St. Lucia snorkelers with underwater camera
St. Lucia Travel Tips
Facts
Official Language: English
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (ECD)
Time Zone: Atlantic Standard Time
Est. Population: 165,000
Cruise Port City: Castries
Travel Tips
Passports are required for U.S. citizens.
The island’s tropical climate averages 75 degrees to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It is rainier from May through August. Brief showers can come at any time.
The dress code is always Island Casual.
The largest Caribbean hurricanes usually occur August-October. Due to their location, St. Lucia and Martinique are less prone to hurricanes than The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Antigua, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Barth’s, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, Anguilla, Dominica, Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica, but more prone than St. Vincent, Curacao, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Barbados, Aruba, Trinidad & Tobago.
To avoid crowds and high prices, May to November is the tourism off-season.
U.S. dollars and major credit cards are also accepted by most establishments. You can make phone calls at stations near the cruiseport. Get a local phone card for the best rates.
The post office is located on Bridge Street in Castries. Post office hours are 8:30am-4:30pm (Monday-Friday).
Banks are open from 8am-3pm (Monday-Thursday) and 8am-5pm (Friday). Some banks close for lunch. ATMs are plentiful. Most stores are open 8:30am-4:30pm (Monday-Friday) and 8:30am-12:30pm (Saturday). Some stores close for lunch.
You should drink bottled water when available. Bring sunglasses, a hat and plenty of sunscreen lotion.
Electricity is different than the U.S., so bring a converter.
The crime rate here is probably less than a major metropolitan city, but visitors should use common sense when out and about.
The major holidays in St. Lucia are New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi, Emancipation Day, Thanksgiving Day, National Day, Christmas and Boxing Day.
