Curt

Had wonderful time there last week. Lush and beautiful island, nice beaches although sand is not as white as other islands and water is not quite as clear. However, good snorkeling from boat and good from shore at base of Pitons. Stayed at St James Club just outside of Castries. Good hotel, good rooms, good food and drink. Used the local bus to get around - use Bus 1A to get downtown and back from the area of hotel. Cheap (50 cents US per person each way) and easy to use and a real chance to spend time with locals. Highly recomment the Coal Pot for fine dining on Vigie harbor - very good.

Must take trip south to see Pitons while there. Also, if possible fly into the small airport at Castries if staying on north part of island will make your commute times so much shorter. Have to use commuter planes to get to that airport however. We used American Eagle via San Juan.

Go to St Lucia and you will not regret it,

brenandg

Glad to see someone finally agrees with me about STL. It really does have it's own beauty and charm. Definitely an "island" experience. One can also fly into Hewanorra airport and take a helicopter to St Charles. Cost $110 per person. Web site is stluciahelicopters.com. We enjoyed the flight and scenery. West coast shuttle probably the best one.

We went to STL last year and are going again in three weeks. We are also taking an excursion to the Grenadines this year.

Kimberly

I 2nd that, we love St.Lucia. The pitons are beautiful and we did a Day Sail and it was super. We also did a Dinner Party Cruise and had a ball. While we were there we rented a taxi with 2 other couples and did the whole island sightseeing and stopping for pictures. We will returnee there again...

starfish1

Yeehaw! Leaving on Saturday and after reading all your comments, can hardly wait. Thanks for some more suggestions on places to see and things to do. Kimberley, I'd love the name of the company(ies) you did the day sail and dinner cruise with. We're staying at Windjammer Landing near Castries. Thanks everyone!

brenandg

Hi starfish1

Not kimberly, but hope I can add to your information. I have a couple of suggestions.

Check with your hotel to see what excursions they offer. For an extra cost, many will shuttle you to your event.

To get an idea of what you might want to do before you go, check out sunlinktours.com or stlucia.org. There is so much to do and not enough time.
We did the ATV adventure and were very happy with it. I have never been on one before and I managed OK. Also Castries Market, very cool, lots of souveniers.

P.S. I have read many good things about the Windjammer. Have a great vacation!!

Squiggy

Starfish1. I stayed at the Windjammer last Feb. You will love it! So lush and beautiful. The staff are really super and the food's really good. I agree, do the Coal Pot for diner, you won't regret it. Have a great time.

Curt

There is a fellow named Joy that operates out of the St James Club resort right at their water sports building. I know he is independent of St James but they let him book at their building. We did his trip and it was excellent. Leave around 830am boat down to Soufrie, leave boats take taxi(s) to the "volcano", see waterfall and botanical garden, return by taxi to beach out side of Sourfri for lunch on beach prepared by Joy's mother (yummie good lunch and ice cold beer, soda and water), then back in boats and on to base of Pitons at Hilton for snorkeling then return. Nice sight seeing with explaining of all sights on the way back. Return is about 330-400. Cost is $65 per person and well worth it. Now, I assume anyone can do this even though he operated out of St. James. Check with your hotel.

Starfish, we visited and toured Windjammer and it looked very nice. We like St James better since it is more compact but Windjammer is indeed nice. Both are marketed by Elite Island Resorts but owned by different operations. Expect about $14-20US each way for taxi from there to Castries center. The bus is not an option for you at Windjammer as it is at least a mile in from the main highway and the neighborhood you have to pass through to get there did not look too conducive to walking. You will pretty much be stuck using taxis.

Windjammer also climbs up a really steep hillside - they provide regular shuttles up and down which is good because it is not really walkable unless you are at very bottom of hill.

When you go into town the craft market is interesting and the farmer's market right across street is really fun to wander around in and talk with the vendors. Be sure to visit the cathedral downtown it is wonderful inside.

Most important, whatever you do, you MUST see the Pitons. Going to St Lucia and not seeing them would be like going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower.....

Have fun

starfish1

Thank you one and all. The Pitons it is!Packing my suitcase right now, well, actually taking a Fodor's break, but will take this info. along too. Greatly appreciate all your comments. Ooooo, only one more sleep! Cheers!

Traveler863

starfish,
You'll have a great time, St. Lucia is wonderful...definitely go to the Pitons, the volcano and in same area is a plantation which is great for lunch, I can't recall the name but all the locals know of it, just ask.

Diana

It is so much fun to read that someone is excited to go someplace that we really enjoyed.

We have been to St Lucia twice, and it is one of the few islands where you can still get a taste of the Caribbean as it used to be.

Not to be missed:

Snorkeling or diving in the area around Anse Chastanet

The Jump Up at Gros Islet

Market in Castries

A trip to the Pitons either via rasta bus or on the water - what an amazing visual

Please immerse yourself in the culture and food and ambiance of the island. Some North American tourists say the locals are rude or too intense.

A smile is an international signal, and going there with an open mind ready to experience the beauty this island has to offer - both the natural beauty of the island and the people who live there - will make your experience unforgettable...

Traveler863

Diana,
Great post. I don't know why some tourists say locals are rude...they have never been to us.

ejcrowe

I, too, loved my trip to St. Lucia which was my first taste of the Caribbean. In addition to the already thorough list people have suggested as things to do, I would also recommend checking into the big fish fry in Anse la Raye which I think may be on Friday nights. It's a small village near the Ti Kaye Village hotel and everyone who has posted about it enjoyed it immensely. Ti Kaye also offers a nice location for accommodations that is between the Soufriere and Castries areas, which might make it ideal for exploring both parts of the island.

Curt

We never encountered rudeness from anyone in St. Lucia. We did think that the people there are much more reserved, quieter, and perhaps a touch more 'formal' than on other islands we have visited. We even found that at our resort, which caters more to the British visitors, where things were more structured as to meal times, tea time, etc, and the staff was very friendly but in a reserved and quiet way. None of the hippity hooray balance the drinks on the head of the bartender action there. Very pleasant, correct, and polite service.

kfusto

Another thumbs for St. Lucia! Just back from my second stay (also been a few times on cruise ships) and loved it as much as ever. e stayed at LeSport and it was totally secluded and intimate. No TV, etc. Terrific food. Cannot wait to go back but airfares are ridiculous!

Curt

kfusto
maybe airfare will get better when American resumes non-stop from Miami (actually they already have as of November 1 I think). Might help. It can be pricey.

kfusto

Message: We did the AA non-stop into Hewannora orginiting in Miami. even with advance planning, it was over $700.

I fly to Italy in 10 weeks for $600 R/T.

Very frustrating.

Traveler863

kfusto,
Carib fares have gone up in the past years, I remember going quite often for $350 or so...now seems fares are pretty much $700-$800 and sales in the upper $400s to mid $500s and very few and far between.
Going to Italy mid-winter is cheap and always has been...actually $600 is kind of high.