St. Lucia has only recently started attracting tourists when compared to its neighboring islands, hence one can expect a high level of hospitality and accommodation available at all budgets.

Tourism in St. Lucia

You can call St. Lucia as a dream island. It has got to offer all that a Caribbean holiday has to offer added with a touch of exclusivity and uniqueness. The golden sandy beaches are perhaps the first choice in the itinerary of every tourist who sets foot on this marvelous island. The northwest coast is the hot spot among beaches and the tourists can spend days on the resorts lined up along the ‘Golden Mile’.

The next most preferred tourist destination is the twin peaks of Pitons towards the south of the island. The interior areas of the forest are full of rain forests with breathtaking views of rolling mountains decked by serene mountain streams. The east coast also is a popular beach attraction with the added uniqueness being the nesting grounds of leatherback turtles.

How to get to St. Lucia

St. Lucia has daily flight services from countries such as U.S.A and Canada during season periods. One can get good connectivity to this paradise from JFK, Philadelphia and Washington. Apart from the scheduled flights from Heathrow, there are also chartered flight services that most of the European tourists use. These chartered flights are part of the package tour holidays. If you are traveling from Australia or New Zealand you will have to take a flight to St. Lucia from one of the U.S. gateway airports and get connecting flights from there. For the most cost effective travel, one can choose flights from New York or Miami.

Currency at St. Lucia

The official currency of St. Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$); however, the U.S Dollar is also widely accepted in the island. The exchange rate of one EC$ is 2.70 to one USD. The cost of accommodation and food is sometimes at par with the price as in U.S.A or Europe. There are many ATMs that dispense EC$ and credit cards of major service providers are widely accepted besides travelers cheques.

Taxes and tipping

The hotels generally add 10% service charge and 8% accommodation charge to the quoted room rates. It is also a general practice to tip the cab drivers at 10 %.

Travel at St. Lucia

Buses are available to areas that are frequented by locals and tourists. For other areas, one may hire a taxi which is sometimes expensive or can rent a car or a motorbike. Car rental per day can cost anything from US$ 45 to US$ 100, depending on what car you choose. To drive around in St. Lucia one must purchase a temporary St. Lucian license by paying EC$ 54. The licenses are valid for three months from the date of purchase and are issued by rental companies, police departments and immigration offices in the island.

There are companies operating guided tours to all parts of St. Lucia. These tours are usually done by a 4WD trucks and a typical tour costs US $ 90 per pax. Among the guided tours are included exciting guided treks to the central rain forests and guided walks along the beaches.

Eating out at St. Lucia

Typically St. Lucia's popular restaurants are smaller ones that offer delicious food and drink. However, one may also book a table for oneself in some of the more upmarket restaurants that offer international cuisine.

Nightlife at St. Lucia

The nightlife of St. Lucia is perhaps the best in the Caribbean area. The beach resorts and hotels offer some of the finest live music and dancing. One can spend long evenings and even longer nights at the bars listening to chak-chak, the traditional music or some feet tapping Reggae.

Festivals of St. Lucia

The July carnival called the Jounen Kweyol in Patois is a time when one can witness St. Lucia in all its pomp and splendor. The streets are filled with partying, dancing and happy people walking around. The carnival is also the time when one can enjoy an excellent display of folk music dance and storytelling. The carnival is truly a window to the cultural world of St. Lucia.

Sporting activity at St. Lucia

Miles of pristine beach coasts give St. Lucia the unique advantage of many exciting water sport activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, sea kayaking, wind surfing and more. The island also offers exciting hiking opportunities into the rain forests that are rich with many endemic and exotic flora and fauna. The services of a local guide can give you a good insight into the nature of the forests.

Capital of St. Lucia

Castries, the capital city of St. Lucia is located at the northwest coast of the island. The city is an excellent fusion of old West-Indian lifestyle and urbanization of the modern world. The city is primarily a business center where people from all over the island arrive to conduct business. Castries is also home to Port Castries – a place where cruise ships offload their travelers to shop in the duty-free malls of the city.