Saint Lucia travel guides

EU, UK, US, Canadian and Commonwealth passport holders do not need a visa and are typically granted up to six weeks on arrival, extendable. You will need a passport valid for six months, a return ticket and confirmed accommodation. An online immigration form should be completed before travel. Saint Lucia charges a departure tax, which is normally included in your airfare.

December to April is the dry season and peak period, with reliable sunshine and the highest rates. Saint Lucia Carnival in July and the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival in May are the two events worth planning around. June to November is wetter and falls in hurricane season, with September and October the highest risk, though rates drop significantly. Even in the wet season, rain tends to come in short heavy bursts rather than lasting all day.

Soufrière in the southwest puts you beneath the Pitons with the most dramatic views, the sulphur springs and the best boutique and luxury resorts, but it is quiet with limited dining outside hotels. The north around Rodney Bay and Gros Islet has more restaurants, bars, the Friday street party and easier access to the smaller Castries airport. Note that Hewanorra, the international airport, is in the far south, so a northern stay means a 90-minute transfer.

Gros Piton is the one visitors climb, and a licensed guide is mandatory. The hike takes around four hours return, is genuinely steep and scrambly in places, and starts early to avoid the heat. You need reasonable fitness and proper shoes rather than any technical skill. Petit Piton is shorter but far more dangerous, effectively a near-vertical scramble, and is discouraged for casual hikers. Both sit inside the UNESCO-listed Pitons Management Area, so an access fee applies.

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