Anse La Raye or Anse-La-Raye is the largest town and seat of the Anse la Raye District of Saint Lucia. It is located on the island's western side, near Marigot Bay, and has several examples of French and English colonial architecture.[1][3][4]

Anse la Raye
Town
Overlooking Anse La Raye from the North
Overlooking Anse La Raye from the North
Boundary of Anse la Raye District in Saint Lucia with location of city
Boundary of Anse la Raye District in Saint Lucia with location of city
Coordinates: 13°56′24″N 61°02′35″W / 13.9401°N 61.0431°W / 13.9401; -61.0431
CountrySaint Lucia
DistrictAnse la Raye District
CityAnse la Raye
Founded18th Century
Founded byFrance
Named forThe rays found in the bay
Government
 • Governing bodyAnse la Raye Village Council
Elevation99 m (325 ft)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • Total
6,354 (District) 1,256 (city)[1]
Time zoneUTC-4 (Eastern Caribbean Time Zone (ECT))
Area code758
Websitewww.anselaraye.com

History

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The name Anse la Raye is derived from the rays that are found in the bay, the English translation means Bay of Rays. Two rivers flow into the bay, these are the Grande Rivière de l'Anse la Raye and the Petite Rivière de l'Anse la Raye. On a Friday night there is a fish fry where lobsters, fish and lambi (conch) are cooked and eaten. The fish fry is located on Front Street, which runs parallel to the beach.[5]

The local Catholic church was built in 1907, but records show that a chapel has existed since 1765. The present church has murals painted by the St Omer Family. Nearby attractions include the Anse la Raye Falls and the River Rock Falls.

The town is noted for its youth music groups, the "Cecilian Reys" and the "Anse La Raye Youth Orchestra", both of which were formed under the direction of Petronilla Deterville. Performing since 1981 throughout the country, the group aims to expand the cultural experiences of youth from the area.[6][7]

See also

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Scenes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Anse la Raye". GeoNames. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "2010 Census". Government of Saint Lucia.
  3. ^ "Government of Saint Lucia". Archived from the original on 2012-05-20. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  4. ^ There are two spellings, Anse La Raye and Anse-La-Raye. The spelling without the hypen is preferred and used in the Census.
  5. ^ "Discover Anse la Raye". Anse la Raye.
  6. ^ Bishop, Stan (19 January 2016). "Petronilla Deterville's Work Highlighted". Castries, St Lucia: The Voice of St. Lucia. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Piper's Song: Volunteerism to Safeguard the Music Art Form" (PDF). National Review. No. 23. Castries, St. Lucia. 24 September 2011. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.