TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Southern Caribbean St Lucia First Time Advice

We have been to St. Martin 7 times but have heard that we should visit St. Lucia. We have always had a great time on the French side but over time, especially since Irma, we tend to stay half at Simpson Bay and half at Orient Village. We don't like all inclusives so would like to find a neat boutique hotel on St. Lucia. We like a combination of night life and calm. Love beach but also would like a pool. We are open to renting a villa as that is what we have done a lot in Orient. Typically we are half the time on exploring and half time relaxing.

Any overview by St. Lucia experts on where to stay, where to go, what to do, etc. would be great. We would be open to staying half in one location and half in another. Soufriere and Rodney Bay for example???

Your help is appreciated.

I am not a St Lucia expert, but most people who go to St Lucia do a/i. Not many great beaches there either. Best wishes in your search.

St Lucia is very different from St Martin but there are places where you can get night life but then retreat to a calm and peaceful environment afterwards. The liveliest places for tourists are around the Rodney Bay area as you have the beachfront strip and Gros Islet which is very lively on a Friday night. There are a couple of complexes with apartment and villas for rent like The Landings right there but if you really want peace and quiet, rent somewhere in the hills a mile or two inland. Marigot Bay is my favourite on St Lucia but not much night life there. There are some seriously upmarket hotels in the Soufriere region and places to rent but the night life is down in the town and not somewhere I'd be like to be.

Have you considered Grenada? Probably my favourite of the larger, English speaking, islands. A very friendly and welcoming Island. Great beach at Grand Anse and a wide variety of accommodation. I spent several months in Grenada while fixing up a boat and had a great time.

This is helpful! Thank You!