St. Lucia Information & Travel Tips
St. Lucia's World Heritage Mountains - The Pitons Rising dramatically out of the azure Caribbean waters, St Lucia commands your attention. Sometimes unfairly thought of as only a honeymoon destination, this island of mountains and rain forests has so much more to offer the sophisticated traveler. St Lucia has a pulse. Your senses are bombarded with the sights, smells and sounds of an island that is truly alive.
Naturally you can just bake on the sandy beaches if that is what you like but you'd be missing the rain forest covered interior which is made for hiking. The iconic Pitons rise from the waves to the clouds like pyramids of volcanic stone. In Northern St Lucia, Pigeon Island National Park is known for walks and its small sandy beach. Towns like Castries move and shake to the sound of car horns and the smell of rotis fresh from the oven Map of the Caribbean Sea
Choose a Topic
Useful Facts for Travel to St. Lucia
Arrival and Entry Formalities:
Valid passports are required for all visitors who stay for less than six months. Visas are not required for citizens of the US or Commonwealth countries, or where there is agreement for exemption between the home country and St. Lucia.

Churches:
Almost 80% of St. Lucians are Roman Catholic. Other denominations include Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventists, Church of the Nazarene, and Christian Science. Times of services at individual churches vary, and it is best to check at the hotel reception.

Climate & Clothes:
St. Lucia's temperature ranges from 65-85°F (18-30°C) from December to May & 75-95°F (24-35°C) degrees from June to November.
The winter is relatively more dry as well. Visitors should bring cool, comfortable clothing. While jacket and tie are rarely requisite, overly casual beachwear is rarely appreciated off the beach.

Crime:
Crime is not prevalent. However, as always, common sense should prevail when traveling abroad. Do not make large displays of wealth (by wearing expensive jewelry, producing large wads of cash, etc.) Crimes of any sort should be reported to the hotel, the Tourist Board, and the Police.

Customs Regulations:
The duty-free allowance into St. Lucia is 200 cigarettes (or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars) and one liter of spirits or wine.

Money:
The currency of St. Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar which is linked to the US Dollar at the approx. exchange rate of US$1 to EC$2.68 (March 2009).
US Dollars are readily accepted throughout the island. Most hotels will exchange reasonable amounts of foreign currency. There are change bureaus in Castries. The National Commercial Bank (NCB) has a branch at Hewanorra International Airport where EC Dollars can be exchanged for foreign currency. It is open daily from 12:30pm until the last flight departs.
Major international credit cards are widely accepted at all large shopping centers, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Departure Tax:
There is a Departure Tax of EC$54 for all passengers leaving the island.

Electricity:
Electric current is 220 volts, 50 cycles AC. (A few hotels are 110 volts, 60 cycles.) Most sockets take 3-pin square plugs (UK standard) but some take 2-pin round plugs or flat American plugs which are more rare. Adapters are generally available at the hotels.

Embassies & Consulates:
  • French Embassy 758-452-2462
  • Netherlands Consulate 758-452-2811
  • Jamaican Embassy 758-452-3040
  • Italian Consulate 758-452-0865
  • Consul for Germany 758-450-8050
  • British High Commission 758-452-2484
  • Royal Danish & Swedish Consul 758-450-0190
    The American Citizens Services (ACS) office of U.S. Embassy Bridgetown, Barbados serves U.S. citizens living in and visiting Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Barthélemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, French St. Martin, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Emergency Telephone Numbers:
  • Police, Fire and Ambulance - Tel: 999
  • Police Headquarters - Bridge Street, Castries Tel: 452-3854/5
  • Tourist Board - PO Box 221, Pointe Seraphin, Castries - Tel: 452-5968, 453-0053, 452-4094

  • Air/Sea Rescue - Tel: 452-2894, 452-1182, 453-6664

    Handicapped Access:
    Most of the hotels have ground floor accommodations, but some are built on hillsides and are not practical for wheelchairs. Check with us.

    Health:
  • Immunization is not required unless coming from an infected area within six days of arrival.
  • Drinking water is safe from the tap and bottled mineral/distilled water is also available.
  • All hotels have doctors, either resident or available on call. A resident doctor's visit costs approximately EC$40-50. A "call out" visit may cost more.
  • There are several pharmacies in Castries, one on the Gros Islet Highway and one in Gablewoods Shopping Mall. Most hotels have "over the counter" medication, such as Aspirin, and first aid facilities.

    Hospitals:
    There are six medical facilities:
  • Victoria Hospital - Tel: 452-2421
  • Golden Hope Hospital - Tel. 452-7393
  • Tapion Hospital - 459-2000
  • St. Jude's Vieux Fort - Tel: 454-6041
  • Soufriere - Tel: 459-7258/5001
  • Dennery - Tel: 453-3310

    Language:
    St. Lucia's principal language is English, but a French-based patois is widely spoken.

    Local Time:
    Greenwich Mean Time minus four hours; Eastern Standard Time plus one hour.

    Lost Property:
    Lost property should be report to the hotel, who will inform the nearest police station. The Tourist Board is also available to assist in such matters.

    Media:
  • The main newspaper is "The Voice," which is issued three times a week. There are five weekly papers: "The Star," "The Crusader," "The Vanguard," "The Mirror," and "One Caribbean."
  • There are two St. Lucian television stations: HTS and DBS. Both broadcast nightly news and current affairs. There are also several American channels available.
  • There are two radio stations, Radio St. Lucia and Radio Caribbean International, both providing music, local news and current affairs.

    Post Office:
    There are Post Offices in most towns. Hours are 8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

    Service Charge and Tax:
    There is a government tax of 8% on hotel and restaurant bills, in addition to a service charge of 10%. In some cases, these charges are included in prices quoted.

    Telephones:
    International direct dial service is widely available throughout the island. Credit card calls can be made through local operators or through AT&T, and phone cards can be purchased through Cable & Wireless offices throughout the islands.

    Tipping:
    A tip is not automatically added and is usually about 10% to 12% of the bill. Tips are generally accepted by bellhops in hotels, taxi drivers and other persons providing service.