Originally a quiet fishing village, it has become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country.

[3] Originally settled by the Carib (and possibly Arawak), the area was first identified as Gros Islet in a French map from 1717.

[4] The community was a Roman Catholic parish, and the first priests who arrived on the island settled in the village in 1749.

As part of the conflict, the British Royal Navy captured the island of Saint Lucia and built a naval base at Gros Islet Bay in 1782, temporarily changing the name to Fort Rodney.

[6] A nearby mangrove swamp was dredged to form Rodney Bay Marina, and many hotels, resorts, and villas have since been built.