Hardly any other island in the Caribbean offers such an incredible variety of nature and countless possibilities to spend a breathtaking vacation like St. Lucia. A wide variety of landscapes await visitors, from the tropical rainforest that covers most of the island to the barren, almost steppe-like landscape in the far south of St. Lucia.
The beautiful west coast, with its many romantic bays and beaches, should not be missed. Nor should you miss out on seeing the exciting, somewhat rougher east coast where the sparkling Atlantic Ocean is found.
St. Lucia has endless beaches and wonderful bays, each with its own special flair. Since it’s regulated by law in St. Lucia that every beach must also always be accessible to the locals, the beaches are always accessible to everyone.
The Pitons can be found at the center of the island. These two mountains rise majestically from the sea like two sugar loaves and are surrounded by a mountainous landscape.
The highest mountain on the island, Mount Gimie, is also not far away and, like the Pitons, offers amazing hiking tours. The most touristic sightseeing tours go to this area to explore the mud bath, sulfur springs, botanical garden, and much more. While these are some of the best things to do in St. Lucia, there is still a lot more to see in our beautiful St. Lucia.
The tourist areas are in the north and northwest of the island on Gros Islet, near Rodney Bay, as well as the areas near the Pitons and the village of Soufriere in the southwest of St. Lucia. Travelers will find many large all-inclusive resorts and hotels.
You can also find accommodations to discover and explore unspoiled beaches and landscapes in the many other pretty little towns around the island.
The entire west coast is connected by a well-functioning bus system. From Gros Islet, in the far north, to Vieux Fort, in the south of the island, it’s not a problem to get around by local bus (mini busses) as long as you’re willing to take a few transfers and wait some time.
It’s also a very cheap way to discover the beauty of this island and to be close to the local life. It’s an experience and adventure without equal. These are the best areas and towns on the island if you’re looking for where to stay in St. Lucia.
Rodney Bay
In the northwest of St. Lucia on Gros Islet, about 15 minutes by car to the north of the capital Castries, you will find Rodney Bay. It’s the most touristy area in St. Lucia with its beautiful large, crescent-shaped, fine sandy Reduit Beach. It’s lined with many hotels, and for many it’s the best place to stay in St. Lucia.
Various water sports facilities, as well as a specially designed water park, Splash Island Water Park, are popular here among younger guests. Tour operators such as Benny’s Boat Tours offer half-day, day, and private tours by speedboat to the Pitons in the southwest of the island. They include many attractions, snorkeling, food, and drinks.
We also recommended you book a cab or rental car to explore the island and the incredible landscape. The Hotel Mustique by Royalton, as well as the Starfish St. Lucia, are just a few hotels with rooms that have fantastic ocean views right on the beach, especially beautiful at sunset.
The well-managed Coco Palm Hotel is quietly located behind the first beach line but is right in the heart of the many entertainment options of Rodney Bay and therefore also a very popular starting point.
Wonderful Airbnb’s that reach into the hinterland and the hills of Rodney Bay, the Rodney Heights, are also bookable and very much in demand. It has bars that give you the real Caribbean feeling, like the quaint Royal Palm or the lively Keebees often featuring live music.
There are restaurants like the Spinnakers right on the beach with Caribbean cuisine, a shopping mall, supermarket, and many other possibilities for entertainment during the day and evening can all be reached on foot.
Feel free to linger for a moment at the small street stalls in Rodney Bay on your way to the beach. Handicrafts, homemade jewelry, wonderful carvings, and small samples of Caribbean cuisine (e.g., “Shirley’s Doubles”) will make your vacation unforgettable.
If you’re lucky, you’ll meet Chino at Reduit Beach in his cocktail boat. He can mix and make a “Bob Marley Cocktail” with local ingredients from the water at this beautiful spot for a good price.
Enjoy an authentic St. Lucia atmosphere directly on the beach, barbecue, and the best rum punch of the bay you can get it in any case at Maries Fishshack. The restaurant sits directly at the southern end of Reduit Beach. Travelers can witness one of the most beautiful sunset views here.
The heart of Rodney Bay is the Rodney Bay Marina. Smaller and larger sailboats, catamarans, and yachts from all over the world spend days or weeks here. Around the entire Rodney Bay Marina, there are also various good restaurants, as well as the Hotel Harbour Club St. Lucia by Hilton, with a wonderful wide view of the harbor and the entire somewhat distant bay.
If you want to experience the lively and authentic life of St. Lucia, Rodney Bay is the place to be. However, the drive to most of the sights in the southwest of the island, such as the Pitons, takes a bit more time than from other places on the island.
Therefore, you should always allow a good two hours of driving time, but you will get a wonderful overview of the entire vegetation of the island with its mountains and the beautiful rainforest. The airport is also about 2 hours away, right in the south.
Visit Pigeon Island National Park, with its wonderful viewpoint of Fort Rodney, or the even slightly higher Signal Peak at the northern tip of Rodney Bay. It has an impressive history of sailors to tell. Fort Rodney can be climbed relatively easily on foot, but for this it’s best to take the path that leads directly along the sea (keep left) with a view of the wonderful Reduit Beach almost to the top.
For the ascent to Signal Peak, you should take a little more time and be a more experienced hiker. You will be rewarded at both viewpoints with a breathtaking view over the entire Rodney Bay to Castries, the capital of the island, as well as the entire north coast.
The peninsula of Pigeon Island juts into the Caribbean sea with countless palm trees, small sandy beaches including good snorkeling opportunities, and also some historical ruins. If you feel an appetite while exploring Pigeon Island National Park or if you want to breathe some seafaring air, visit the beautiful little restaurant with local Caribbean cuisine known as Jambe De Bois.
It’s located directly by the sea. Let them tell you the story of the sailor Jambe De Bois here at Pigeon Point. You can also see the entire Rodney Bay and Reduit Beach and let your thoughts wander to the events that took place here.
Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay is located on the northwest coast of St. Lucia, about half an hour south of the capital Castries (10 kilometers or 6.2 miles), and is the epitome of the romantic Caribbean. The transfer from the Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) takes about one hour and 15 minutes.
It’s also the favorite place of many boats and yachts from all over the world who want to sail to this much sought-after island. Whether you approach Marigot Bay from the north or south, the approach to this incredible bay is always the same. As you approach it over the mountains, it appears like a small, distant pearl in the turquoise Caribbean Sea slightly below you.
The closer you get, the more impressive the view of the beautiful bay with its fantastic lush green vegetation and the turquoise sea that shimmers in all shades. It’s best to stop up here for a while and just enjoy the sight before you start the descent. If you feel hungry, stop right up here at Roots 2 to try good local Caribbean cuisine in an authentic setting.
Down at the small harbor, there are some quaint bars and nice restaurants. You will also find a few cute souvenir stands and also a small supermarket as well as a small free ferry that awaits you. The ferry takes you to the opposite side of the bay, which is only accessible this way.
The fantastically located Dr. Doolittles Restaurant (known from the movie of the same name) is directly on the sea with a brilliant view and has its own small jetty. If you want to get to the wonderful 4-star hotel Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort on the water, take this cute way of transportation and get off at this jetty.
The hotel’s reception is just a few steps away. A small beautiful beach, dotted with many tall palm trees is also on this side. Water sports opportunities are many here in this wonderful quiet, and romantic bay.
The Marigot Beach Club offers diving, boat trips, and rafting. At Aquarius Watersports, you can rent kayaks or paddle boats or take very charming guided tours in the nearby surroundings. Explore places like the Roseau River with its beautiful mangroves.
Another hotel in the bay is the 5-star hotel Zoetry Marigot Bay, which is found deep in it, where the sailboats and yachts anchor. Villas and apartments are offered throughout the bay, all of which have an enchanting view of the coast. In the evenings, as the day draws to a close, guests can listen to wonderful live music that can sometimes be heard softly throughout the area.
Marigot Bay is a tranquil place, romantic and for nature lovers who want to spend their vacations far away from the busy city in a dreamlike environment.
The Pitons, the landmark of our island is only about an hour’s drive away by car in a southerly direction. The pretty little village of Anse La Raye on the sea has cute colorful houses and can be reached in about 15 minutes by car and is definitely worth a trip.
Soufriere
On the west coast of St. Lucia, about 1.5 hours from Castries and about 1 hour from the Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), lies Soufriere. It’s the place that truly lies at the feet of the two Pitons, the Petit Piton and the Grand Piton, the landmark of the island.
This place exemplifies the original St. Lucia, nestled in lush vegetation and surrounded by a mountainous landscape with dense rainforest, breathtaking beaches, and an absolutely local atmosphere.
Close together are the many tourist attractions such as the mud bath, the Touraille waterfall, the volcanic sulfur springs, the botanical garden with the beautiful Diamond waterfall, and many more. The flow of visitors is accordingly high at the normal times of the day.
When cruise ships are at the pier in Castries, you should try to avoid these places or visit them early in the morning or in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. Soufriere itself is located on a wonderful crescent-shaped bay, Hummingbird Beach. It’s a nice beach with a scenic view of Petit Piton, which rises majestically out of the sea.
The Seashell Restaurant offers local food and delicious cocktails on the north side of the beach under many palm trees. It meets all the expectations of those who are looking for an authentic Caribbean experience. Soufriere is of course also a popular port for sailboats, catamarans, and smaller yachts and has a pretty little harbor with quaint bars.
In the evenings, you can see the fishermen and the small fishing boats coming in where fresh fish is a given here as everywhere on the island. South of the harbor you will also find the Petit Peak Restaurant, with a very enjoyable atmosphere.
From the port you can take a water cab to the great Sugar Beach (the fantastic 5-star Sugar Beach Viceroy hotel is located right there) with its almost white sandy beach and a stunning plunge pool. But, unfortunately the sand at Sugar Beach is not natural white since it’s imported. It’s beautifully located right between the two Pitons.
Please make sure to bring snorkeling equipment since you won’t want to miss out on snorkeling in its waters. Directly at the Soufriere harbor, the agency Mystic Man has an office where you can also book other boat tours like a catamaran sunset tour, or deep sea fishing tours, and more.
The nearby beautiful Anse Chastanet Beach with its fine volcanic and natural black sand has many palm trees, and the highly recommended hotel of the same name can also be reached by water cab in a short amount of time.
Anse Chastanet Beach is also reachable by car but over a very bumpy, winding road. The Scuba Diving school is located exactly on the beach, which also speaks for the breathtaking underwater world with its many good snorkeling and diving opportunities.
One thing definitely worth mentioning is the Jade Mountain Hotel on the way to Anse Chastanet Beach. With its special architecture, the many open rooms and suites, and its special orientation, it’s beautifully situated on the mountain with a view towards Petit Piton.
If you feel like going for an easy hike through the indescribably beautiful flora with great views into the distance, visit the nearby Tet Paul Trail. The cab ride from Soufriere is only about 10 minutes. The 45-minute hike promises fantastic views from high up on the two Pitons and the Sugar Beach in the depths. In the distance, you can see the entire southwest coast to Vieux Fort.
There is also the possibility to climb the small and the big Piton with a professional guide. For this, you need to be an experienced hiker. The guides are found at the foot of the Piton, or you can book them in advance. Mount Gimie, the highest mountain of St. Lucia (950 meters or 3116 feet) is also not far away and is open to further guided hiking tours.
Choiseul and Laborie
Close to the impressive Pitons, you will find the wonderful area around the pretty coastal towns of Choiseul and Laborie. It’s a picturesque fishing village only half an hour from the Hewanorra International Airport (UVF).
Known for centuries as the site of St. Lucia’s handicrafts, this area is very pristine and steeped in the island’s colorful Caribbean art. Wonderful basketry, pottery, and many other artistic items are made here.
The landscape is slightly hilly, the road is well developed, and you almost always have the wonderful scenery of the wide Caribbean Ocean and the beautiful coastline while driving. The wonderful Pitons can be seen from almost every perspective of your trip.
On the way, you will see the small remnants of the old sugar mills that existed here a long time ago, historically very interesting. You should definitely stop in Choiseul at the cute Anglican church, built in 1846, and the school right next to it, the first one that existed in St. Lucia.
Just a short distance away to the north is the Choiseul Art Gallery. The gallery offers a wealth of impressions of the island for anyone interested in local art. It’s really worth seeing!
A little further on you pass a quaint pottery called Keramik Saint Lucia. Just stop and with a little luck you can watch the owner Amanda Samanta make her wonderful pottery, which she offers for sale. It’s a great place to find a nice individual souvenir of your vacation in Saint Lucia.
This site also features the hardly known by tourists long Piaye Beach with the river of the same name flowing into it. It’s near Choiseul (with a great beach bar, Just A Chill Beach Bar) and the crescent-shaped bay of Laborie.
Fishermen like Anthony Cadasse welcome you here with their freshly caught fish, prepared right in front of you on request. For a typical St. Lucia Caribbean meal, you can visit Mama Tilly’s in the beautiful Laborie Bay, not far from the beach.
You won’t find luxurious resorts in Choiseul and Laborie. You can stay as a tourist mainly in beautiful Airbnb’s, which are offered in a variety of places. Mostly directly on the beach or slightly elevated overlooking the sea.
The Airbnb Hillside Montete Cottage is right at the top of the mountain, embedded in the fantastic rainforest with a huge garden of fruits and palm trees. It reveals a breathtaking view over the entire southwest coast, sometimes even as far as Vieux Fort. For reference, the all-inclusve resort Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is a popular place to stay in Vieux Fort.
If you are looking for peace and relaxation with your own pool and still want to be close to many attractions, this is the right place. In Laborie Bay, at the southern end, Airbnb Sunset Lane offers several apartments. Guests get a sight of the entire bay and are provided with local coziness with a large comfortable terrace to stay and enjoy.
If you still prefer to stay in a slightly larger hotel and still want to be close to this amazing area, I recommend the Tet Rouge Resort (6 rooms), which is not far away. The wonderful Fond Doux Resort (several cottages) is about 15 minutes from Choiseul to the north and in the direction of Soufriere.
The somewhat rougher but fascinating east coast of St. Lucia combines with the Atlantic Ocean with its often raging waves and scenic bays and rocky coastlines. You can reach it from Laborie within a good half hour.
On the way there you will pass by the viewpoint of Lighthouse Moule a Chique, where you can see the whole southwest coast and the pristine Sandy Beach, just near the lighthouse.
The proximity to attractions and the airport, the history of craftsmanship, and the beautiful beaches make the Choiseul and Laborie area a very welcoming place for those who want to experience and enjoy the local life of St. Lucia.
Cap Estate
Cap Estate is north of the town of Gros Islet and covers the entire northern tip. It’s rather sparsely populated, so you will not find any bigger places where local life takes place.
It’s characterized by some very beautifully located luxury hotels, such as the Hotel Body Holiday Saint Lucia or the Hideaway at Royalton St. Lucia, with wonderful views of the sea, as well as high-quality villas.
Imposing cliffs that promise magnificent views can be found here in the very north. The original landscape is altogether a bit more barren compared to other areas of St. Lucia, where the rainforest is in the immediate vicinity.
By car, you can drive to a northeastern viewpoint, which has the pretty name Moonrise. It gives you a magnificent view over the entire northern tip of St. Lucia and the bays of the northeast coast. From here, you can definitely see the moon rising.
The golf course Sandals Golf & Country Club is the centerpiece of the far north. The Cabot Saint Lucia is another 18-hole golf course directly on the north coast with breathtaking views of the vast ocean while golfing. It will reopen this year and is already one of the top destinations for golfers.
Unfortunately, this takes up so much space that some really worth seeing bays there are hardly accessible, as well as the very beautiful Donkey Bay.
On the northern east coast, you can find a wonderful wide bay, Cas en Bas, which is spectacular with its long natural beach and the roaring waves of the Atlantic. Few people venture here, so it is a real insider’s tip for nature lovers. If you are up for an adventure, Adventure Tours offers a fantastically combined horseback and buggy tour on the coast.
In the far northwest, you can find the beautiful Smugglers Cove, also known for the popular Naked Fisherman Restaurant. Awarded one of the most beautiful beach bars in the Caribbean, this cove is a little gem.
The restaurant is part of the nearby boutique hotel Cap Maison Resort & Spa, which is highly recommended due to its special architecture and location on a cliff above Smugglers Cove.
Due to its proximity to lively Rodney Bay, with its Rodney Bay Marina, Cap Estate is a top-rated vacation destination. However, it will take you a good 2 hours to drive to many of the best sights, such as the Pitons and the Sulphur Springs.
Excursions to these places are offered by different tour operators by bus or boat. Or you can simply book a cab driver to explore Saint Lucia with you, which is quite common here. The local cab drivers are the best tour guides around. To the Hewanorra International Airport in the south of the island, you can also expect a two-hour drive.