Saint Lucia: Beach Meets Rainforest in the Caribbean

by Karen Bakar

If you were blindfolded on a plane to Saint Lucia, you might think you were in the South Pacific upon landing. Much more than the clear blue waters and powdery beaches commonly associated with the Caribbean, Saint Lucia is a land of striking diversity.

Only 27 by 14 miles, this gem of an island has verdant mountains, lush rain forests, and even a dormant volcano with skin-smoothing sulfur mud baths. And yes there are lovely beaches, but they share the stage equally with these other attractions. It’s the perfect destination if you’re looking for more than water sports and sunbathing from your Caribbean vacation.

When to Go

High season in Saint Lucia is in the winter, from December through April. While hurricanes are a legitimate concern for some, there’s a lot going on in summer and early fall.

To save money and avoid crowds, booking in the shoulder season – May and June – is ideal. While the rainy season technically begins in June, the weather is still good, and the hurricane risk is low.

Music lovers should consider visiting in early May to attend the St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival that’s held on Pigeon Island National Park.

Where to Go

Most visitors stick to the western, Caribbean Sea, side of the island. The eastern, Atlantic Ocean, side has dramatic coastline, but it’s windy, and the waters are rough for swimming and most water sports.

Dennery overlook along Saint Lucia's Atlantic coast
Dennery overlook along Saint Lucia’s more rugged Atlantic coast.

On the Caribbean side, most visitors head to the northern part of the island around bustling Rodney Bay. The beaches here are more characteristically Caribbean, with calm, clear waters.

On this part of the island you’ll also find a greater variety of accommodations, from all-inclusive resorts to stand-alone hotels, plus more affordable and kid-friendly options.

Beach at Rodney Bay
Resorts and hotels around Rodney Bay offer a wide variety of water sports for beach goers.

The northern part of the island also moves at a quicker pace and is the place to be if you’re up for an active nightlife. Restaurants and bars line popular Reduit Beach, which also offers a range of watersports and is an ideal spot to enjoy sunset.

To party with the locals, head to Gros Islet on Friday night for their popular street party featuring music, dancing, local eats, and plenty of local Piton beer and rum punch to fuel a good time.

Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay
Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay is considered to be the best beach on Saint Lucia.
Beach at Choc Bay in Saint Lucia
The beach at Choc Bay in front of the St. James’s Club Morgan Bay all-inclusive resort.
Beach sunset
Caribbean sunsets never disappoint.

South of Rodeney Bay is the capital of Saint Lucia, colorful and bustling Castries. Cruise ships dock here, and not surprisingly, there’s a huge market with vendors eager to sell the usual vacation trinkets, plus an array of fruits and spices. The market has a busy lunch area where you can try local dishes like callaloo soup, roti, and green figs and salt fish.

Colorful buildings in Castries
Colorful buildings in Saint Lucia’s capital of Castries.
mangos at Castries market
Mangos fill the Saint Lucian markets during late spring and early summer.
Restaurant and market in Castries
Saint Lucians throughout the island sell fresh fruit on the sidewalks.

The southwestern part of Saint Lucia feels like a different island altogether. While most tourists seem to stay in the north and do excursions to the south, dividing your time in both is the best way to fully experience Saint Lucia. The southwest, around the town of Soufriere, is dominated by lush rainforest and the twin Piton peaks that rise majestically above the sea.

Accommodations here tend to be more exclusive, tranquil, and expensive. Beachside resorts, like Anse Chastenet and the Viceroy Sugar Beach Resort, fall into the splurge category for good reason, but you’ll find slightly more affordable options inland, many of which offer shuttles to the beaches.

We stayed at Fond Doux Plantation and Resort, a 135-acre working cocoa plantation, in a spacious two-bedroom cottage plopped in the middle of the jungle amidst coconut and mango trees, gorgeous flowers, and exotic birds. (Be sure to bring plenty of bug spray, as well as ear plugs — the rain forest is like nature’s version of Times Square!)

Viceroy Sugar Beach Resort
The Viceroy Sugar Beach Resort is a luxury gem tucked in a beautiful cove between Gros Piton and Petit Piton.
Fond Doux Plantation cottages
The Fond Doux Plantation and Resort has 15 private cottages set amidst 135 acres of rain forest.
Flowers at Fond Doux
Vibrant flowers and trees at Fond Doux.

While quieter, the south is the best part of the island to take in nature and enjoy adventurous activities. A Saint Lucia highlight is to climb to the summit of the higher of the two Pitons, Gros Piton. The trek is moderately strenuous and takes about four hours both ways. Local guides are required to accompany you, and at the time we went, cost about $35, though you’ll pay more if it’s part of an organized excursion that includes transportation to the trail head and lunch.

If you don’t have the time or stamina for Gros Piton, the Tet Paul Trail near Fond Doux offers a beautiful hour-long guided nature walk that leads to a vista with stunning views of both peaks.

View of Petit Piton from the Tet Paul Trail
View of Petit Piton from the Tet Paul Trail.

Other popular activities in Saint Lucia include the Diamond Botanical Gardens with tropical flora and a waterfall, as well as the Sulfur Springs mud bath and “drive-in” volcano.

The best snorkeling and scuba diving can also be found in the southern part of the island (Anse Chastenet’s dive center is top notch), so its best to reserve this activity while you’re staying on this part of the island or as part of an excursion from the north.

Getting Around Saint Lucia

Most guidebooks will tell you not to rent a car, and it seems like most visitors heed that advice. Because Saint Lucia is mountainous, many of the roads are narrow, steep, and in various states of repair, especially on the western side.

In Saint Lucia, people also drive on the left-hand side of the road, so if you are not comfortable with this, it might be best to leave the driving to others.

Despite the challenges, we decided to buck the conventional wisdom and rented a car in order to have more freedom to explore the island. My husband is an excellent driver and had some experience driving on the left-hand side, so we felt confident enough to navigate ourselves.

View of Canaries from road between Soufriere and Castries
The steep, narrow road between Soufriere and Castries is full of hairpin turns and beautiful views, like this of the town of Canaries on Anse-La-Raye.

Other ways to get around include taxis, which are not cheap, and the local buses, which are actually vans that run on a fixed route, but seem to stop wherever you want them to and are decently reliable. Taking the “bus” at least once is a great way to experience local life.

As you plan your itinerary, keep in mind that the main airport is on the southern end of the island, so if you’re staying in the north, you’ll need to arrange transportation if you’re not renting a car or your hotel does not offer shuttle service. From the airport, it takes about 45 minutes to get to Soufriere and it’s an hour and a half to Rodney Bay.

For us, the car rental fee ended up being cheaper than taking taxis every time we wanted to go somewhere. We also enjoyed having the freedom to explore on our own and were able to visit the local super market whenever we needed snacks or drinks.

1 comment

maryc2006 July 24, 2017 - 2:09 pm

Sounds wonderful Karen, great destination for adventurous travelers like you and your family! Lovely 😊 photos!

Comments are closed.

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