jlodonnell

We are considering renting a vacation villa for a week with our teenage niece and three young daughters in St. Lucia at the end of March and have a few questions about the island:
1. The beaches? Have read some posts panning them. We have vacationed in Bermuda; Sandy Lane Bardados; Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda; Caneel Bay, St. John; The Buccaneer, St. Croix ;and The Four Seasons, Nevis? How do St. Lucia's beaches stack up to them?
2. Is the road travel really difficult for day trips to attractions? We are used to left hand drive and would need a largish vehicle to accomodate us but are we kidding ourselves?
3. Everyone refers to the island for honeymooners. Are the attractions not particularly family geared?

Any general input about St. Lucia would also be appreciated. Many thanks all you posters!

dominick2

Beaches -- There are some nice beaches in St. Lucia (such as Reduit and Pigeon Point) but, overall, the beaches are not as nice as some of the other places that you have been. They tend to be smaller and, due to the fact that the island is volcanic in origin, the sand is not the blinding white that you see in some places. However, in my opinion, the people who pan the beaches are overstating the case a bit.
Roads -- This is another area where I think a lot of people overstate the case. As I have said on several previous posts, while the roads are certainly not up to North American standards, they aren't as bad as some people make them out to be. If you are comfortable driving on the left, you won't have a problem getting around. However, keep in mind that, when you are considering how far attractions are from where you are staying, it takes quite a bit longer to drive 20 miles in St. Lucia than in the United States.
Honeymooners v. Families -- I think that a lot of people refer to St. Lucia as a honeymoon destination because some of the big resorts are couples only and it is a romantic island. As far as whether the attractions are more appropriate for adults, it depends on what the kids like. If they are looking for an amusement park-type atmosphere or if they are looking for a place where they can shop 'til they drop, they would probably be happier in a place like St. Martin. If they like natural attractions like mountains, waterfalls and things like that, they will love St. Lucia.
Two questions that will help people give you further input on St. Lucia -- how old are your daughters and where are you considering staying?

jlodonnell

Thanks Dominick2! Our daugters are 7,5,3 and our niece is 17. We like active/outdoorsy attractions over anything shopping/amusement parklike ones. We recognize that many activites are beyond our youngest which is why bring our niece to take turns with us as to who gets to go. One other question. In the past other island destinations have offered a security guard along with other staff at rental villas. The villa we are considering near Vigie Beach does not. What is the consensus as to safety/crime in St. Lucia in general or specifically this area? Again this any other general St. Lucia impressions would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks!

ejcrowe

Based on your preferences and my own minimal experience with St. Lucia, I think it would work very well for your family. The beaches on St. Lucia are most similar to Nevis' of the islands you've listed. The island is lush, beautiful, and mountainous.

Since you prefer the outdoorsy activities, I'd recommend staying near the Pitons instead of on the northern part of the island, or perhaps in the Marigot Bay area. Then you'd be near various hiking & waterfalls, the botanical gardens, good snorkeling areas, etc.

My husband and I felt totally safe on St. Lucia and would not hesitate to stay in a villa that did not have security, but we were only on the southern part of the island and did not see anything else.

And since you have a great deal of experience with left-hand driving, I'd say definitely get a car. The roads were generally poor when we were there, and the signage even poorer, but you shouldn't have any real problems, especially by daylight. But as the above poster mentioned, driving times vis a vis distances are misleading.

dominick2

I just noticed a funny coincidence --I think that I recognize your name. I'm pretty sure that, when you were in the early stages of planning your vacation, you e-mailed me through another website to ask about the home that my wife and I own in St. Lucia. You have obviously decided to stay elsewhere since our home is in Coubaril, not Vigie. In any event, regarding crime/safety -- Vigie Point is a very nice area and I think that you will feel safe there. The house is probably in a "neighborhood" which I think that you will find more comfortable than if you were completely isolated. Like most places, there is crime in St. Lucia but, if you exercise the same type of precautions that you would in any American city -- lock the house at night and when you go to the beach, don't pick up hitchhikers, don't wander through bad neighborhoods at night, don't leave your $1,000 camera unattended on the beach, etc., etc., you'll be fine. The water at Vigie Beach sometimes gets a little rough for young kids, but Halcyon Beach, a few minutes away, is much calmer. They will also probably like Reduit and Pigeon Point. There's a pizzeria in Rodney Bay that has a playground for the kids right next to it,

jlodonnell

Thanks dominick2! If we did ask about your home I'm sure that it wasn't available for our dates since we are late off the mark this year and we have only found one villa that fits our needs and was available. Appreciate all the kid friendly tips!

flycatcher06

If you would like to take a trip all around we went with Shal, www.jungletoursstlucia.com and my kids ages 12 and 17 had the best day - it was fun and informative and interesting and Shal knew everyone, everywhere!