| Pitons | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the Pitons and the Caribbean Sea. Petit Piton depicted on the left; Gros Piton on the right. | |
  Location in Saint Lucia | |
| Location | Soufrière District,Saint Lucia |
| Nearest city | Soufrière andChoiseul |
| Coordinates | 13°48′36″N61°3′56″W / 13.81000°N 61.06556°W /13.81000; -61.06556 |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, viii |
| Designated | 2004(28thsession) |
| Reference no. | 1161 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
ThePitons are two mountainousvolcanic plugs, volcanic spires, located inSaint Lucia.Petit Piton is 743 m (2,438 ft) high andGros Piton is 798.25 m (2,618.9 ft) high; they are linked by the Piton Mitanridge. Piton means mountain peak in French, so Petit and Gros Piton respectively refer to the smaller and larger peak. The Pitons are aWorld Heritage Site, 2,909 ha (7,190 acres) in size, and located near the town ofSoufrière.[1]
The Pitons are located between the towns ofSoufrière andChoiseul on the southwestern coast of the island.
The dominant terrestrial vegetation is tropical moist forest grading to subtropical wet forest, with small areas of dry forest and wetelfin woodland on the summits. At least 148 plant species have been recorded on Gros Piton, 97 on Petit Piton and the intervening ridge, among them eight rare tree species.
Gros Piton is home to some 27 bird species (five of them endemic), three indigenous rodents, oneopossum, three bats, eight reptiles, and three amphibians.[1] The site has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International.[2]
The volcanic complex includes a geothermal field with sulphurousfumaroles andhot springs.[1]
Gros Piton is at the southern end of Pitons Bay. It is the second-highest peak on Saint Lucia, afterMount Gimie.[1]
Gros Piton can be climbed without ropes or mountaineering experience. One can hike to the summit and come back down to sea level within several hours. Local guides are provided by the National Park and are included with your entry fee. They are trained by the government to have basic knowledge of the languages common among tourists and of the medical procedures required in case of common accidents.[1]
Petit Piton lies towards the middle of Soufrière Bay, south of Soufrière and north of Gros Piton.[1]
Petit Piton was first climbed in 1878 by Abdome Deligny. The islands of Dominica, Martinique, Barbados, and St. Vincent can be seen from its peak.[3]
Saint Lucia'slocal brand of beer made by the Windward & Leeward Brewery is named after the Pitons.[4]
Both mountains are an attraction for hikers. The Gros Piton peak is more popular since it is an easier climb and tours are offered by The Soufrière Foundation, a non-profit group that is dedicated to helping preserve the Pitons Management Area.
