Where to stay · Saint Lucia
Where to stay in Saint Lucia
6 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Rodney Bay and Gros Islet. Marina, Reduit Beach and most of the island's restaurants and bars in the north.
Key facts
- First visit
- Rodney Bay and Gros Islet
- Families
- Rodney Bay and Gros Islet
- Budget
- Rodney Bay and Gros Islet
- Nightlife
- Rodney Bay and Gros Islet
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Rodney Bay and Gros Islet | Marina, Reduit Beach and most of the island's restaurants and bars in the north |
| Families | Rodney Bay and Gros Islet | Marina, Reduit Beach and most of the island's restaurants and bars in the north |
| Couples | Marigot Bay | Deep, palm-fringed yacht harbour hidden between steep green hills |
| Budget | Rodney Bay and Gros Islet | Marina, Reduit Beach and most of the island's restaurants and bars in the north |
| Luxury | Cap Estate | Upmarket northern tip with villas, golf and quieter bays |
| Nightlife | Rodney Bay and Gros Islet | Marina, Reduit Beach and most of the island's restaurants and bars in the north |
| Quiet stays | Cap Estate | Upmarket northern tip with villas, golf and quieter bays |
| Beach | Vieux Fort | Southern town near Hewanorra airport with windy Atlantic beaches |
Saint Lucia neighbourhoods in detail
$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, families and budget
Rodney Bay and Gros Islet
Rodney Bay is the island's main tourist area, with Reduit Beach, a large marina, shopping malls and a strip of restaurants and bars. The fishing town of Gros Islet next door hosts the Friday-night street party, and Pigeon Island is at the end of the causeway. Hotels range from guesthouses to large resorts.
- Good
- Most restaurants and nightlife; Wide range of hotels; Calm swimming beach
- Watch out
- About 1.5 hours from Hewanorra airport; Far from the Pitons
- Nearby
- Reduit Beach, Pigeon Island, Gros Islet
$$$$ · Best for luxury, quiet stays and families
Cap Estate
At the island's northern tip, Cap Estate is a residential area of villas, a golf course and a handful of resorts above bays such as Smugglers Cove. It is quiet and breezy, with Rodney Bay's restaurants about 10 minutes away by car.
- Good
- Peaceful villas; Close to Rodney Bay; Ocean views
- Watch out
- Car or taxi needed; Limited dining within walking distance
- Nearby
- Smugglers Cove, Pigeon Island, Rodney Bay
$$ · Best for budget and culture
Castries and Vigie
Castries is a working port and capital rather than a resort, with the Central Market, Derek Walcott Square and the Cathedral Basilica. Hotels along Vigie and Choc Bay just north of town sit on long beaches near George F. L. Charles Airport, convenient for regional flights.
- Good
- Near the regional airport; Local life and market; Good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Busy traffic; Cruise-day crowds in the city
- Nearby
- Castries Central Market, Morne Fortune, Vigie Beach
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and luxury
Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay, about 20 minutes south of Castries, is a narrow, sheltered inlet with a marina, a small beach on a sand spit reached by a short water taxi, and a few hotels and restaurants on the hillsides. It is calm and scenic, and halfway between the north and Soufrière.
- Good
- Scenic, sheltered setting; Central location; Waterside dining
- Watch out
- Small beach; Limited choice of restaurants
- Nearby
- Marigot Bay marina, Castries, Anse La Raye
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, culture and quiet stays
Soufrière
The southwest town of Soufrière is the base for the Pitons, Sulphur Springs, Diamond Falls and the reefs of Anse Chastanet and Sugar Beach. Hotels here range from small guesthouses to famous hillside resorts with Piton views, while the town itself is small and local.
- Good
- Pitons views and sights on the doorstep; Excellent snorkelling; Spectacular hillside hotels
- Watch out
- Steep, winding roads; Few restaurants outside hotels
- Nearby
- The Pitons, Sulphur Springs, Anse Chastanet, Sugar Beach
$$ · Best for budget, quiet stays and beach
Vieux Fort
Vieux Fort, at the island's southern tip, is next to Hewanorra International Airport and the long, windy Anse de Sables beach, popular with kitesurfers. It has a few hotels and guesthouses and is about 45 minutes from Soufrière.
- Good
- Minutes from the international airport; Kitesurfing beach; Lower prices
- Watch out
- Far from Rodney Bay; Fewer restaurants and sights
- Nearby
- Hewanorra Airport, Anse de Sables, Maria Islands
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney Bay and Gros Islet | $$ | Reduit Beach, Pigeon Island, Gros Islet |
| Cap Estate | $$$$ | Smugglers Cove, Pigeon Island, Rodney Bay |
| Castries and Vigie | $$ | Castries Central Market, Morne Fortune, Vigie Beach |
| Marigot Bay | $$$ | Marigot Bay marina, Castries, Anse La Raye |
| Soufrière | $$$$ | The Pitons, Sulphur Springs, Anse Chastanet, Sugar Beach |
| Vieux Fort | $$ | Hewanorra Airport, Anse de Sables, Maria Islands |
Getting to your hotel
Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), near Vieux Fort in the south, handles most long-haul flights; it is about 1 hour by road to Soufrière and 1.5 hours to Rodney Bay. George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU) in Castries handles regional flights and is about 20 minutes from Rodney Bay.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Saint Lucia for first-time visitors?
Rodney Bay and Gros Islet. Rodney Bay is the island's main tourist area, with Reduit Beach, a large marina, shopping malls and a strip of restaurants and bars.
+Where should families stay in Saint Lucia?
Rodney Bay and Gros Islet: Most restaurants and nightlife.
+Which area of Saint Lucia is best for a budget stay?
Rodney Bay and Gros Islet ($$): Marina, Reduit Beach and most of the island's restaurants and bars in the north.