Flights to St. Lucia

 

St. Lucia is a Windward Island of the Lesser Antilles located in middle of the Eastern Caribbean chain of islands between Martinique and St. Vincent. Just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, the island’s east coast is on the Atlantic Ocean, while the Caribbean laps at its western shore.

The island’s first settlement was French, established in the mid-1700s, but it was quickly taken over by the British, who colonized it for two centuries. St. Lucia gained independence as a Commonwealth in 1979.

The landscape is dominated by The Pitons, a pair of pointed volcanic mountains on the coast. Gros Piton is 2,530 feet high and Petit Piton is 2,438 feet high. Behind them is a lush tropical rainforest where visitors can hike, zipline, and cool off with a dip beneath a waterfall. More than 75 percent of St. Lucia is forested.

A popular cruise-ship port, St. Lucia boasts beautiful sandy beaches and fantastic watersports. For landlubbers, there’s golf, horseback riding, and tennis.

Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) is located in Vieux Fort, on the southern part of the island. The airport services 17 airlines international and regional airlines, including Delta Air Lines.

Several taxi, car, and shuttle services provide pick-up service from the airport, but visitors are encouraged to reserve them prior to arrival. Service operators include St. Lucia Airport Shuttle, St. Lucia Taxi Services, Saint Lucia Executive Transfers, and Stanis Taxi Service.

Check out the fabulous beaches on St. Lucia. Reduit Beach is a popular, mile-long beach with views of Pigeon Island. Weekends can get crowded and rock a party vibe. Anse Chastanet, on the southwest coast, is backed by steep, thickly forested hillsides. Anse de Pitons is located between the Pitons.

Hike or bike St. Lucia National Rain Forest and keep your eyes peeled for wild orchids, giant ferns, wild nutmeg, and the brightly-colored St. Lucia parrots. Go for a swim at the base of Dennery Waterfall. Or take a thrilling zipline tour of the canopy.

Explore St. Lucia’s marine life with a deep sea dive or snorkeling expedition. Here you can see sea turtles, trumpet fish, moray eels, squid, parrotfish, needlefish, and more. Several tour operators can show you the best spots like the sunken freighter, 30 feet below the water surface.

Many of St. Lucia’s hotels are all-inclusive. Sandals Halcyon Beach is an intimate all-inclusive with just 169 rooms. The beachfront resort features beautifully-landscaped gardens, four restaurants, two pools, a fitness center, nightclub, and scuba certification pool.

Immerse yourself in luxury at Cap Maison, a Spanish architecture boutique hotel located on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. Dine at one of the restaurants, or have a private meal for two catered by the sea. Enjoy the private beach, multiple pools, watersports, spa, and live entertainment.

Sleep in the shadow of the Pitons at Fond Doux Holiday Plantation, a 19th century colonial plantation hotel. Stay in one of 15 one- or two-bedroom cottages. Amenities include a spa, restaurant, and transportation to the beach.

St. Lucia has a tropical climate, which means the temperatures don’t fluctuate much. The highs hover around the mid- to high-80s on average, and the lows don’t typically dip below 73. Precipitation is another matter. The rainy season is July through December, with September and October getting the largest amount of rainfall, averaging just shy of eight inches a month. Hurricane season is June through November.