Information on St. Lucia - KwaZulu-Natal - South Africa

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The village of St. Lucia is the ideal night stop for an excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of:

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa about 275 kilometres north of Durban (280S 3230E / -28, 32.5Coordinates: 280S 3230E / -28, 32.5). It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the St Lucia estuary, and made up of around 3,280 km of pristine natural ecosystems, managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. The park includes the St Lucia Game Reserve, False Bay Park, St Lucia Marine Reserve, Sodwana Bay National Park, Maputaland Marine Reserve, Cape Vidal, Ozabeni, Mfabeni, Tewate Wilderness Area and Mkuze Game Reserve. The park was previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, but was renamed effective from 1 November 2007. The word 'isimangaliso' is Zulu for 'a marvel'.

St. Lucia was first named "Rio de la Medaos do Oura" (River of the dows of Gold) in 1554 by the survivors of the Portuguese Ship Saint Benedict. It was then that the Tugela river mouth was actually known as St. Lucia. 
   Later, in 1575, the Tugela river was properly named Tugela.
   On 13 December 1575, the day of the feast of Saint Lucy, Manuel Peresterello renamed the mouth area to Santa Lucia.
   In 1822 St. Lucia was proclaimed a township by the British.
   In 1895 St. Lucia was proclaimed a Game Reserve.
   In 1971, St Lucia Lake, the turtle beaches and coral reefs of Maputaland were listed by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR).
   In December 1999 The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.