在加勒比海，对于希望购买一栋既能享受阳光，又能体验过去巴巴多斯老旧时尚风格和简单生活的人而言，还有另外一个选择。欢迎来到圣卢西亚！
这个国家很小——国土面积238平方英里，人口16万——在加勒比海较大岛国中，该国山区最多。你在任何地方，都能看到不发达但景色迷人的村庄，它们与曲折的道路相连，折射出海湾的美景和内陆错落有致的棕榈树景观。
该国首都是卡斯特里，本地人口占三分之一。这里停留着一艘统治地平线的十层远洋客轮，每天运送数千名美国游客，这是许多人所说的低档游客传统的象征，他们认为，这一传统应被放弃。在圣卢西亚的东海岸，有美丽的海滩，也有激流和一些大西洋风暴；在西北海岸，海面较为平静，但海滩更为忙碌，尤其是在旅游和房地产一流港口罗德尼湾（Rodney Bay）附近。
圣卢西亚最近限制开发的改革，包括一项强制性的环境影响调查，旨在评估关于土地、当地人和野生生物计划的影响。此外，政府还限制在距离海岸100米以内的地方新建房屋。
“当地政府极为关注其他一些加勒比岛国的高密度建筑，”伦敦房地产经纪公司Savills的夏洛特·威尔森（Charlotte Wilson）表示，“他们正与环保主义者合作，推出限制措施，确保圣卢西亚不走同样的路。”该公司在圣卢西亚销售地产。
上世纪90年代末之前，圣卢西亚的经济主体是香蕉行业。但本国人如今讲述的故事是，当地人如何砍伐香蕉树，为建筑让路。当然，目前有很多新计划，不过，多数计划的规模和地点似乎都不会破坏该国的自然完整性。
自2002年一直生活在圣卢西亚的伦敦人大卫·法林（David Farrin）表示：“多数国际买家正物色50万美元至130万美元的房产（在加勒比地区，房地产往往以美元计价）。英国人占绝大多数，紧接着是爱尔兰人和美国人。”法林管理着Doubloon Real Estate公司，该公司在罗德尼湾销售度假房产。许多投资者选择购买针对本国市场的普通房子，然后将其扩建或改造，最终达到国际标准。这些房子的价格起价在10万美元左右，改造费用也差不多是这个数字。但多数海外购房者选择起价在45万美元的两室公寓和起价100万美元的别墅，因面积和景观的不同而不同。
Le Paradis肯定是该国最大的在建房地产项目。这个五星级豪华建筑由Westin酒店牵头，位于迄今不太受人青睐的大西洋海岸的普拉林湾（Praslin Bay），占地554英亩。这里将建造600间房子和一个由格雷格·诺曼（Greg Norman）设计的高尔夫球场，预计将于明年完工。
Landings项目位于罗德尼湾，占地19英亩，由总部位于科罗拉多州的酒店集团Rockresorts管理。该项目包括228套公寓——分4期完成，工期为2005年至2010年，它将一个拥有60个泊位的海湾与目前正在挖掘的一座码头分离开来，该码头将从明年年初开始用于大型游艇的停泊。
里金斯解释道：“这是为数不多的直接通向大海的项目之一，也是为数不多的具备专业设施管理技能、管理游泳池、维修和景观的公司之一。”里金斯聘用的建筑商已将水、电和污水系统连接到工地现场。
好像是为了强调这个项目的奢华，Allamanda的购房者还可以购买Beneteau 505游艇5%的零股，要穿越众多加勒比小岛，这是一个必需品，圣卢西亚基本上处于这些岛屿的中心。
尽管该国旅游业大规模兴起，但如果你驾船游览该岛，或者游览数千座其他点缀在加勒比宝石般海水上的小岛，你会发现，圣卢西亚仍相对不发达。除了西北海岸，这里几乎没有大型海滨胜地，只有为数不多的几个码头，几乎没有拥有系泊处的“豪宅”。
在日益成熟的加勒比地区，圣卢西亚的这种简朴一直是该国的主要卖点，也是吸引纳塔利·格林纳维（Natalie Greenaway）等人的一点。格林纳维三十出头，来自英国汉普郡，是一位英国律师。2007年6月，她搬到圣卢西亚的玛丽格特湾（Marigot Bay），她希望在这里度过她职业生涯中的“空档年”。如今，她正在考虑在这里享受美好的生活。她说：“如果你想要一种可预期、有保证且可靠的生活方式，那么圣卢西亚不适合你。但正是这种朴素让它如此美丽。”
格林纳维来到圣卢西亚正值2007年板球世界杯（2007 Cricket World Cup）在六个加勒比海岛举行之际，这项赛事对当地的房地产销售商是一个巨大的刺激。当地旅游官员预计，多达一万名英国球迷将抵达这里，圣卢西亚板球赛场装扮一新，一场初赛的参加者是英格兰，这是该岛取悦大量球迷的一种选择，在这里，这个古老的国家仍备受尊敬。但这场比赛却起到了反效果。
大卫·法林表示：“这是一场无法缓和的灾难。”他表示，赛事时间太长，场地太多，球迷们无法支付这么高的费用来看比赛。一些非板球球迷的度假者担心，很多球迷会来到这里，因此他们不愿在此度假。最终的结果是旅游业下滑和房主租金收入减少。
尽管圣卢西亚利用了其相对朴素的形象，但它并没有丧失其名人魅力。前世界拳击冠军乔治·福尔曼（George Foreman）和摇滚明星米克·贾格尔（Mick Jagger）都在玛丽格特湾拥有度假房产。英国电视数独高手卡罗尔·福德曼（Carol Vorderman）在罗德尼湾有两处房产，她在该岛还有一家销售地产的房地产经纪公司。她认为，“相对于邻国巴巴多斯更昂贵的地产，这里的房地产是一个非常好的替代选择。”
显然，圣卢西亚是一个发展中的岛屿；人们只能希望，它将保持它那未受破坏的魅力。
Affluent adj。富裕的；丰富的；繁荣的
Chic adj。高雅的：
She always looks very chic。
她的样子总是很高雅。
Unkempt adj。不整洁的；凌乱的；疏於整理的
unkempt hair 蓬乱的头发
Cove n。小海湾（small bay）
Down market 低价货市场
Prime adj。第一流的
Haven n。安全的地方；憩息处；避难所
Terrorists will not find a safe haven here。
恐怖分子在这里将找不到安身之处。
Compulsory adj。按规定要做的；有责任的
Grove n。树丛；小树林：an olive grove 橄榄树丛
Bob v。上下疾动（尤指在水上）：toy boats bobbing（up and down）on the waves 在水波上颠簸的玩具船。
Opal adj。（作定语）蛋白石（色）的
Onset n。（爆发性的）开始（尤指不愉快的事）
the onset of winter 冬天的突然降临
Resort n。度假胜地
Cricket n。蟋蟀
Spruce up 使整洁；打扮
Revere v。深为尊敬，崇尚
Slump n。/v。指价格、贸易、商业活动）突然或大幅度下跌或减少
Retain v。保留，未丧失；保住
加勒比海是大西洋西部的一个边缘海。位于北纬9.22°，西经89.60°之间。
加勒比海的面积约为2，754，000平方公里，是世界上最大的内海。有人曾把它和墨西哥湾并称为“美洲地中海”，海洋学上称其为中美海。加勒比海以印第安人部族命名，意思是“勇敢者”或是“堂堂正正的人”。