About

About ULTIMATE St Lucia Island Guide

ULTIMATE St Lucia Island Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Saint Lucia. We publish 18 curated lists: restaurants, cafés & chocolate, bars & rum shops, nights out, hotels & resorts, things to do, beaches, heritage & art, golf & sport, boats & diving, spas & wellness, hospitals & clinics, shopping, supermarkets & markets, luxury lifestyle, property, getting there & around and motoring. Together they cover Soufrière and the Pitons, Marigot Bay and the west coast, Castries, Rodney Bay and Gros Islet, Cap Estate, Vieux Fort and the south, and the east coast, with in-depth guides to the Pitons, Marigot Bay, food, rum and cocoa, diving, festivals, property and island hopping to Martinique and the Grenadines.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website and, where it has one, its listing on stlucia.org, the official site of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, or another official source such as the Government of Saint Lucia, UNESCO or the Saint Lucia National Trust. We don’t use review scores, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening days, tour times and seasonal schedules change, so please check directly with each place before you visit. Prices are shown in the currency the business uses; many local prices are in Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC$).

For venues

Run a venue in St Lucia and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Anse Chastanet beach near Soufrière, by Martin Tuchscherer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Friday fish market at Anse La Raye, by Ulises Icardi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Anse Mamin, the quiet beach next to Anse Chastanet, by XeresNelro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pigeon Island National Landmark, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Balenbouche Estate near Laborie, by JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The sugar-mill ruins at Balenbouche, by JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Saint Lucia Distillers in the Roseau Valley, by Simon Coban, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay, by XeresNelro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Admiralty Bay at Port Elizabeth, Bequia, by David Broad, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts at anchor in Marigot Bay, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cacao pod growing in Saint Lucia, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cacao pod growing in Saint Lucia, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The village of Canaries from the sea, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The village of Canaries from the sea, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Castries Market, by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cruise port at Castries, by Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Castries, by Terry Ott (TerryOtt), licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The bay at Choiseul, by Enrevseluj, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Habitation Clément at Le François, Martinique, by Thérèse Gaigé, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The national cricket ground near Gros Islet, now the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, by Timothy Barton (timtranslates.com), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dennery Bay on the east coast, by Shawn from Airdrie, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Diamond Waterfall at the Diamond Botanical Gardens, by XeresNelro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Saint Lucia Distillers in the Roseau Valley, by Simon Coban, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Castries Market, by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, by JLXP, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cannons at Fort Rodney on Pigeon Island, by Nelro (talk), licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mount Gimie, the island’s highest peak, by MMinkenberg, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Islet and Pigeon Island from the hills, by SEGM, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton, the higher of the two Pitons, by Jayen466, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over Rodney Bay, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The terminal at Hewanorra International Airport, by Zidane hadeed, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Soufrière and the Pitons from the hills above the town, by DavidMPyle, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Petit Piton above Sugar Beach, by Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Jade Mountain above Anse Chastanet, by Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The palm-fringed shore of Laborie, by Algernon E. Aspinall, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rodney Bay Marina, by Egghead06, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Malabar Beach, by J Bar, licensed CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Maria Islands off Vieux Fort, by Enrevseluj, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Marigot Bay on the west coast, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The little beach on the spit at Marigot Bay, by Enrevseluj, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts at anchor in Marigot Bay, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shipley Battery at Fort Charlotte on Morne Fortune, by Pi3.124, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A bubbling mud pool at the Sulphur Springs, by Jeandnicolet, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Mosque at night, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ramparts of Galle Fort, by Daibo Taku, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Islet and Pigeon Island from the hills, by SEGM, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Saint Lucia parrot, Amazona versicolor, by Aaron Michael, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Petit Piton above the sea near Soufrière, by DavidMPyle, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pigeon Island National Landmark, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beaches by the Pigeon Island causeway, by Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The view from Fort Rodney over the north of the island, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pitons from the air, by Caribbeandy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The valley between the Pitons, where Ladera and Sugar Beach sit, by Jayen466, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pointe Seraphine in Castries, by Luboš Holič, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rabot Estate, Hotel Chocolat’s cacao farm near Soufrière, by Hdalby33, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rainforest in the interior of Saint Lucia, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Marigot Bay on the west coast, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay, by XeresNelro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The calm water of Reduit Bay, by XeresNelro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Soufrière town with the Pitons behind, by DavidMPyle, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The valley between the Pitons, where Ladera and Sugar Beach sit, by Jayen466, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over Rodney Bay, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rodney Bay Marina, by Egghead06, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruins of Saint-Pierre, Martinique, by Thérèse Gaigé, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Castries Market, by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• George F. L. Charles Airport, Castries, by BCF, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Soufrière Bay on the south-west coast, by Mjr74, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Soufrière town with the Pitons behind, by DavidMPyle, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rainforest in the interior of Saint Lucia, by ImagePerson, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The national cricket ground near Gros Islet, now the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, by Timothy Barton (timtranslates.com), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Petit Piton above Sugar Beach, by Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Jalousie, below the Pitons, by XeresNelro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sulphur Springs, the “drive-in volcano” near Soufrière, by DavidMPyle, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over Soufrière, by Jim Vajda, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tobago Cays in the Grenadines, by Stefan Schäfer, Lich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Toraille Waterfall near Soufrière, by Aneil Lutchman, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The terminal at Hewanorra International Airport, by Zidane hadeed, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A street in Vieux Fort, by Enrevseluj, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Vieux Fort on the south coast, by Tournasol7, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vigie Beach near Castries, by ROxBo at English Wikipedia, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Derek Walcott Square, with the cathedral behind, by Gene93k, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.