Room 1
St Lucia Travel Guide
Nicknamed ‘Helen of the West Indies’ for its boundless beauty, St Lucia’s one of the Caribbean’s Windward Isles, with Martinique to the north and St Vincent to the south. This Caribbean queen boasts volcanic peaks, lush rainforests, golden beaches, colourful coral reefs, wonderous waterfalls and luxury resorts. Whether you’re looking for a honeymoon in paradise, luxury escape or an action-packed family adventure, St Lucia holidays have it all.
Beaches in St Lucia
Under an age-old French law, all St Lucian beaches are open to the public as part of the ‘Queen’s Chain’. We can’t get enough of the variety of shores here, from the golden sand stretches to the north to volcanic black sand coves in the southwest. The Caribbean Sea gently washes against the sugary sand of the west coast - perfectly sheltered for swimming and snorkelling - while the east is subject to the rolling waves of the Atlantic creating a gloriously rugged feel with awesome kitesurfing conditions.
Some beaches are backed by hills and jungle or can only be accessed by boat, while others have been more developed with a bundle of bars and restaurants just off the main thoroughfare.
Best Beaches in St Lucia
Gros Islet
Reduit Beach in Gros Islet is the island’s most popular by a country mile: a buzzing hub of hotels, beach bars and activity centres providing every beach activity you can think of (and then some…).
Castries
Another good option is Choc Bay in Castries – near the cruise terminal and seriously pretty with yellowy sand and bright turquoise sea.
Soufriere
Labas Beach in Marigot Bay often gets the title of most beautiful, appearing in Hollywood flicks and tucked away from the hubbub. IF the title hasn’t been hogged by Soufriere’s Anse des Pitons, where St Lucia’s iconic twin peaks tower on either side…
St Lucia geography
St Lucia history
Wildlife in St Lucia
Activities in St Lucia
Watersports in St Lucia
Diving
There are some spectacular sites under the waters of St Lucia - the best of them in the Caribbean Sea off the west coast. Visibility’s better on this side (up to 60m) and conditions calmer – not to mention wonderfully warm with temps around 26°C. Swim amongst all manner of corals and sponges, as well as turtles, lobster, eels, rays and maybe a passing whale… Rodney Bay has a huddle of dive companies providing PADI instruction and tours, and you’ll also find operators around Castries and Soufriere as well as in the bigger hotels. For wreck diving, Anse Cochon (halfway down the west coast) is home to the Lesleen M and Daini Koyomaru, two big vessels with incredible artificial reefs. There’s also a WWII vessel off Castries Harbour in a dive site eerily called the Bone Yard. St Lucia has more natural reefs than you can shake a flipper at, from beginner-friendly sites like Smugglers Cove and Anse Chastanet to deeper dives along mountainsides and underwater volcanoes. In Soufriere, you can set off from the foot of the Pitons to see the submerged half of the mountains, with incredible coral walls and ginormous sponges. One of our favourite spots is known as Fairyland, which is kept incredibly clean and colourful by currents that wash around the headland. Check out when the Dive Association is hosting Dive Fest this year to join an island-wide celebration of the wonderful world beneath the waves.
Surfing
Though Barbados is far more established in the surfing world, St Lucia has a small surf community based mainly around Gros Islet. Granted, the coves and bays here aren’t huge, but that means there are rarely crowds which leaves enough space to enjoy the swell. Gros Islet’s Pigeon Point is a reef break with left and right-handers, best in a NE swell. Commaret Point has left-handed beach breaks, while experienced riders can tackle the rights from Windjammer’s reef. Also, worth a try for seasoned surfers is Marigot Bay in Castries, where you can ride a right point break when the swell’s up. We haven’t seen anywhere providing board hire in recent years, so you’ll probably want to look into bringing one from home.
SUPing is seen a lot more around here, with one of our favourite routes going around Pigeon Island. A lot of the bigger hotels have their own fleet of paddleboards for guests to use, or you can bring along an inflatable and paddle about as and when you please.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing
On southern St Lucia and the Atlantic east coast, you’ll find some real hotspots for wind and kitesurfing. The Reef Beach Cafe at Vieux Fort’s Anse de Sable is the main port of call, home to a windsurf and kitesurf school on a reef-protected bay with cross shore winds from the left. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy a spot of kiting at the north, with Aquaholics in Gros Islet providing jet ski assisted lessons and supervision for intermediates on Cas en Bas / Plantation Beach. The most consistent trade winds blow between November/December and June/July, and on low wind days there’s always the option to pick up another skill like wakeboarding.
Sailing
Up on the sheltered northwest coast, Rodney Bay Marina’s the sailing centre of St Lucia. It marks the finish of the ARC Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Atlantic rally, which sets sail from Gran Canaria each November. Based nearby, First 4 Sail provide racing experiences, IYT courses and overnight trips to neighbouring islands like Martinique and St Vincent. You can also book charters, lessons and race sessions through Jus’ Sail tours. Other sailing companies operate out of Castries, and chartered tours take you along the coast, on sunset cruises and on fishing and whale watching trips. A handful of the bigger hotels and resorts also have their own fleet of Hobie cats for guests to use.
Fishing
Fishing is part and parcel of life in St Lucia. Some of the deepest waters in the Caribbean surround this isle, allowing for super catches throughout the year. From 1-8 miles offshore, deep sea fishing trips from Soufriere and Castries see catches of blue and white marlin, yellow and black fin tuna, dorado, barracuda, wahoo and snapper. Soft drinks and beer are usually provided throughout your time aboard, and it’s possible to combine your fishing trip with snorkelling or whale watching. Besides big game fishing, lionfishing is picking up as a way to protect the underwater environment, and you can often join locals for spearfishing and cooking sessions. The biggest fishing event on the calendar is the St Lucia Billfish Tournament, which takes place from the Rodney Bay Marina each year.
Canoeing & kayaking
Western St Lucia’s your best area for sea kayaking, with most tours setting off from Soufriere, Marigot Bay and Rodney Bay. Often you can choose between sit-in and sit-on kayaks, group and private tours and a range of durations. Paddle along volcanic cliffs and around the bottom of the soaring Pitons, or into Soufriere Bay for incredible views of the peaks. Further up the coast, you can launch from Marigot Bay and paddle to Anse Cochon or down through the mangroves of the Roseau River. Pigeon Island’s a favourite destination of kayaking trips from Rodney Bay, where you can stop off and enjoy the gorgeous beaches or moor up and head up the hills for a hike. If you prefer to pootle about in local waters, some of the bigger hotels have their own fleet of ocean kayaks for guests to use.
Land activities in St Lucia
Golf in St Lucia
If you’re looking for a holiday filled to the brim with golfing, you might be better off in the Dominican Republic or Barbados – but for a round or two mixed with other activities, St Lucia’s spot on. The St. Lucia Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course in Cap Estate on the north end of the island. Players contend with rolling hills, water hazards, strategically placed palms and trade winds, on a course that’s welcomed the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Bill Clinton over the years. After this, the only other golf course in the island is the Sandals La Toc 9-holer down in Castries, which is surrounded by lush hills with dizzying views from the seventh and eighth holes.
Cycling & mountain biking in St Lucia
In Soufriere, Bike St Lucia have carefully cut 8 miles of incredible trails through jungle, groves and orchards around Anse Mamin – taking care not to disturb the area’s natural beauty or historic plantation ruins. We could ride and re-ride these for hours, where even the gentlest routes for beginners are edged with rocks and roots to let more advanced riders enjoy them too. On the east of the island, Adventure Tours St Lucia have cycling paths through the forest to the stunning Dennery Waterfall. For fatbiking, tours set off from the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium – taking you on rocky, muddy terrain over rivers, down mountainsides and along the Atlantic coast.
There are also bike hire outfits in Rodney Bay, where you can explore the island at your own pace or hire a guide to take the lead. It’s possible to circle the whole island on two wheels, which is best done anti-clockwise, in a group and with a local to show you the way. Or you can just do parts of the circuit - we like the stretch between Castries, Soufriere and Vieux Fort which takes you through rainforest and via some awesome viewpoints.
Walking & hiking in St Lucia
Though the best time to hike here are the drier months (December – May), even in the rainy season, keen walkers can have an absolute blast. The St Lucian Forestry department maintains miles of trails through the rainforest, leading to waterfalls and natural pools and winding up wonderful mountainsides. Gros Piton, though the higher of the iconic Piton peaks, is the more easily hikeable - taking 3-6 hours to walk up and down. If you want to scale the steeper Petit Piton or higher Gimmie Mountain, you’ll need a guide to show the way as last time we checked there weren’t any proper footpaths.
There are some fabulous nature trails where you can look out for and learn about St Lucian flora and fauna - like the Tet Paul trail on the south of the island, and the Eastern Nature Trail on the Atlantic Coast. Twitchers can seek out the island’s endemic species on the Millet Bird Sanctuary Trail, while history buffs will love the routes to the ruins on Pigeon Island.
