shariej

We're 50ish woman who have been on most of the Caribbean Islands - working our way thru our list - just wondering what the general consensus is about the beaches & nightlife here. We loved the nightlife in Barbados....loved the beaches in Provo....looking for the right mix of both plus some snorkling & other activities. Thoughts?????

tch912

If you want nightlife, Rodney Bay area is good. There is a variety of lodging from all inclusive to self catering apartments. The beach is Reduit and it is not white sand, but it is a nice beach. My friends and I enjoyed St Lucia. I too am making my way around the Caribbean and St Lucia is one of my favorites. The shopping is pretty good also. We used public transportation with ease and felt very safe.

beachdreams3

I have been to all three islands (Provo, Barbados, and St. Lucia) and will try to compare them for the features you asked about.

Beaches: St. Lucia has darker sand and water, and most of the beaches are short stretches (in coves). If you want beaches like Provo, you will be disappointed.

Nightlife: I agree with the previous poster that Rodney Bay is the area for restaurants and nightlife. It is much more active nightlife than Provo, probably more comparable to the St. Lawrence Gap/South coast of Barbados.

Snorkeling/other activities: I'm a novice snorkeler. Most people think St. Lucia has some OK to good spots but not great snorkeling. Most people probably would recommend T&C's snorkeling over Barabados or St. Lucia. St. Lucia shines in terms of outdoor/non-beach activities. If you go, definitely make sure to take a day trip to see the rainforests, Piton mountains, etc in the interior/South part of the island. It is absolutely gorgeous. Generally, I'm not that impressed with shopping in the Caribbean, but I thought Barbados had better shopping than St. Lucia. T&C has the most limited shopping. As a solo female traveler, I felt comfortable and safe on all three islands (I split time between an AI spa resort in the north part of St. Lucia and Rodney Bay), but personally I would not have been comfortable staying in some of the more remote parts of St. Lucia (in the south) or exploring that area on my own.

Knowing

My husband and I spent a delightful week in Barbados last year. We have also been to St. Lucia. Sad to say that it did not provide us with much of anything that we needed. There was no nightlife to speak of and it rained so much that it was difficult to even relax. We were on the island for a week and although there is some scenery to enjoy, the food wasn't great and it's the only one of the dozen Caribbean islands I've been on that my entire body was one huge bug bite. We just don't recommend it. If you lose your luggage, the airport is the most challenging we've ever dealt with and the ocean was red-flagged the entire week.
I would look elsewhere for an adventure!

sunnybee

Sharie i think you should look forward to st.lucia. honestly the night life is Great. You need to try out the Anse la raye seafood night or the gros Islet street jump up. They both have good food. The Beaches are also good except they got both white and dark sandy beaches. For snorkelling the best spots are Anse Cochoon,Jalosie and Anse Chastanet. If you are going to spend a few day in St.lucia be sure to contact serenity vacations. They provide you with an ambassdor who takes you out and whom you have access to in case you need special service.