Saint Lucia

For a few days during the year the locals of Saint Lucia don their fanciest and most summery carnivalesque costumes before taking to the streets. Hailed as one of the best carnival celebrations in the Americas, this yearly event manages to portray the Caribbean culture of this small island nation perfectly. The festival arrives at its climax with a two-day long parade of live music, feathers, beads and scantily clad carnival-goers moving rhythmically under the radiant Saint Lucian sun.

The island's natural landscape and warm culture works as the perfect backdrop for the annual jazz festival that takes place in Saint Lucia. Curated by 'Jazz at Lincoln Center' in New York, the line-up for the festival includes some of the world's most prominent jazz musicians and is sure to leave any music lover thoroughly impressed. Add to that the awe-inspiring natural landmark of Pigeon Island at the open-air stage and the impromptu dance parties that make the event uniquely Saint Lucian.

With a very self-explanatory name for a diving festival, Dive Fest delivers exactly what it says on the packet. Surrounded by a crystal clear tropical ocean, Saint Lucia is the ideal place for scuba diving enthusiasts. Get your gear on and be prepared for what the Caribbean Sea has to reveal. You will see the most colourful and majestic of marine wildlife effortlessly gliding past you in the tranquil waters at one of the island's more than 22 world-class diving sites. Take part in the events organised around the theme of scuba diving and join in with the fun.

Every year in the month of August, reggae fans are in for a treat on the island of Saint Lucia. With afro-punk, R&B and hip-hop outfits all regularly on the line-up too, the Roots & Soul festival is three days of reggae classics as well as the most innovative names on the current scene. Live shows usually take place at a couple of different locations on the island, such as Rodney Bay and the Pigeon Island National Landmark.