St.Lucia is a fantastic vacation spot, especially if you like water sports. It makes for the most incredible tropical vacation a mountainous Caribbean island with volcanic beaches and gorgeous waters. There are so many beaches to choose from it’s hard to know where to start. Hopefully, my guide to the best beaches in St.Lucia may be able to help you plan your trip.
A beach vacation is one of my favorite things (and it’s proven to be good for your health), and I love nothing more than snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, followed by a cocktail on the sand.
I’ll give you a rundown of my favorite beaches in St.Lucia, ranging from busy ‘party’ beaches to quieter, more remote spots that fewer tourists know about.
The Bottom Line Up Front
I’ll be honest; this is tough: there are so many gorgeous beaches in St.Lucia, so choosing the ‘best’ one is hard.
I would probably pick Anse Chastanet as my favorite though. Beautiful views, amazing snorkeling, and a decent bar serving up unique local cocktails. What’s not to love? I think it’s worth a boat trip to spend a few hours here.
My Top Picks At a Glance
- Anse Chastanet: Perfect for snorkeling, with a great beachside bar serving up unique cocktails
- Anse des Pitons: Amazing views on all sides, suitable for swimming and snorkeling, excellent beachside bar
- Anse Cochon Beach: Gorgeous views, good for snorkeling, a lovely restaurant serving up salads and seafood
- Reduit Beach: Fun, bustling beach full of fun activities, a restaurant, and bar, that serves up delicious food.
- Pigeon Island: A beautiful beach with a national park attached, easy to get to, great fried food
What to Expect From Beaches In St.Lucia
St.Lucia is known for its gorgeous beaches. Here’s what you can expect:
Golden or Black Sands
Many beaches on St.Lucia had black volcanic sands, but these were replaced by imported golden sand. Either way, the beaches are beautiful and pristine. Laying on the sand here is a lovely experience.
Beautiful Waters
The waters in St.Lucia are clear and perfect for snorkeling. Home to marine reserves, the species here are protected, and you can expect to see tropical fish, including parrotfish, trumpet fish, and occasionally turtles.
The waters are mostly warm all year round. However, they vary: some beaches still have tranquil waters, while others are a little choppy. So it’s always a good idea to follow the local rules regarding swimming safety.
Food & Drink
Most beaches in St.Lucia have food outlets of some kind. Usually, these are attached to resorts overlooking the beach and can most often be used by non-guests. So you can enjoy cocktails and seafood on the beaches, which is excellent. Plus, some of the bars have live entertainment at night, too.
Other beaches have smaller vendors, offering light bites to eat.
Activities
As much as I love lying in the sun with a book, I like to break things up a little with activities. St.Lucia is perfect for watersports, and you’ll usually find diving gear, kayaks, and other equipment for rent on the beaches.
You may also find other activities, too. Some beaches are attached to national parks, offering tours, which is a great way to learn more about the local area. Busier beaches may have activities for families, including splash parks.
Vendors
You may come across vendors selling small trinkets on the beaches. This is good if you want to pick up a souvenir. However, if you want to avoid this, I’d suggest staying away from the tourist-heavy areas, instead focusing on the smaller beaches. These beaches may be harder to get to but may be worth the effort if you want peace.
Selection Criteria
Before I show you my favorite beaches in St.Lucia, I’ll give you my selection criteria:
- Scenery: I usually visit a beach to sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery! The beaches I have chosen have some incredible views of St.Lucia.
- Activities: Filling a whole day at the beach will involve some activities. I’ve chosen beaches offering watersports like kayaking or scuba diving and some livelier beaches with activities for families.
- Facilities: I’ve looked for beaches with decent food and drink options, so you can enjoy a nice cocktail on the sand.
- Accessibility: some beaches in St.Lucia can be tricky to get to. However, the beaches I have chosen can be accessed via road or boat, so you won’t have to pay to stay in a resort to visit them.
The 5 Best Beaches In St.Lucia
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite beaches in St.Lucia!
1. Anse Chastanet
Located in a little corner on the southwest of the island, this is a dark-sand beach with gorgeous waters, and it’s the best beach to visit if you want to enjoy the coral reef.
They are well-equipped for watersports; you can use snorkeling equipment for free by visiting the scuba center, and it’s known for being one of the best diving spots on the island. You can also go for a sightseeing cruise, a beautiful way to learn more about the area. You’ll also enjoy an incredible view of the surrounding hills.
There’s also a beachside bar belonging to the nearby hotel Anse Chastanet, which anyone can use. They serve delicious drinks, including some specialist cocktails, like the Anse Chastanet Mojito and the Kweyol Mai Tai.
Getting there can be tricky. Local hotels Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain allow guests easy access to the beach. If you’re not staying there, you’ll have to traverse a pretty steep and daunting road or get a water taxi from other areas of the island (for example, the marina in Rodney Bay). I’d recommend the latter!
Pros
- Stunning views of the surrounding hillside
- Perfect spot for snorkeling
- The beachside bar serves up good cocktails
Cons
- Difficult to get to by road
2. Anse des Pitons
Anse des Pitons is a small beach on Jalousie Bay, this has the most incredible views of the peaks of Gros and Petit Piton and 100 acres of tropical forest. It’s the kind of beach I love to visit, thanks to the amazing scenery.
The sand is golden, and the waters are crystal clear. It’s another great spot for swimming and snorkeling, and you should be able to spot some interesting creatures here. It evokes the feeling of a tropical lagoon, a little hideaway from the rest of the world.
Anse des Pitons is also known as Sugar Beach, thanks to the Sugar Beach Resort nearby. You can also enjoy the hotel bar, with bartenders mixing up mojitos or unique rum cocktails. If you can get down here for the sunset, you’ll see the tiki torches light up and may be able to hear some live music, too.
Accessibility is a factor here, however. You’ll only be able to get to the beach via the Sugar Beach Resort or by boat. Boats sail from other areas on the island, including Marigot Bay, but you may need to plan this.
Pros
- Gorgeous views on all sides
- Beautiful sand and clear waters
- Great spot for snorkeling and swimming
- Sugar Beach Resort offers live music and delicious cocktails
Cons
- Impossible to get to by road; instead, you’ll have to take a boat trip (or book a stay at the Sugar Beach Resort)
3. Anse Cochon
Anse Cochon is on the west coast, with some incredibly beautiful dark waters and surrounded by a tropical forest. It’s a good spot to get some privacy and escape the crowds, and I’d recommend it as a good destination for couples.
It’s a calm, relaxed sort of beach. The sand is a mixture of golden and volcanic black, and the waters are beautiful. Snorkeling is a good option here, and there are some chairs available to sit on, as well as water floaters and kayaks for rent.
The resort Ti Kaye overlooks this beach, and they have an incredible beachside restaurant serving lunch and drinks. You can pick up a salad or some gorgeous seafood here, and you don’t need to be a guest to enjoy it.
The downside is that this isn’t the easiest beach to get to. It involves taking an extremely sharp hairpin down a steep road, and while the parking is good, it’s a precarious drive if you’re not a confident driver. You can also access the beach via the Ti Kaye resort. If you’re looking for an adults-only resort aimed at couples, I’d recommend checking it out. It’s a popular wedding destination, too.
Pros
- Beautiful beach with amazing views
- Good for snorkeling
- Ti Kaye resort restaurant serves delicious lunch
- Kayaks and water floaters available for rent
Cons
- Difficult to get to by road
4. Reduit Beach
A popular destination, Reduit Beach gets lively in the evenings! It’s a happy, upbeat kind of beach, with gorgeous golden sands and a pretty view of Pigeon Island.
It’s a good destination for families. There’s a lot to do here: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and even an inflatable water park, which is extremely popular with families. This is the place to go if you want to have a fun day out! The locals are very friendly and welcoming, too, and from a parent’s perspective, it feels safe for kids.
There’s a restaurant and bar here, Spinnakers, offering delicious salads and seafood. Nothing can beat eating fresh, local lobster on a gorgeous beach! You can get some drinks here, too, including the Mango Sunrise (mango puree, strawberry syrup, and tequila) and the Sweet Seduction (bounty lime and coconut rum with pineapple juice and grenadine).
This is not a tranquil, quiet beach. This may be a good or bad thing, depending on what you’re looking for!
You can get to Reduit Beach more easily than some of the other beaches in St.Lucia. Spinnakers restaurant has a car park which has plenty of space, and the roads are fine to drive on.
Pros
- Fun, lively beach
- Great for families
- The restaurant and bar serve up great food and cocktails
- Easier to get to than some other beaches in St.Lucia
Cons
- The bustling atmosphere may be too much if you’re after something quieter
5. Pigeon Island
Just along the road from Reduit Beach, you’ll find Pigeon Island Beach. This is a beautiful beach with a beautiful national park attached.
The beach itself is quiet, with gorgeous golden sands. It’s a beautiful spot for swimming, as the waters are usually pretty calm. Plus, you can enjoy the park, which is gorgeous. There are park tours you can take if you want to find out more about the local history.
There are sun beds and umbrellas for rent, and there are a few outlets selling cocktails and fried chicken, shrimp, and fries. There are some vendors here, too, so you can pick up a trinket to take home if you want to, but they’re not too intrusive.
I like that this beach is easy to get to. Despite the name, it’s an islet, and you can drive from the mainland onto Pigeon Island.
The downside with this beach is that you may end up paying a little more than you expected. Although everything is cheap, it soon adds up if you have to pay for chairs, umbrellas, food, and to use bathrooms while you’re there.
Pros
- Beautiful beach with golden sand and warm, calm waters
- The national park is interesting if you want a break from the beach
- Vendors selling delicious fried food
- Easy to get to
Cons
- Everything costs money, including using the bathrooms
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you go, here are some frequently asked questions about the beaches in St.Lucia:
Question: What’s the weather like in St.Lucia?
Answer: The weather is warm all year. There are dry and rainy seasons, with the wettest month usually being November. Any rain showers that occur are heavy but fast, so at least they pass quickly.
The best time to visit is between December and March, which is the most settled in terms of weather.
It gets hot in September, which is worth keeping in mind if you prefer to avoid the scorching heat.
Question: Can I go surfing in St.Lucia?
Answer: Although watersports are popular in St.Lucia, the surfing scene isn’t that great. The waters tend to be pretty calm, so more experienced surfers probably won’t enjoy it.
You may occasionally find a good swell at Pigeon Island, but this depends on the wind.
Question: Is it easy to drive in St.Lucia?
Answer: Driving in St.Lucia is tricky. There are a lot of sharp turns and narrow roads, and blind corners, too. You can park for free on most of the island, though, so if you’re a confident driver you may feel prepared to tackle it. Renting a car may work out cheaper than getting boat trips, so it’s worth looking into if you’re visiting the Caribbean on a budget.
Question: Can I do a day trip to St.Lucia?
Answer: You could spend a day in St.Lucia if you’re staying on the nearby islands Martinique or Saint Vincent. Worth a try if you plan to go island hopping.
To Sum Up ….
If you’re going to St.Lucia, chances are you’ll have an amazing time. It’s a beautiful place to visit, and all of the beaches are amazing, especially if you love snorkeling: you’ll spot some beautiful tropical fish in St.Lucia, and maybe even a turtle or two.
I would pick Anse Chastanet as my favorite, particularly from a snorkeling perspective, but also because it has incredible views and a good bar.
If you want a quiet moment of tranquility, I’d recommend checking out Anse Cochon, which is hard to get to, but worth it for the quiet.
If you’re on a family vacation, however, I’d suggest checking out Reduit Beach. Yes, it gets busy, but it has a happy atmosphere, and there is so much to do for families!
