Pitons

The Pitons are two mountainous volcanic plugs, volcanic spires, located in Saint Lucia. The Gros Piton is 771m high, and the Petit Piton is 743m high; they are linked by the Piton Mitan ridge. The Pitons are a World Heritage Site 2909ha in size and located near the town of Soufrière.GeographyThe Pitons are located near the towns of Soufrière, Saint Lucia. Soufrière and Choiseul Quarter Choiseul on the southwestern coast of the island. They are in the electoral districts of three and ten. The Pitons are located on either side of the Jalousie Bay.BiologyCoral reefs cover almost 60% of the site’s marine area. A survey has revealed 168 species of finfish, 60 species of cnidaria, including corals, eight molluscs, 14 sponges, 11 echinoderms, 15 arthropods and eight annelid worms. The dominant terrestrial vegetation is tropical moist forest grading to subtropical wet forest, with small areas of dry forest and wet elfin 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. The Gros Piton is home to some 27 bird species (five of them endemic), three indigenous rodents, one opossum, three bats, eight reptiles, and three amphibians.GeologyThe volcanic complex includes a geothermal field with sulphurous fumaroles and hot springs.In popular cultureSaint Lucia's local brand of beer made by the Windward & Leeward Brewery is named after the Pitons.