St. Lucia
Top Tips
Hiking
With trails, waterfalls and exotic plants, birds and wildlife, St
Lucia’s southern rainforests and the Pitons provide excellent
hiking opportunities. More details below.
Beaches
All the west coast beaches have good swimming. Around Soufriere in
the south west the beaches are mainly black volcanic sand; the
majority of golden beaches are in the north (along with the bulk of
tourists). The east coast has plenty of isolated beaches but with a
dangerous surf. More details below.
Mountain Biking
A great way to explore the island's rain forests and mountains is
on 2 wheels. Island Bike Hikes
offers vehicle supported tours, and
Bike St Lucia provides 'jungle
biking' on custom built tracks.
Scuba diving & snorkelling
Anse Chastanet near the Pitons in the south west has the best dive
centre (suitable for all levels), good snorkelling and dive sites
including a stunning coral wall. Water clarity is variable.
Sailing
With plenty of small harbours and inlets, St Lucia is popular with
sailors. St Vincent and the Grenadines, one of the most popular
yachting spots in the Caribbean, are just a day's sail to the
south. Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay in the west are centres for
bareboat or crewed yacht charters. Hobbycats and dinghies can be
hired at the beach resorts.
Other watersports
Larger resort hotels on the west coast offer windsurfing, kayaking,
waterskiing and deep-sea fishing. Advanced and intermediate
windsurfers will be challenged by the waves at Cas en Bas in the
north and Anse de Sable near Vieux Fort in the south. The calmer
waters of the west coast are best for beginners.
Sightseeing
In the south west visit the "drive-in volcano", Sulphur Springs,
and the Diamond Botanical Gardens and Mineral Baths on the
Soufriere Estate. More details below.
Shopping
You can pick up plenty of batik and silk-screened clothing, wooden
boxes and carvings, pottery, straw hats and baskets, cocoa, coffee
and spices. Castries in the north hosts the island's main market on
Saturdays; there are smaller markets in Soufriere.
Culture
Carnival (July) in Castries is St Lucia’s biggest event, when
the streets are filled with colourful bands and costumed
processions. The week-long Jazz
Festival in May is St Lucia’s fastest-growing event.
back to topBeaches around Soufriere
Coves and bays for swimming and snorkeling abound on the southwest
and west coast. Many are only accessible by boat though.
The 2 main beaches serviced by shuttles from the smaller hillside
hotels are Anse Chastanet, with dark sand, and the imported
white-sand stretch that fronts the Jalousie Hilton resort. Both
charge a day rate for using the beach facilities (i.e. loungers and
a towel), although they are public beaches entitling all visitors
to lie for free on the sand. Both resorts hire out sea kayaks,
windsurfers and sailing dinghies. Non-guests can also hire the
Jalousie Hilton's tennis courts by the hour.
Snorkelling and diving enthusiasts should head straight for Anse
Chastanet, along a 1 mile rough track leading off the north end of
Soufriere's beach. There's a well-established dive centre,
Scuba St Lucia, which offers PADI
courses, equipment hire, dive packages and night diving, plus some
spectacular coral walls. Be warned, heavy rains can make the water
murky. The Jalousie Hilton also offers diving - and with white sand
the water is more enticing than Anse Chastanet for swimmers.
Anse Cochon just north of Anse Chastanet is accessible only by boat
and has silver-black sands, calm water, and shallow reefs perfect
for swimming, snorkelling and diving. There's also an old sunken
ship for you to explore.
At the southernmost point of St. Lucia is Vieux Fort (a 40-minute
drive from Soufriere), the islands's industrial centre and where
Hewanorra International Airport is sited. Just beyond the town lie
miles of white-sand beaches fringed with palm trees. The beach at
Anse de Sable (no shade) is one of the island's most beautiful and
is not overly developed. It's a popular spot with advanced and
intermediate windsurfers and Club Mistral offers board rentals and
instruction. During the winter months (December to March) a
'shortie' wetsuit or lycra top is useful against windchill.
Deep water harbour Marigot Bay is to the north of Anse Cochon and
south of the capital, Castries. The beautiful bay is home to a
large yachting marina and is well known for diving and snorkelling.
Pigeon Island National Park is 40 minutes north; the majestic
Pitons are an hour south. Verdant rainforests are half an hour
away.
Hiking around Soufriere
The St Lucia National Rainforest covers 19,000 acres of mountains
and valleys and is home to exotic plantlife and rare birds,
including the brightly coloured Jacquot parrot. From the edge of
the sea, the densely vegetated volcanic peaks of Gros Piton and
Petit Piton rise steeply to over 2,500ft. They're a tough climb (in
particular Petit Piton).
To access any of the rainforest trails you need to be accompanied
by a guide. An admission fee is payable to the Forest and Lands
Department, which includes the guide's services. There's no need to
arrange this in advance - guides wait at the start of the main
trails.
back to topSightseeing around Soufriere
A few kilometres southeast of Soufriere towards Fond St Jacques is
the well-maintained Soufriere Estate. It's home to the Diamond
Botanical Gardens, with tropical plants and a waterfall, plus
therapeutic mineral baths built in 1784 for the troops of Louis XVI
of France and fed by hot springs.
The nearby Morne Coubaril Estate is an historic 250-acre coconut
and cocoa plantation and restored house which offers 90-minute
tours.
Continuing towards Vieux Fort is the much advertised "drive-in"
volcano, so-called because it's possible to drive almost right up
to the semi-collapsed crater of Mount Soufriere. The entrance fee
is about $1.50, which includes a local guide. Take sturdy shoes for
walking between the sulphur springs. You can also bathe in the hot
and therapeutic waters of the volcano.
TIP: Both the volcano and the botanical gardens are on the main
tourist trail. Avoid going on days when the cruise ships come to
town (check with your hotel before visiting).
If you continue south to the coast you'll find 2 picturesque little
villages, Choiseul, with a centre for local arts and crafts, and
Laborie.