St. Lucia - Transport
Airports
There are two airports on Saint Lucia:
George Fl Charles Airport (code SLU) for local flights and inter-island travel (Vigie Cove). Approx. 25 minutes from Rodney Bay Marina. Tel: +1 758 452 1156
International Hewanorra airport (code UVF) is at the south end of the island at Vieux Fort with direct flights to the UK and a number of US cities. It is 50 miles and 90 minutes by taxi from Rodney Bay Marina. Expect to pay US$85 one way (up to 3 passengers). For 4 people or more, US$25 per person. Many cruising boats stopover at Vieux Fort anchorage, close to the airport, to drop off and pick up crew. Be sure to secure your boat carefully if leaving it at anchor here.
Tel: +1 758 454 6644
http://www.slapsa.com
An air shuttle service operates between George Charles airport and Hewanorra.
- Saint Lucia Helicopters (+1 758) 453 6950, www.stluciahelicopters.com
- Intercaribbean Express (+1 758) 450 4123 – plane.
Flights to and from St. Lucia can be expensive. Many people take the fast ferry to neighboring Martinique and fly from there.
Inter-Island Ferries
https://www.express-des-iles.fr/
Express des Iles has been in operation for over 30 years, providing a fast, reliable, and affordable ferry service for travelers between the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Les Saintes and Marie Galante, as well as offering services to Dominica, St. Lucia and Antigua.
Channel Shuttles Inc. / Compagnie Maritime West Indies operates a small ferry (up to 15 people) between Castries and Marin, Martinique which is very useful if leaving your boat in Martinique for refit or shopping etc. Tel: 758 452 8757/451 8161 Fax: 758 458 0840 email: channelshuttles@candw.lc
Car Rentals
Driving regulations: Driving is on the left-hand side of the road in St Lucia. A local driving permit or International Driving Licence is required if you wish to drive on the island. A local permit costs EC$54 and can be obtained from the car hire company when you hire the car, or at airport Immigration offices and local Police stations. It lasts for three months. Drivers must be over 25 years of age and less than 65.
There are plenty of car hire companies on the island offering a wide range of saloon and 4x4s. Note that most are automatic transmission
The main roads are all in good condition but some roads inland and off the beaten track may require four-wheel drive. Driving offers spectacular views, especially near the Pitons and Soufriere.
Estimated driving times:
- Vieux Fort/Hewanorra – Castries 1 hour
- Castries – Rodney Bay 30 minutes
- Vieux Fort – Soufriere 50 minutes
- Castries – Soufriere 1 hour
Tip: If you need to go to Castries, try to park in the Castries Central Car park – a multistorey car park near Bank of St Lucia.
Car Rental Companies
- TJ’s Car Rental Rodney Bay +1758 452 0116
- Adventure Leisure Car Rental +1758 452 0777
- Alto rent a car +1 758 452 0233
- Avis Rent a car +1 758 452 2700
- Candida’s car rental +1 758 452 9076
- Cool Breeze car & jeep rental +1 758 459 7729
- Cosmic Jeep rental +1 758 458 4251
- Cost Less rent a car +1 758 450 3416
- Drive-a-matic Car rentals +1 758 452 0544
- Economy car rentals +1 758 451 7997
- Elite Auto rentals +1 758 451 2424
- Funseeker’s rent a car +1 758 458 4447
- Guy’s Car Rental +1 758 452 0679
- Holiday and Business Car rental Rodney Bay (+1758) 452 0872
- Moncherry Car and Jeep Rental +1 758) 454 9591
- National Car Rental Svs Ltd. +1 758 450 8721
- New Frontier Auto Rentals Ltd. +1 758 459 0835
- Omni Jeep Rentals +1 758 484 1617
- Reliable Auto Rentals +1 758 452 0339/ 452 0904
- TJ’s Car Rental Rodney Bay +1758 452 0116
Taxis
Taxis are widely available at the airports and in towns and can be identified by the blue ‘TX’ license plates. They vary from small saloons to minibusses and are usually modern and airconditioned. If by chance you cannot find one, just walk into the nearest hotel and they’ll call one for you.
Taxis are not metered, as fares are fixed by law. However, it is a good idea to confirm the cost of your journey before setting off and the rate in EC$ or US$ as rates can vary according to a number of travelers.
Taxi associations and main locations include:
- Courtesy Taxi Service, +1 758 452 3555
- Gablewoods Mall Taxi Stand, +1 758 451 7521
- Marigot Bay Taxi, +1 758 453 4406
- Rodney Bay Taxis, +1 758 452 0379
- St Lucia Taxi Service, +1 758 452 2493
- Southern Taxi Association, +1 758 454 6136
Buses
Local buses can be used to get pretty much anywhere on the island, at very little cost. They have a green “M” registration plates..
Water Taxis
Water taxis operate at Rodney Bay Marina, normally located on the main pontoon or contact them on VHF Channel 16. This is a quick and easy way to reach the beach or restaurants and bars, and boats at anchor.
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
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Soufreire Bay…
Beautiful setting but be prepared to be approached by local “entrepreneurs” wanting to sell you something or serve as your tour guide. We were met approaching the bay by two men on a fishing boat that nearly insisted we follow them to a mooring ball….a bit too aggressively. The same two men approached three other boats coming into the bay as well. They asked for $20EC in return. Thereafter we were approached 6 other times by other “vendors” all of them, including three kids ages 7-11 on a old broken paddle board. None have been too aggressive but it gets to be annoying…..but this is how they make a living so take it in stride. We’ve seen police and harbor rangers three times in the last twenty four hours so they do patrol the area. That said, my crew may go into town for a tour of the mud baths and waterfalls but I’m staying with the boat.
This is a beautiful place…highly recommend you see it but it warrants caution
The following incident which occurred in the Pitons area of Saint Lucia was reported (2nd Hand) to the CSSN.
A cruising yacht approached the SMMA moorings between the Pitons intending to practice mooring pickup and self-moor. They were intercepted by aggressive boat boys who demanded excessive payment for unwanted services, which were declined. When the yacht attempted to pickup the mooring their boat hook became entangled in the lines which had been tied off underwater. The boat boys immediately retrieved the boat hook and then maliciously bent it, making it unusable. The boat boys were paid a fee in excess of the customary $20ECD recommended by the SMMA park rangers, and they hung at the boat in a menacing manner demanding additional payment for sometime before departing
They stolen our dinghy.. tonight.. then we found the tender without outboard.
Hi Stefan! I believe you met my husband at the police station. We had our dinghy stolen that same night. Please file a report here!
https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/submit-incident-report/
We wrote our story here:
https://www.rubbertorudder.com/journal-content/2020/2/8/theft-unchecked-and-the-need-for-community-involvement
This is my opinion and yours may differ. In reviewing crime statistics of St. Lucia, we were hesitant to visit. However, other cruisers encourage us by claiming Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay were perfectly safe. This is not true.
CSSN continues to report a huge amount of dinghy thefts in these areas. The numbers continue to grow and the theft is now rampant. It has been going on for at least two years that I am aware of. The situation is now so bad statistically speaking you will have a greater chance of theft in these areas than just about anywhere else in the Caribbean.
I think Noonsite is being very kind with the details given about St. Lucia under the crime heading. I would encourage you to look at other sources and do your homework. Determine if the offerings of St. Lucia warrant the risks to your well being or potential loss of possessions. Does St. Lucia offer anything that cannot be found somewhere else on a safer island? You need to evaluate this before visiting.
I intend no ill harm to the residents of St. Lucia or businesses by posting this. There is no doubt the continuing crime will impact them with cruisers failing to visit (as I see from other postings here). Expecting cruisers to support their economy when they are continual targets or crime is not realistic.
Be smart and be safe!
We had a perplexing encounter with Customs at Soufriere last night. The customs officer insisted on charging us EC$125 for mooring in the marine park – on top of the US$20 we had already paid to the marine ranger for use of the mooring. He also asked for payment of his overtime as we’d kept him past closing hours (we arrived 15 mins before closing).
There is no mention of this fee in Doyle’s Windward guide and it’s much more than the EC$15 clearance fee suggested on various websites. Also, he couldn’t produce any documentation to support such a charge – but it was late and we were late for dinner so paid anyway. I hesitate to suggest that we were scammed by a customs officer but this is what it felt like.
Addition to Francis V comment: We arrived with ARC 2017. A rafia box of our shoes sitting on the pontoon next to the boat was stolen. ‘Security’ staff were posted on the pontoon leading ashore, and I recognise security is difficult with all the comings & goings, but it was useless.
Maybe St Lucia government reads this site ? I just want to signal that due to the ongoing thefts we skipped your island. So did also 4 dutch, 2 english and 1 german boats we know of. There are certainly numerous more…
I’m wondering if a Pet Permit is needed to sail from Martinique to St. Lucia, and anchoring in the bays, and NOT taking my small dog to shore (at all).
SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL 2016 – JULY 18TH – 21ST
If you ever need a vet when visiting St. Lucia, we highly recommend Dr Scotland in his clinic as he knows what he is doing. He is helping our little dog who is struggling for his life after being bitten by a bigger dog and getting stitched up with fishing line by the first vet we went to. The first vet charged us a lot of money and did not do a professional job.