The beaches of St. Lucia are some of the most pristine oases that you will find in the Caribbean. Expect everything from soft white sand and clear blue waters where snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities are more than abundant.
You even get wonderful views of the Petit Piton mountains and the Caribbean Sea. Different spots offer beach bars to sunset views or more private and less visited coastal areas.
With beautiful bays across the entire island, you can easily find a sand paradise no matter what area of St. Lucia you stay in. These are the most beautiful and best beaches in St. Lucia that you need to visit.
Reduit Beach
The beautiful Reduit Beach is located on the very north of the west coast in the Caribbean side of St. Lucia. It’s the southern beach section of Rodney Bay. You can park your car on the road that runs parallel to the beach.
A large and crescent-shaped bay stretches out in front of you as soon as you enter this wonderful beach. When I first saw this beach, I knew I had truly arrived to the beautiful Caribbean. The waters are really calm, only rarely a little choppy, and when the sun shines, it sparkles in the most beautiful shades of turquoise.
A few palm trees line the wide beach and the almost white, fine sand stretches across the entire bay, making it very easy to get into the water. The beach is gently sloping, so you can relax and enjoy yourself. Sun loungers and beach parasols are available everywhere on the beach for a fee.
My favorite thing to do at Reduit Beach is to drift slowly on an air mattress until it’s time for the beautiful sunset. Many water sports are offered on the northern part of the beach. Stand-up paddleboarding, jet skiing, water skiing, and parasailing are just a few of them. Swimming and snorkeling are other popular activities.
There is also the Splash Island Water Park, which is popular with younger guests. Right on the beach is the Spinnakers Restaurant with a beautiful sea view and a cult-typical Caribbean bar, Marie’s Fishshack, which many locals come to visit.
Smugglers Cove Beach
Almost at the northern tip of St. Lucia, on the west coast, lies this little pearl of nature. To get to Smugglers Cove Beach, park your car at the top of the road and follow the signs to the Naked Fisherman Restaurant.
The well-built staircase takes you down the cliff a few steps. From up here, you get a beautiful view of the sea and the bay, which shimmers through the trees in the colors turquoise and white. A relatively small but deep and beautifully situated bay with a fine white sandy beach framed by rocks awaits you down there.
The choppy sea usually has waves perfect for the water sports offered by the Hotel Cap Maison, which is located on the cliff. Hobie cats, windsurfing, paddle boards, and much more can be rented, or you can simply enjoy the day sunbathing and swimming in the sheltered bay.
On the sides of Smugglers Cove Beach, where the cliffs lead into the water, there are good snorkeling opportunities. On our last visit, we had our snorkeling equipment with us and were able to spontaneously see some beautiful colorful fish.
The Naked Fisherman Restaurant is a quaint beach bar that’s considered one of the best bars in the Caribbean. On a clear day, you can see the neighboring island of Martinique from this beautiful beach and even whales that occasionally pass by in the distance.
Sugar Beach
Sugar Beach is unique and looks straight out of a picture book. On the southwest coast of St. Lucia, near the village of Soufriere, you’ll find it right between the two Pitons.
A beautiful, crescent-shaped bay with lots of shady palm trees awaits you at Sugar Beach. It features an extremely beautiful and sugar-white sand that leads shallowly into the water. However, the sand is not natural but imported.
At the foot of the Petit Piton, there is a breathtaking snorkeling area where you can easily “dive in” from the beach to observe the many schools of fish and marine life. A jetty makes it easy for visitors to get on and off the boat.
One of the top all-inclusive resorts on the island, The Viceroy Sugar Beach Resort is somewhat in the background and offers visitors sun loungers. The comfortable round yellow water hammocks, which can be seen floating in the turquoise sea from afar, are freely accessible to all and free of charge.
We have spent countless hours at Sugar Beach. There is a small store near the jetty that offers a washroom for visitors. Hopefully, you’ll get to meet “Blaze”, who occasionally comes by this beautiful bay in his little Caribbean cocktail boat and mixes a magical cocktail with his freshly picked fruit.
Anse Chastanet Beach
On the beautiful West Coast of St. Lucia, near the “Pitons” and north of the village of Soufriere, you will find what I consider to be the most authentic and pure beach on this volcanic island, Anse Chastanet Beach.
The beach can be reached by water cab from Soufriere, on foot or by car, which can be parked at the entrance to the Anse Chastanet Beach hotel. This beautiful long bay with its black sand and wide stretches along the rocky coast. It’s lined with many coconut palms in front of the imposing mountain landscape.
From time to time, the Caribbean Sea creates higher waves here and the water becomes deeper relatively quickly. The bay is ideal for all kinds of water sports. Anse Chastanet Beach is particularly well known for its excellent diving and snorkeling spots, which are available throughout the entire surrounding area.
The diving school “Scuba Dive St. Lucia” is based here and offers snorkeling and diving tours in the crystal-clear water. But you can also admire the wonderful water world directly from the beach. There is an extra entrance for snorkelers at the southern end of Anse Chastanet Beach, where you will find the atmospheric beach bar with great vibes and the small art gallery with works by local artists.
Further north, on the small rocks that protrude into the water, there are more very good snorkeling spots. Sun loungers are reserved exclusively for hotel guests. For me, it was the best snorkeling adventure I’ve experienced so far in St. Lucia.
Marigot Bay Beach
Marigot Bay Beach is a romantic little sandy beach that juts out into the bay like a small headland. It’s found on the northwest coast, south of the capital Castries, and sits directly in the beautiful and well-known Marigot Bay.
The beach can only be reached by a small, inexpensive ferry that takes you to the jetty on the opposite side of the bay. This cute and romantic sandy beach is just a few steps away. Marigot Bay Beach is quite deep in the bay, so the sea is usually very calm and the water is very slow and shallow.
Many coconut palms provide shade in this beautiful spot. You get a wonderful view of the open sea, the entrance to the bay, and the sailboats, yachts, and catamarans coming in. Get sun loungers on the beach from the nearby beach club for a small fee.
The well-known Dr. Doolittle’s Restaurant invites you to enjoy delicious cocktails as well as local and international dishes. At the back of the headland, there are some lovely little stalls where St. Lucians sell local handicrafts and drinks.
The idyllically located water sports station just off the beach offers canoes, pedalos, and other water sports gear. We went on a fantastic guided paddle boat tour from Marigot Bay Beach to the nearby Roseau River in the mangroves, which is a must for sports and nature lovers! There are also lovely sunset views that I highly recommend other travelers to experience for themselves.
Hummingbird Beach
Hummingbird Beach is beautifully situated in a large crescent-shaped bay southwest of the island. It’s the “home beach” of the village of Soufriere, which is located directly behind the hilly hinterland.
The mountainous landscape and the famous Petit Piton surround this idyllic natural beach, which is partly fine and pebbly and can also be rocky when you go into the water. From the palm-fringed beach, it goes relatively quickly into deeper water.
The Caribbean Sea is generally calm, so this is not a problem for swimming. In this low-lying bay, some boats enjoy the special atmosphere, especially in the evening. On the northern side, Hummingbird Beach is quite wide and perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There is also a jetty, the Soufriere Beach Park with a bar, water sports facilities, and the Seashell Restaurant. The restaurant is wonderfully located right on the beach and offers a fantastic view over the entire bay and the Petit Piton.
In the more southerly area, the beach is rather narrow and not so suitable for activities. Small fishing boats wait on the shore for their next exit and also from the cute harbor, where catamarans and sailboats sometimes anchor. Many delightful houses, local stores, and restaurants are lined up in the background of the beach.
If you stay until the evening, you can watch the flying fish doing their rounds in the bay and maybe even the odd fisherman feeding the pelicans with his scraps. Hummingbird Beach is special because it connects you directly with life in St. Lucia.
Pigeon Island Beach
Pigeon Island Beach can be found on the very north of Rodney Bay. It’s rarely visited and the beach is named after the Pigeon Island Landmark there.
Once you have passed the entrance to the national park, it’s on the left-hand side of the headland with a wonderful view of the whole of Rodney Bay. It’s a light, fine sandy beach that is relatively narrow in places but still offers plenty of space to lie down and relax.
The calm, turquoise, and crystal-clear water of the large bay slopes gently and shallowly downhill. Many palm trees and sea grape trees adorn the beach, providing plenty of shade so that a parasol is hardly needed. The beach is ideal for snorkeling, as the quiet coastal strip that continues towards the end of the headland offers many smaller rocks with colorful fish life.
A quaint little restaurant is found on the beach next to the small jetty with authentic, delicious local cuisine. The Jambe De Bois Restaurant awaits you with a lot of historical background and a breathtaking view of the bay.
The sunsets are just as amazing as in other spots. We were lucky enough to meet a local Rastafarian who took us safely back to Reduit Beach opposite in his water cab and told us a seafaring story that is said to have taken place on Pigeon Island Beach.
Laborie Beach
The beautiful Laborie Beach is near the village of the same name Laborie, which borders directly on it with its hilly hinterland. It’s south of the two famous Pitons, the Gros and the Petit Piton, in the direction of Vieux Fort.
This beautiful beach stretches out into a large and extremely idyllic bay, which comes very close to the Caribbean dream. Many coconut palms, some of which reach over the turquoise water, line this light and fine sandy Caribbean beach. You can swim at any point in this beautiful bay, as it’s wide and easy to get into the mostly calm water.
The beach is rarely visited by tourists and locals from the village and the surrounding area spend pleasant hours with their families on the weekends. There are parking spaces at the beginning of the northern part, so you can drive almost right up it.
There is also a nice beach bar there, of course with a breathtaking view of the sea. Directly behind the beach, the beautiful village of Laborie features many small homes, arts and crafts stores, and options for local food and drinks.
In the mornings and evenings, you can watch the fishing boats go in and out. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet Anthony, the fisherman that cleans his freshly caught fish on the beach and prepares them for a meal.
Sandy Beach
Sandy Beach has an indescribably beautiful expanse and is quietly located near the town of Vieux Fort. It’s only about a 5-minute car ride from Hewanorra International Airport (UVF). You can park your car along the entire length of the approximately 1.5 km (.93 miles) long beach, as the road runs parallel to the beach. There are no hotels near this area, so it’s relatively more secluded.
The Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of St. Lucia begins at Sandy Beach, offering a magnificent view into the distance with many waves and whitecaps. An absolute must see for beach lovers!
Sandy Beach is a very long natural beach with light-colored sand and countless palm trees and sea grape trees that provide shade across the entire width of the beach. There are very few tourists that come to it.
Be careful when you go into the water because while the bottom is sandy, the waves can throw you off balance. The breeze that usually blows around the area makes Sandy Beach ideal for numerous water sports. A small water sports center with rental equipment is found at the “Reef Bar & Restaurant”. Sandy Beach is particularly popular with kite surfers, who find the best ocean conditions here.
There are some nice, typical Caribbean bars on the beach. We were lucky and met a great guy, a St. Lucian, who also rented out sun loungers. Each rental came with a free glass of cool coconut water.
Anse Mamin Beach
Anse Mamin Beach is a breathtaking beach on the west coast. If you’re staying near this part of Soufriere, it’s an absolutely quiet location. It’s just a 15-minute walk from the neighboring Anse Chastanet Beach and has an incredibly beautiful Caribbean charm.
It has black sand of volcanic origin and is a very wide and long beach with lots of coconut palms. The Caribbean Sea occasionally laps up the waves here, framed by nearby cliffs and the hilly landscape.
The Anse Chastanet Beach Hotel, which is located in the neighboring bay, has a single small bar right there and offers cocktails and freshly grilled burgers, albeit at a rather high price, in my opinion. You should budget around $20 for a cocktail.
You can also rent beach chairs, which are romantically placed under small palm umbrellas. You will find good snorkeling and diving options at nearby Anse Chastanet Beach, as well as a small gallery of local artists. Make a beach day out of it and visit both Anse Mamin Beach and Anse Chastanet Beach.
Malgretoute Beach
Malgretoute Beach has a very idyllic, almost magical location. Hardly visited by tourists, you will find it in the bay of Soufriere on the southwest coast of St. Lucia. It is directly at the foot of the Petit Piton, one of the island’s two famous mountains and landmarks, which rise out of the sea like large sugar loaves.
Malgretoute Beach is a rather natural, narrow and beautiful beach that’s home to many palm trees. The sand is rather dark and sometimes pebbly right into the ocean. The waters are usually calm due to the protection of the bay. You get a wonderful view of the village of Soufriere and the entire bay as a whole.
Right at the foot of the Petit Piton, on Malgretoute Beach, there is only one idyllically situated small hotel called the Paradise Hotel. It offers a range of water sports equipment such as paddle boards, tube rides, sea bikes, and kayaks. Sun loungers and beach umbrellas are also available for rent for sun worshippers.
There is an opportunity to enjoy a private dinner on the beautiful Malgretoute Beach, organized and hosted by the Paradise Hotel. I remember taking a walk from the village of Soufriere to this beautiful beach. You can walk along the sea for about half an hour until you reach it but you can also take a water cab.