Saint Lucia isn't your average beach vacation. Sure, the turquoise waters and picture-perfect sands are there, but this Caribbean island is calling out to nature lovers and adventure seekers too! Lush rainforests, dramatic volcanic peaks, and natural wonders like sulfur springs make Saint Lucia a playground for the soul.
Planning your trip? I've got you covered. Discover suggested itineraries, whether you have a week for exploration or just one day for relaxation. Tips and tricks on visiting paradise island, the best beaches to unwind on and much more.
Tips for your visit to Saint Lucia
The best time to visit Saint Lucia is from December to April, during the dry season. However, shoulder seasons (May-June and September-November) can also be good times to visit, with fewer crowds and lower prices.
Saint Lucia is a relatively expensive island, so be prepared to budget accordingly. The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) is the official currency, but US dollars are widely accepted.
Bring comfortable walking shoes as you'll likely be doing a lot of exploring.
Pack plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat as the sun can be intense.
The electrical outlets in Saint Lucia are the same as in the United States.
Tipping is not expected in Saint Lucia, but it is always appreciated. If you do decide to tip, a small amount (around 10%) is sufficient.
Saint Lucia is a generally safe island, but there is always petty theft, so be sure to keep an eye on your belongings.
Bargain when shopping at local markets
To make the most of the island rent a car and explore it in your own pace
We rented our one through here:
The best viewpoint
Tet Paul Nature Trail - Hillside 45 minutes to 1h easy hike offering the best views of Saint Lucia, featuring the world famous Pitons, the volcanic spires, the symbols of the island and the world heritage site.
The Gros Piton is 798m high and The Petit Piton is 743m high.
The entrance fee to the trail is USD$10.
Between them you can find Piton Falls with Geothermal water and stunning white-sanded Sugar Beach.
The best waterfalls to visit
The island is rich in outstanding natural beauty and chasing waterfalls in this tropical paradise is a must.
Find below my top waterfalls:
🏞️Anse La Raye waterfall
💵 Free
Stunning cascades, short hike (15 minutes) through the beautiful nature.
🏊 This fall is source of water for town of Anse La Raye, it is not permitted to bath there
⌚We came at 10:00 and were the only people there the whole time
🏞️Diamond Falls
💵 $7
Located in stunning botanical gardens, that is by itself worth the visit. I saw my first Hummingbird here.
🏊 No swimming here, just admiring. There are mineral baths there, but they didn't look very appealing to me
⌚One of the biggest attractions of the island, go just after opening, large groups arrives after 11
🏞️Piton Falls
💵$3
Must visit falls on the way to Sugar Beach.
🏊 Geothermal water with temperature of 35°C perfect to take a refreshing bath just under the waterfall
⌚We arrived around 10:30 and were completely alone for about 1 hour, than smaller groups started to arrive
🏞️Dennery Falls or Errand Falls
💵 Free
Longer hike (30-40 minutes) to reach the waterfall, not recommended when it is wet. You may encounter snakes on the trail. Bring the water shoes.
🏊 Refreshing water
⌚Off the beaten track, no one around.
🏞️Torraille Waterfall
Located in heritage site
💵$3
🏊 Water is very cold, but you can bath
⌚It gets crowded quickly due to mini buses bringing passengers from cruise ship, go as early as possible
One day St Lucia itinerary
I do not think that 1 day in Saint Lucia is enough to fully experience this beautiful island, however I know many come on the cruise ship and one day is all you get.
When time is limited, planning in advance and preparing the itinerary can save you plenty of time and nerves. So this itinerary is exactly for my cruise ship crowds.
You can book a group tour or you can rent a car, which is something I would definitely recommend. Pick up your rental car from the Castries airport located just by the cruise port or directly from the cruise port.
Find below two one-day in Saint Lucia itineraries.
🗺️ Itinerary no.1 - North of the island:
Slower pace, plenty of time to chill on the beach
🍍Castries Market - opens from 7:30am you can get your daily dose of fruits and also souvenirs
🏝️ Pigeon Island - former military base turned to national park with amazing views, entrance fee $10
🦐 Duke’s Place - the freshest & the most authentic seafood we had on the island
⛱️ Reduit Beach - lively narrow beach with water park
⛵ Rodney Bay Marina - perfect place for afternoon stroll
🗺️ Itinerary no.2 - Must visits of the Island:
🌋 Sulphur Springs & Drive-in volcano - volcanic mud baths and one of a kind drive-in volcano $15
💦 Piton Falls - Geothermal waterfall with man-made pools is the perfect stop on the way to the most stunning beach of the island
⛱️ Sugar Beach - must visit most beautiful public beach of Saint Lucia located in the Viceroy Resort, insider tip:have lunch in Sugar Beach Viceroy restaurant to get parking within the hotel and shuttle to the beach, otherwise prepare yourself for 20 minutes hike there and 20 minute hike back (2 drinks and pizza under $30)
💦 Anse La Raye Falls - On the way back to Castries stop by at the one of the most beautiful waterfall of the island
My favourite accommodation in Saint Lucia
If you are looking for perfect accommodation with a touch of luxury and plenty of privacy, this would be right for you.
The Island Experience has a perfect location to explore southern part of the island and a perfect pool to unwind after a long day of exploring
Sabwisha Beach 7 minutes drive
Tet Paul/ Sulphur Springs/ Sugar Beach 20 minutes drive
Soufriere 26 minutes drive
International airport 30 minutes drive
You can find more info here.
My favourite beaches of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a beautiful island full of stunning beaches, find below the list of my top 5 of them and why:
🏖️No. 5 - Pigeon Island Beach
The beach is located just next to the Pigeon Island, so sceneries are very nice and it makes up for the great day out, if you opt in for visit and hike at Pigeon Island.
🏖️No. 4 - Anse Chastanet Beach
Take a rocky road from Soufriere and park front of Anse Chastanet Resort to get to this calm beach with decent conditions for snorkelling. There is another beach located just few minutes after Anse Chastanet, called Anse Mamin.
🏖️No. 3 - Sugar Beach
It is 100% the most famous and the prettiest beach of the island, with perfect scenery two Pitons, so why it is not my no. 1…because it is not exactly easy to get there and it is very restricted in my opinion as it is a part of Sugar Beach Viceroy Resort. First there are 2 ways to get there. The first option is to park in the impromptu parking lot near the hotel gates (parking is $5) and walk down to the beach, it took us 20 minutes, imagine walking back up the hill. You are told by security once you get to the beach exactly where to put your towels and that you are as invisible as possible, so we don't disturb hotel guests. We tried to pay for sunbeds, but we were told they are all reserved that day. If you are not up for hike down and back up, you can get parking inside the hotel with a free shuttle to the beach and back, if you dine in the hotel's restaurant. Restaurant is actually quite reasonably priced, so i would definitely recommend that option.
🏖️No. 2 - Hummingbird Beach
Located directly in Soufriere, this lively beach worry amazing views of Pitons, is a great option for your day trip to Soufriere and Diamond Falls. There are also plenty options here to eat out.
🏖️No. 1 - Anse Cochon
This is the best beach for snorkelling, it is located within Ti Kaye resort and you can get parking, sunbeds and food & drink voucher worth $15, for a $15 entry fee. It is a beautiful beach with plenty of space and the most beautiful corals I have ever seen. But be aware that there are boats coming every now and then to drop off groups of people for snorkelling. The beach restaurant located on a cliff has an excellent options for all budgets and large portions.
See below my recommendations with links for the best accommodations, places to visit and restaurants not to miss:
Accommodations:
Waterfalls:
Beaches:
Anse Chastanet
Anse Cochon
Sugar Beach
Hummingbird Beach
Gros Islet Beach
Pigeon Island Beach
Anse des Sables
Sightseeing:
Pigeon Island
Tet Paul Nature Trail
Howelton Estate
Morne Coubaril Estate
Edmund Forest Trail
Drive-in Volcano
Markets:
Castries Market
Anse La Raye Market
Soufriere Market
Things to do:
Rainforest Adventure zip-lining
Bamboo Rafting
Chocolate making
Sulphur Springs
Gros Islet Friday Night party
Restaurants:
Duke’s Place
The Villa
Roots 2
Ti Manje
The View
The Mango Tree
Treetop
Naked Fisherman
1 week itinerary Saint Lucia
To those who would like to explore the island to the fullest I would recommend at least one week in this tropical paradise. Find below my one week itinerary.
Day 1:
🏞️Tet Paul Nature Trail
🛖Morne Coubaril Estate
💦Piton Falls
🏖️ Sugar Beach
🍴The Mango Tree
Day 2:
♨️Sulphur Spring
🌋Drive in Volcano
🍫Project Chocolate
🏖️Hummingbird Beach
Day 3:
💦Diamond Falls & Botanical Garden
🏖️Anse Chastanet Beach
🏙️Soufriere
🍴Treetop Restaurant
Day 4:
💦Anse La Raye Waterfall
🛍️Anse La Raye Market
🤿Anse Cochon Beach
🍴Ti Manje Restaurant
🌅Marigot Bay
🍴The Roots 2
Day 5:
🌴Rainforest Adventure
🛍️Castries Market
⛵Rodney Bay
🏖️Reduit Beach
Day 6:
🏝️Pigeon Island
🤿 Smugglers Cove
🍴The naked Fisherman
🏖️Gros Islet Beach
🍴Dukes Place
Day 7:
🏖️Grand Anse Beach
🌳Treetop Adventure Park
🌴Edmund Forest Trail
💦Bellevue Falls
