Marigot Bay is located on the western coast of the Caribbean island country of Saint Lucia, 3.75 miles southwest from Castries and a short distance from the Saint Lucian National Marine Reserve. It is surrounded on three sides by steep, forested hills.[1][2]

Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay is located in Saint Lucia
Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay
Location of Bay
LocationCastries District, Saint Lucia
Coordinates13°57′50″N 61°01′34″W / 13.96376°N 61.025979°W / 13.96376; -61.025979 (Marigot Bay)
Part ofCaribbean Sea

History

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The inland portion of the bay forms a hurricane hole, used to shelter boats from hurricanes.

Marigot Bay is a historic landmark, having been used by the French and British navies before and after a number of nearby battles.[3] It is widely claimed that a British fleet under Admiral Barrington hid from French pursuers within the bay, [4][5] in some retellings attaching palm fronds to their masts in order to disguise themselves amongst the trees [6][7][8] however this story is likely to be apocryphal, with no primary source evidence to support this.

The bay was used as the setting for the 1967 film adaptation of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books. Scenes of the shipwreck, Great Pink Sea Snail, and the construction of the harness for the Giant Lunar Moth were filmed in the bay.[7]

The American novelist James A. Michener, in his 1978 novel Chesapeake, famously described the bay as "The most beautiful bay in the Caribbean".[9]

The all-girl trio Arabesque featured a song "Marigot Bay" appearing on the album of the same name in 1980.

Region

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The second-order administrative region of Castries District is called Marigot and has a population of 769. The populated towns within this region are Marigot (13°58′02″N 61°00′49″W / 13.96735°N 61.01368°W / 13.96735; -61.01368 (Marigot)) and Marigot Bay (13°57′50″N 61°01′34″W / 13.96376°N 61.02598°W / 13.96376; -61.02598 (Marigot Bay)). The water body is referred to as Marigot Harbor (13°57′58″N 61°01′36″W / 13.96604°N 61.0266°W / 13.96604; -61.0266 (Marigot Harbor)). There is also a Marigot Point (13°58′13″N 61°01′45″W / 13.970313°N 61.029087°W / 13.970313; -61.029087 (Marigot Point)).[10]

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References

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  1. ^ "Marigot Bay Resort Spa and Marina". Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  2. ^ "Marigot Bay". National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "St Lucia History". 24 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Boat Charter in St Lucia". 24 May 2023.
  5. ^ Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands (8 ed.). Lonely Planet. 2021. p. 698. ISBN 9781787016736.
  6. ^ "It may not be the South Pacific but St Lucia is a slice". Chicago Tribune. 17 Feb 1985.
  7. ^ a b Williams, Richard (10 October 2019). "Marigot Bay Resort History Leaflet".
  8. ^ "History of Marigot Bay". Oasis Marigot. 11 December 2015.
  9. ^ Bennett, Patrick (2014-01-21). "Uncommon Caribbean - Marigot Bay St. Lucia: The Most Beautiful Bay in the Caribbean by Land or Sea". Uncommon Caribbean. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  10. ^ "Marigot". GeoNames. Retrieved August 13, 2021.