St. Lucia
Getting there
BY AIR
Approximate flying times:
From the UK: 8 hours
From Barbados: 40 minutes
From New York: 5 hours
From Miami: 4 hours
From Los Angeles: 9 hours
From the UK:
British Airways and
Virgin Atlantic fly directly
from Gatwick to St Lucia. A cheaper alternative is to get a charter
flight - contact CaribJet (which can
also book onward flights).
From North America:
American Airlines flies to St Lucia via San
Juan from major US cities.
From eslwhere in the Caribbean:
LIAT operates a network of flights
to neighbouring islands.
Arrivals:
St Lucia has 2 airports. George FL Charles Airport (formerly
known as Vigie) is near Castries in the North and serves
inter-island flights only. Hewanorra International Airport
in the Vieux Fort district in the South is where international
flights land.
BY SEA
Express des Iles, a high-speed
catamaran service, sails daily (except Tuesdays and Thursdays) from
St Lucia to Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe and back again;
each leg takes about 2 hours and costs about €50.
back to topGetting Around
Long drives are part of the deal with a holiday in St Lucia; the
roads are not great but are improving. Expect at least a 1-hour
drive from the airport to your hotel/villa.
Taxi: Taxis are available everywhere. The cabs are unmetered
as rates are supposedly set by the government. Most drivers, who
have also been trained to serve as guides, are eager to please.
However, always agree to the fare before you get in (if in doubt
check with your hotel) and agree whether the quote is in US$ or
EC$. A day's tour of the island will cost around US$150.
Car Hire: Car rentals start at around £60 a day (in
2009). You'll need to obtain a temporary St Lucia driver’s
licence purchased for US$20 from the Immigration Office upon
arrival at the airport or at the car-rental kiosks when you pick up
your car. In addition you have to be over 25 years old and show a
valid driver’s licence from home. Driving is on the left and
the main challenges are avoiding some of the island’s more
obvious potholes and negotiating the hairpin bends. You can arrange
car hire before you go with
Holiday Autos,
which has good deals.
Buses: Minibuses offer inexpensive and colourful
transportation from one town to the next. They're generally
overcrowded and filled with produce on the way to market.
When To Go
The main tourist season runs from December to May, with
December being the best month for sunshine. July is the hottest
month. August to November is the wettest season and brings the risk
of hurricanes (though expect short rain showers at any time of the
year).
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
The most widely observed holidays and festivals in St Lucia
are:
New Year's Day: 1 January
New Year's Holiday: 2 January
Independence Day: 22 February
Good Friday and Easter Monday: 29 March and 1 April
Festival of Comedy: Sunday preceding 1 May - held at Pigeon
Point
Labour Day: 1 May
St Lucia Jazz Festival: 10
days in May - open-air evening concerts, as well as a host of
fringe events
St Peter’s Day: 29 June - celebrated as the
Fisherman’s Feast, in which all the fishing boats are
decorated
Feast of the Rose of Lima and Feast of St Margaret Mary
Alacoque: 30 Aug/17 Oct - 2 big rival flower festivals
Thanksgiving: October
Creole Day (Jouen Kweyol): Last Sunday in October - local
food, crafts, music and different cultural shows from 5 selected
rural communities
St Cecilia’s Day: 22 Nov (also known as
Musician’s Day)
St Lucy’s/National Day: 13 Dec - cultural and sporting
activities are held all over the island
Christmas: 25 and 26 December
Visas/Entry Requirements
Passports are required from all visitors, as well as onward and/or
return tickets. Visas are not required for citizens of North
American, Commonwealth, EC and Scandinavian countries (except Eire
and Portugal), or from Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Upon arrival you're given a 42-day visa. Extensions can be obtained
from the central police station in Castries.
back to topOther Essentials
No vaccinations are required. Take mosquito repellent and high
factor sun lotion. Bilharzia is present, so avoid swimming and
paddling in still fresh water.
Tap water is normally chlorinated, but it's advisable to drink
bottled water, which is widely available. Milk is pasteurised.
Dairy products, meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are
generally considered safe to eat.
back to topNeed more Info
Offical website:St Lucia Tourist Board