Things to Do in St Lucia

Best known for its vast marina, Rodney Bay is a long, curved stretch along St. Lucia’s northwestern coast, above Castries. The second largest yachting center in the Caribbean, the marina sits in a man-made lagoon that is surrounded by a modern complex of restaurants, bars, and shops, with Reduit Beach just outside.

Located on a sheltered cove with a view of the island’s emblematic Pitons peaks, Anse Chastanet is one of the most beautiful beaches on St. Lucia. A reef just offshore teems with life, making it a great place to scuba dive or capture underwater photographs of mixed coral and large schools of tropical fish.

The inviting stretch of sugar-soft sand along Rodney Bay is one of the largest and most popular beaches in St Lucia. Visitors looking for sunbathing, swimming and watersports can spend a day here and enjoy the convenience and amenities of the nearby town, including changing rooms and parking.

Reduit Beach’s golden shores offer commanding views across the bay to the verdant peaks of Pigeon Island National Park. Visit the watersports center at the Royal by Rex Resort to rent lounge chairs and snorkel equipment, or sign up for windsurfing and waterskiing lessons in the protected bay. The beachfront restaurant Spinnakers is the perfect spot to grab cocktails and a grilled fish lunch. And don’t think you have to go home when the sun goes down. Reduit Beach’s lively shore is equally popular at night. The west-facing beach boasts one of St. Lucia’s best sunset views, and the bars and nightclubs of Rodney Bay Village offer music and dancing until the early morning hours.

St. Lucia’s pint-sized capital is a bustling port town with a famous market street. While fires and hurricanes have periodically devastated the city, you can still find traces of the colonial era, when the island bounced between French and British control. Stop here to pick up souvenirs, try local food, and enjoy the nightlife.

Many visitors to Saint Lucia see nothing more than the coast, and only the Caribbean coast at that. But the rugged hinterland can offer more than just an exotic green background in your beach holiday snaps. Stretches of untouched rainforest are the green heart of St. Lucia, teeming with vegetation and local species such as the colorful St. Lucia Parrot.

Much of the mountainous, largely unpopulated interior comes under the auspices of the Forestry Department, who control the various trails. Popular routes include the Edmund Forest Reserve, from which you emerge in the shadow of Mount Gimie, the island’s tallest peak, and the more demanding Des Cartiers trail, which takes you right off the beaten track in the island’s east.

If your children have trouble choosing between the playground or splashing around in the pool, Splash Island Water Park off Reduit Beach is a combination of both. Instead of an oversized swimming pool, however, the water park actually floats in the ocean right next to a pristine reef. Swing on the monkey bars, scale the climbing wall, or jump on the trampoline—all while splashing and cooling off in the cobalt Caribbean Sea. As the first floating, open ocean waterpark found anywhere in the Caribbean, Splash Island Waterpark is redefining the concept of fun on the water. Children will love playing water volleyball or taking multiple runs on the slide, and adults will love the sweeping views looking back towards St. Lucia’s Mountains. Onshore, Rodney Bay Village is just a short stroll away full of dining, shopping, and nightlife, and whether you’re just looking for a one-hour dip or a full day of splashing in the sun, the Splash Island Water Park is a big Caribbean, inflatable, non-stop adventure.

On the northern tip of St. Lucia’s windward shore, Cas en Bas Beach is one of the best kitesurfing spots on the island, with regular tradewinds blowing onshore and a protected cove where the water stays calm and glassy. Kitesurfing St. Lucia offers lessons for all levels right off the beach. This somewhat secluded spot is the ideal destination for travelers who prefer a quiet place to swim and sunbathe away from the crowds and persistent vendors on the beaches closer to town—it’s also home to unique artifact, a spent rocket booster that washed ashore here after it was jettisoned by a spacecraft in flight. Join one of the horseback riding tours through the forests of the northern coast, and you’ll stop to relax and swim at Cas en Bas Beach before turning back on the trail. And hungry beachgoers can find food and drinks at Marjorie's Restaurant and Beach Bar, a casual, open-air eatery offering local favorites like fresh seafood and BBQ right on the sand.

Vieux Fort, as its name implies, was settled as a French fort, an installation which dates to the 17th century and can still be visited today. The town later came to prominence as the center of the agriculture industry and it remains a busy commercial center to this day.

The surrounding area is of more interest than the town itself. Start your explorations with stunning views at Saint Lucia’s southernmost point, where a lighthouse looks south towards Saint Vincent.

And on the Atlantic coast you’ll find the long Anse des Sables beach. Be prepared for bigger waves, stronger winds and fewer facilities than you’d experience in west coast resorts, but also far fewer people. The beach faces the Maria Islands, and there’s a meeting point at the southern end of the beach for expeditions to this protected off-shore habitat.

Experience natural beauty from above aboard the open-air St. Lucia Aerial Tram. Soaring as high as 120 feet (37 meters) over the rain forest canopy, you’ll thrill to a bird’s-eye view of the lush, tropical jungle. A naturalist entertains and informs while identifying the island’s flora and fauna on this family-friendly ecoadventure.

The pristine beaches, lush rain forests, and volcanic topography of St. Lucia make it one of the Caribbean’s most popular islands. It’s also a top destination for cruise passengers, welcoming over 300 cruise ships each year.