Things to do in St. Lucia

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Our time in St. Lucia was limited because we had obligations for our wedding party, but we were still able to squeeze in some fun activities while we were there. This is not an all-inclusive list, and it simply includes the highlights from my trip. I would LOVE to come back to this wonderful island to explore some more!

We visited the island in March 2019.

Horseback Riding at Atlantic Shores Riding Stables

Dale and I have spent our entire lives riding horses, so of course the first thing we did on the island was go horseback riding! We scheduled a “3 hour Private Country Ride” which included a trip to the beach and a swim with the horses. Dale and I had a blast, and the scenery was unbelievable. In the beginning of our ride, were were followed by a friendly loose horse which was quite amusing. After a few minutes, however, our guide chased him away. Our guide was a young rider who rode bareback in flip flops (which he lost while cantering in a field), and he took us all over the place. Our horses (Copper and Sugar) behaved decently, although anytime we cantered in the fields, it took a lot of effort to keep them from passing each other. I think that’s just part of the deal when you ride trail horses. The beach was a blast. I expected the water to be nice and calm, but instead we were greeted by waves, and my horse took them head on! I had to hold on for dear life and hope that Sugar didn’t get knocked over by the waves (he was much more solid than me thank goodness).

Mud Baths at Sulfur Springs

I’m not a fan of touristy rip-offs, and my first impression when researching the mud baths at Sulfur Springs was that this was going to be a huge tourist trap. While that is true in a sense, it was actually a ton of fun, and I’m glad we did it! This was an outing we did with our wedding party, and we made some great memories. The Soufrier Volcano, also known as Sulfur Springs, is considered to be a dormant volcano, and the tour allows you to use their four hot water pools to soak and lather yourself in volcanic mud. There was a light colored mud and a dark one, so you could paint cool designs on yourself and friends. They say the mud baths can heal sun burns, eczema, arthritis, and sore joints. The area had a bit of a smell due to the sulfur, but it didn’t bother us at all. Make sure to wear a dark bathing suit to avoid stains.

Piton Falls Tour and Swim

After doing the mud baths, we drove over to Piton Falls. We had to pay for a local guide to walk us down the path and steps to the waterfall. Along the way he climbed a tree for us and opened us up a coconut to eat. We also had a brief view of the Pitons. Down at the falls, there were two spots where we could lounge in the warm water and enjoy the flowing water cascading from 30 feet above. We had a nice time, but it was spoiled a bit at the end when our tour guide demanded more tip money from us even though we felt we were quite generous.

Sunset Catamaran

The bride and groom treated their guests to a sunset catamaran cruise, and we had a blast cruising along the west coast of the island. We got a great view of the Pitons from the water, and we were able to stop and swim for a bit as well. Some of our guests got seasick, so be sure to bring some medicine with you if you are prone to getting sick.

Other Activities

Our time in St. Lucia was limited, but if I had the opportunity, I would put these activities on my to-do list, and you should too!

  • Hike the Gros Piton

  • Snorkel / Scuba Dive

  • Rent a car and drive around the island at your own pace (I would recommend purchasing your own map. I used this one in Dominica because it also included St. Lucia, and it was a life saver, especially when we couldn’t use our phones!)

  • Visit the Castries Market

  • Take time to just RELAX and enjoy the beach!

A note on lodging:

Dale and I chose to rent an AirBnb when we visited St. Lucia because it was the cheapest option we could find. It is something I highly recommend to others for a more personalized experience on the island. AirBnb is an online platform that allows you to search for sleeping accommodations all over the world that are hosted by people like you and me. You can choose anything from someone’s couch to your own private villa, and having a host allows you to become more immersed in the local culture (you often never see the host, but they are always available if you need them). Our AirBnb was a private apartment that contained a full kitchen (huge money saver since we could make our own food instead of eat out all the time), and our host gave us a great deal on renting his car. Even cooler, we kept in touch after the trip because he had a vacation planned to Maine to go to the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest (what are the odds of that?!).

If you’re interested in trying AirBnb, you can sign up with my link here, and you will get up to $55 off your first trip.