St. Lucia
Saint Lucia, a stunning Caribbean Island, deserves a 10-day getaway. Although the island may be better known as a cruise ship destination and its yachting experiences, there are a lot of hidden gems that you can find as an adventurous traveler. Be warned though that prices generally do cater towards more of a mid-range holiday rather than something more budget-friendly. Look out for tips and tricks to make the most of your stay in Saint Lucia!
Airports
There are two airports in St. Lucia: George F. L—Charles Airport in Castries and Hewanorra Airport. Hewanorra Airport is the larger of the two and connects the country to most international destinations. On the other hand, George F. L. Charles Airport is smaller and primarily serves regional and inter-island flights. During our visit, we utilized both airports—picking up our rental car at one and returning it at the other. Given the island’s small size, the choice of your arrival airport is not likely to be a significant issue and they are just an hour and a half away from each other.
Money and Budgeting
St. Lucia uses the East Caribbean Dollar (EC). ATMs are available in the cities, though be sure to get some cash before you go to tiny villages, like Micoud. Restaurants listed prices in both EC and USD so my guide will have a mixture of both currencies.
Generally, St. Lucia isn’t a budget destination. Although we booked our accommodation quite late, we generally spent around USD 200 per night. Our car rental also totaled USD 900 for 8 days, but we really needed it to get around.
Visiting waterfalls and sites typically cost USD 10 per person, except for the Gros Piton hike which was USD 50 per person.
All the beaches we visited were free and we didn’t rent any snorkeling equipment. I suggest you buy a snorkel set and carry it around rather than rent it. You’ll have a lot more freedom to snorkel where you want. You don’t need the flippers in St. Lucia so leave those at home. The reefs are right off the beaches here.
Renting a Car and Driving
A rental car will make your life much easier in St. Lucia if you’re planning to visit a couple of towns and stay in some off-the-beaten-path hotels. Roads are generally in good condition, but there are potholes to watch out for. Additionally, as most of the island is mountainous, you should be comfortable driving on hairpin curves on tiny and steep roads. The inclines are intense!
Sim Cards
Don’t rely on the airport to get a SIM Card. I read there were no SIM cards available to be bought at the airport, but when we landed I saw a SIM sale at the taxi center. However, when we returned to the airport to leave, that sign was no longer there so I can’t tell you for sure if there will be a SIM card available for you at the airport or not.
We didn’t need a SIM card urgently so waited until we were in the capital, Castries, to go to the Digicel center. Here, you can get 4 GB and unlimited calling for 5 days for EC 25. It’s easy to renew online with the app for another couple of days. I purchased the same package for another 5 days, and my unused data also rolled over.
All of our accommodations had good Wi-Fi, and with Google Maps downloaded, we didn’t need the SIM card but I wanted to scroll the internet at my will.
Food
The main grocery store chain is Massy and its large shops have a great selection of items, many of which you’d find in an American grocery store too.
Restaurants that cater more towards locals typically have a protein choice served with a selection of “provisions” that can include rice, noodles, salad, green fig (plantain) salad, or lentils. You may need to call a restaurant ahead to either book a table or let them know you are coming so that they can prepare the meal in advance. As usual with island vacations, I get sick of eating fish though the first couple of days I’m obsessed with how amazing it is. There was usually a vegetarian option (soya chunks mostly) in place of fish or chicken, and we got that a couple of times.
Some restaurants are reasonable, and others aren’t. For example, one day we got a great breakfast omelet for EC 18 and it came with a bunch of bread and sides. At the same time, we ordered a fruit platter for the same cost and got 4 slices of melon (a total rip offfffffff). In another instance, we ordered a simple oil and chili pasta dish for USD 32 one night, and the next had excellent fish and provisions for just USD 14. That’s island life for you.
