OK to Taxi /bus from Castries, St. Lucia to Anse Chastenet Beach from port?
 

Cruising to S. Caribbean in March & am interested in going snorkeling at Anse Chastenet Beach for day. Ship docks at 8 AM in Castries & leaves at 5 PM. Do we have time to get taxi or bus from Castries to Anse Chastenet Beach & back? How much time to allow? Is it safe? Other things to consider? Thanks!!

It's about a 1.5 hour drive between Castries and Anse Chastenet. I'm not sure there's regular bus service. Taxi/rental car are your best options.

Is what safe???? - snorkeling, the resort, taxis, something else????? What is your real concern?

One thing to be careful of in St Lucia: there are taxis and there are "buses". They look alike, but have different license plates. If you get past the gauntlet of the approved taxi association at the dock, you can find "regular" taxis out on the street. The bus folk will pick you up and charge you taxi rates. Let the buyer beware.

P.S. The drivers are maniac on St Lucia.

If you have a choice, it's usually better to take a boat excursion to Soufriere. Some of these tours will include snorkeling. I suspect a taxi would cost at least $80 each way, so you don't really save anything by doing this on your own, and I'm not sure of the resorts policy on cruise passengers. The beach is only accessible via stairs from the resort. Some tours take you to the Viceroy, which has a nice beach and ok snorkeling.

But the boat trip down the coast is magnificent.

There is public access to the beach, that's not a problem. You can also get there by water taxi from Souffriere and there is a dive shop right on the beach where you can rent gear to snorkel if you don't want to bring your own from home.

You can take a taxi to Soufriere from the port, but its going to cost you more. Going by public bus is not a good idea. The buses only get you to a certain point and you have to find your way to Anse Chastanet.Why don't you consider taking booking it with a reputable tour company, you can take a tour on your way to Anse Chastenet for snokeling and it will come at a fraction of the cost. You will also be comfortable and have water and drinks included in that price. Email this company for info. [email protected]. I know of many persons who have used them and was very satisfied.

eastender, I LOL at your comment about the driving on St Lucia! I drive with no problem on St John. But, St Lucia driving is crazy!