Experience St Lucia
Overview
St Lucia sits in the sparkling Caribbean Sea, northwest of Barbados and neighboring Martinique and Saint Vincent. It is the second-largest of the Windward Islands and boasts some of the finest mountain scenery in the West Indies and is rich with tropical vegetation. Being a Caribbean island, St Lucia has a tropical climate and is warm year round; dry season is December to May.
The island offers a relaxed island life vibe, along with a unique mixture of West African, European and East Indian influences that infuse the local cuisine. St Lucia holds a distinct cultural heritage, having changed hands between Britain and France no fewer than 14 times. Various cultural legacies linger, from colonial-style plantations that dot the landscape, to the French-influenced patois spoken throughout the country. The result is captivating.
Things to See and Do
Go snorkeling and scuba-diving on St Lucia’s natural and artificial coral reefs. Swim amongst the sea turtles, nurse sharks and seahorse while enjoying the clear blue waters. Popular diving sites include Anse Chastanet, Anse Le Raye, Coral Gardens at the base of the Gros Piton, Fairy Land at the base of Anse Chastanet and Lesleen M Shipwreck.
Discover the sandy beach of Anse de Sable which offers ideal windsurfing conditions for both novices and experts. The consistent winds, smooth waters and lack of dangerous obstacles make this a world-class destination for kite surfers from across the globe. The waves at Cas en Bas and Vieux Fort are a challenge even for the most experienced. Island guests can enjoy water skiing and parasailing at Rodney Bay.
Explore Castries, a city located in one of the most beautiful spots in the Caribbean. Surrounded by hills, its large harbor at the head of the wide bay is a hub of activity at all times. Head for the lively Derek Walcott Square which features a 19th-century Catholic cathedral, standing in the shade of a 400-year old samaan tree. There is also a colorful, bustling market.
Visit the quaint villages of Choiseul and Laborie, which are surrounded by lush vegetation. The Morne Coubaril Estate is also worth checking out with cocoa, manioc and sugar cane plantations to visit.
Explore Soufriere, the second-largest settlement on the island. This deep-water port stands at the foot of two extinct volcanoes known as the Pitons. Rising to 2,619 ft. above sea level, these are probably St Lucia’s most famous landmarks. The town itself is typically West Indian, a cluster of brightly painted arcaded buildings set against the jungle vista.
Explore the island’s rainforest, mountain and plantation walks. Local guides are available to help climbers tackle the twin Pitons, volcanic plugs, landforms created by magma cooling atop a volcano. Though Gros Piton (2,617 ft) is taller than Petit Piton (2,460 ft), it’s actually easier to climb. The main areas designated for birdwatching are the Bois d’Orange swamp, Boriel’s pond and the Piton Flore Reserve.
Zipline through the dense green canopy of the St Lucia rainforest with a zipline tour. You’ll fly from platform to platform (18 in total), taking in the flowers and animals of the forest as you whiz by. And for the more adventurous, there’s a nighttime tour where you’ll traverse the jungle under the night skies by the light of the moon.
Admire Toraille Waterfall, located a mile or so inland from Soufrière Harbor and a stone’s throw from the main road through Fond St. Jacques. Toraille Waterfall cascades over a cliff and down about 50 feet to a pool where you can take a refreshing plunge or let the falling water massage your back and shoulders. A nature trail leads through the surrounding lush tropical gardens. Changing rooms are nearby.
Take a hike! Over 500 years ago, the island’s first French settler, Jambe de Bois, used Pigeon Island as a pirate base. Today a man-made causeway connects the islands to the rest of St. Lucia. Hike to the 40-acre island, now a national park, to visit the ruins of an ancient French fort and relax on the beautiful white sandy beach. A lookout at the top of the fort gives a beautiful panoramic view of the coastline.
Head to the top of Marigot Bay, a hidden, palm-fringed paradise. From here you can visit the Cul de Sac - an area famous for its three large banana plantations where the original Dr. Dolittle was filmed.
Go on a Turtle and Whale watching trip, a perfect way to experience the sea animals. St Lucia is said to be one of the best places in the world to see whales - 20 species can be seen off the coast, including sperm whales, pilot whales and humpbacks.
Beaches
From black, volcanic sands to sweeping sugar shores, St Lucia boasts some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean, and since most of the island hotels are built right on the beach, you won’t have far to go to get to them. All the beaches in St Lucia are open to the public, even those along hotel properties. However, if you plan to use the hotel’s beach equipment, you will be required to pay.
Beaches on the western coast offer calmer waters, where the windward (east) side is where the rough surf makes swimming potentially dangerous. Most of the best hotels sit on the western coast for this reason.
Pigeon Point Beach is considered one of the best beaches off the north shore, located in Pigeon Island National Historic Park. Pigeon Island is joined to the mainland of St Lucia by a causeway, making it easy to reach.
Located at Rodney Bay, Reduit Beach is a popular beach offering soft sand and crystal clear waters. Several watersports kiosks can be found along the strip bordering Royal St. Lucian Hotel. You’ll also find several restaurants and bars in the area.
Choc Bay is a sprawling stretch of sand and palm trees on the northwestern coast, convenient to Castries and the big resorts. Its calm waters entice swimmers and especially families (including locals) with small children.
Running parallel to the George F.L. Charles Airport runway, Malabar Beach is a 2-mile white sand beach in Castries. Vigie Beach, situated north of Castries Harbor, is another popular beach offering beige sand and beautiful water for swimming. La Toc Beach, just south of Castries, is a beautiful crescent-shaped bay.
The beautiful Caribbean cove of Marigot bay, encompassed by three sides of steep lush hills and swaying palm trees. There are some quaint secluded beaches here. Some of the Caribbean’s shiniest, and largest yachts can be found in this bay.
The paradise cove of Anse Chastanet, north of Soufriere, is one of the most charming and secluded beaches of St Lucia. Lush palms border the beach providing shade to beachgoers, and beautiful hills are a beautiful contrast to the dark sandy strip.
Crescent-shaped bay of Anse des Pitons lies at the foot of the twin peaks of the Pitons, south of Soufriere. The Jalousie Plantation transformed the natural black-sand beach by covering it with white sand. Many divers and snorkelers can be found here.
Eating and Drinking
St Lucian food is a blend of Creole with French and West Indian influences. Most hotels have restaurants, in addition to a wide range of eateries in the major towns serving many different types of foods. There’s also a strong British influence in the local cooking with a heavy use of cinnamon, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, parsley, cocoa and allspice.
The restaurants in St Lucia’s capital of Castries feature a more dynamic fare. Many restaurants offer Creole cuisine with a twist, fresh fish with tomato salsa, pumpkin soup, guava cheesecake.
Rodney Bay is a melting pot of people from all over the world and the restaurants reflect the diversity. You can find a variety of cuisines, including Indian, Italian, French, and local cuisine, in a small area. For this reason (and the beach), Rodney Bay is a good place to be based in St Lucia.
Marigot Bay features the island’s most innovative cuisine. Menu items such as ceviche made from lionfish, an invasive species some locals are trying to combat by turning it into dinner.
Local specialties: Langouste, Local spiny lobster, cooked in a variety of ways; Bouyon, a thick red bean soup made with meat, ground provision and vegetables; Lambi, Conch; Green figs and salt fish, Unripe bananas and preserved fish, the national dish; Callaloo, Spinach-like soup made from the leaves of the dasheen plant; Accra, Fish fritters made from salted cod, flour and local green seasoning; Pepper pots, traditional stews made with whatever ingredients - fish, meat, vegetables - were at hand that day; and green fig salad, similar to a potato salad, but made with boiled green bananas.
Saint Lucia Distillers produces a variety of rums across a wide price range. In addition to rums, Piton Lager beer is brewed and bottled on the island and is quite good. It has 5% alcohol by volume, a slightly greater percentage than most American beers but very much in line with many European beers.
Shopping
The capital city of Castries is a great place to enjoy shopping and also where you’ll find the colorful public market. Shops along William Peter Boulevard and Bridge Street offer everything from pottery, wood carvings, and silk screened textiles. Rodney Bay is another area to enjoy shopping for local art pieces, and Soufriere for batik clothing. Pointe Serephine offers over 30 duty-free shops, bars and restaurants situated around an open piazza. Another duty-free shopping complex is a La Place Carenage. Duty-free shopping is available to all visitors, providing they present their passport, cruise ship boarding pass or airline ticket when purchasing goods. Purchases of alcohol and tobacco can be sent ahead to the airport for collection upon departure.
Castries Market: The lively and colorful market in Castries is the perfect place to experience the atmosphere of local life on St. Lucia. Merchandise ranges from handicrafts to locally grown fruits and vegetables. Shoppers can buy batiks, woodcarvings, gift baskets of spices, banana ketchups and oils, hand-made brooms, hot-pepper sauces, and the usual souvenirs. While the market is open every day, the most active day is Saturday.
Nightlife
St Lucia’s nightlife is based mainly in hotels and restaurants. On Friday nights, the village of Gros Islet hosts a weekly ‘jump up’, popular with locals and visitors alike. This area attracts both St Lucians and the visiting yachties from Rodney Bay. Food stalls fill the streets with barbecued meats along with such sides as rice ‘n’ beans and a tuber called dasheen, as delicious seafood is served up over hot coals. More of these jump-ups take place at Anse la Raye on St Lucia’s western shore. Reggae beats and local rum are the features of the evening. Stalls along the waterfront offer up delicious seafood (conch, lobster, mahi mahi, and even pot-fish. In the winter, at least one hotel has a steel band or calypso music every night of the week.
Festivals
St Lucia Jazz Festival in April and May brings people from all over the world each spring to be-bop the nights away. Past performers include Herbie Hancock, Harry Belafonte, Amy Winehouse, Diana Ross, Branford Marsalis and many more marquee names. Venues all around the island are filled with jazz, RandB, blues and calypso music from morning til night.
Like many nations in the Caribbean and Latin America, St Lucia holds an energetic, colorful Carnival celebration each year. But while most Carnivals are held before Lent so Catholics can get it all out before the traditional 40 days of fasting, St Lucia has moved its Carnival to the beginning of June to not conflict with other islands’ celebrations. Castries will shut down for nearly a week as the streets come alive with singing, dancing and Calypso-drumming as rum-happy locals and tourists parade in skimpy costumes.