St. Lucia Pitons

St. Lucia is on Oprah's Bucket List

If you need a wellness retreat to melt away stress or a romantic getaway for couples then St. Lucia is for you. With endless beaches, sweet Mango and Spiced filled air, pristine rainforests, and relaxing mineral enriched mud baths, St. Lucia is where stress goes to die. Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities call St. Lucia their home away from home. Oprah places St. Lucia in her top 5 bucket list destinations!

What should you know about St. Lucia?

From Orlando and connecting in Miami, St. Lucia is between 4-5 hour flight and 1650 miles/2660 kilometers. Most flights will depart very early in the morning and arrive in St. Lucia at approximately 2pm and leave from St. Lucia at approximately 3pm

American Citizens are required to present passports to visit St. Lucia, and St. Lucia requires visitors to complete an Immigration Declaration upon arrival, however an online application is available ( see prior article and St. Lucia portal)

St. Lucia is small, (only 160,000 residents, and 225 square miles), has only 1 international Airport (Hewanorra International) located in the town of Vieux Fort. Hewanorra is very small but charming (the Aircraft are larger than the buildings), visitors may feel they have arrived on 'Fantasy Island.'

Tip: If you plan to visit the iconic Pitons of St. Lucia (featured in photo above), then plan your stay near the town of Soufriere where your commute from Hewanorra will be approximately 45mins - 1hr. Expect the mountainous roads of St. Lucia to extend driving time as much as 4x !

Castries is the capital of St. Lucia and with 20,000 residents, it is also the most densely populated town of St. Lucia. Most St. Lucians live in small fishing villages with no more than 6,000 residents

St. Lucia is home to over 195 species of birds including Parrots and Flamingos. 120 of the world's rarest species of birds can be found on St. Lucia, making this eco-tourism paradise one of the best bird watching places in the world (see Avibase and Birdlife International).

What are the best beaches on St. Lucia?

St. Lucia Beaches are endless, but two very different experiences. The Atlantic Ocean is on the East side of the island with larger waves for body surfing and boogie boarding while the calm relaxing Caribbean Sea is on the West.

Best Romantic/Couples: Sugar Beach, with it's full view of the Pitons, is on the South end of the island and is one of the most idyllic beaches of St. Lucia. Dinner boat tours frequent this location for picture perfect sunset views of the iconic Pitons. As the name implies the beach sand is sugar soft to the feet. Snorkeling is also very good here, and you are very likely to see a few anchored yachts

Best for Snorkeling: Also located near the Pitons on the south side of the Island, Anse Chastanet Beach has very good reefs giving snorkelers a great view of Tropical fish

Best Family-Friendly Beach: Malabar Beach, located in Castries, on the Caribbean side of St. Lucia and approximately 90mins North West of the International Airport. The waters are tourquis blue, calm, and warm, making it perfect for little swimmers to enjoy the day

(Malabar Beach, Castries St. Lucia)

What are the best things to do in St. Lucia?

Pitons
Drive thru Volcano
Mud Baths (super heated) located at Volcano
Waterfalls (all 5), but Toraille is great after the Mud Bath!
Piton Nature Trail (Stunning view of the Pitons from the top !)

(Above Left: Toraille Waterfall, Right: Piton Nature Trail)

Adriana Da Silva Travel Agent at St. Lucia Pitons

(Above Left: Mud bath heated from Volcanic Vents, Right: Pitons, St. Lucia)

Currency and payment accepted on the island:

The official currency on St. Lucia is the East Caribbean Dollar, however major credit cards and the U.S. Dollar are widely accepted. Due to the small size of St. Lucia, ATM machines are scarce, and 'Souvenir Gift Shops' are generally road side vendors with crafts and home made rum, which unfortunately are rather expensive, and possibly may present problems with customs. The gift shop at Hewanorra International is both reasonably priced as well as offers a wide selection of the most common souvenirs.

Should I rent a car on St. Lucia?

No ! Not only because St. Lucia lodging is mainly comprised of 'All-Inclusive' resorts with airport transfer and organized island tours available, the Island is very mountainous, roads are very winding, and driving follows European left side traffic rules

In addition, while GPS may work, cellular service may be spotty due to the mountainous terrain. Finally, road signs are nearly non-existent, which means unless you are very familiar with where you are going, you may easily miss a turn!

(St. Lucia Virgin Island)

Final Thoughts:

There is something on St. Lucia for every sensory experience; the food is amazing, especially the 'King Fish.' the people of St. Lucia are incredibly friendly and take the expression 'Island Time,' to a whole new level! The rainforest comes to life at night like an orchestra filling the air with it's song (below video).

With it's Mango and Spiced filled air, Rain Forests, never ending turquoise blue waters, majestic mountain vistas, botanical gardens, water falls and collection of rare birds, St. Lucia not only can be compared with Hawaii, it is an ultimate couples wellness retreat, and one of the best most accessible eco-tourism destinations in the world.