USVI-On-Line

Just searching the web looking around and came to St Lucia. Looks a lot like St John. Has anyone put there been and can compare the 2. Beaches, snorkeling etc. Do not think anywhere could replace St John in my mind but hubbie likes to try new places.
Nancy

We have been there on a cruise. Enjoyed it. Lots of interesting things to see (volcano, Peton's, etc). Didn't get to any of the beaches, so can't share any info with that.

We were also there on a cruise stop. Took a daysail on a catamaran, snorkeled at a couple of stops, got in a view of the Pitons from out on the water, very nice. Just did a brief walk into the shopping area by the port since we were sailing most of the time. Snorkeling was decent, all the locals we met were quite nice, unlike some stops. Having been to about 20 major Caribbean islands on cruises, it is on our short list of 4-5 that we'd consider doing a land stay on. Hopefully you can get some feedback from someone who has stayed there, since our impression is based on a quick stop.

Having said all that, we're booked in StJ in June, our 3rd time there, definitely our fav. Tried Anguilla last year, it was OK but didn't like it as well, they're building so many resorts that cut off the nice beach access I think they'll sink the place! The national park beaches are the big selling point for me on StJ.

We have been to St Lucia twice and St John four times. Of the two, STJ wins hands down. That said, if you want to try something different, St Lucia is a beautiful, exotic, lush, tropical island. The beaches don't compare as the sand is darker brown and therefore you don't have the same crystal clear light blue water that STJ has. In fact, the southern part of the island has greyish sand as the island is volcanic in nature. I'm not a snorkeler but snorkeling is reportedly very good by The Piton's as well as other spots. Definitely not the off beach snorkeling available on STJ. One other downside to St Lucia is that most people don't rent vehicles. Although it is not a huge island, it takes a while to navigate from point A to point B because of the rugged and in the southern part, mountainous terrain. We stayed in the northern part of the island and would do so again if we were to return. The sourthern part of the island while a romantic area is a little to remote for us with a lack of dining choices. The village of Soufriere is a little seedy and rough around the edges. Check out the Rodney Bay/Reduit Beach area.

If you don't mind a trip not just lounging on beaches and doing some exploring, I recommend St Lucia. It also has a deep West Indian feel that STJ lacks. Things we did and what we would do if we returned:

We did an ATV Adventure Tour. This was my first time on an ATV and I did fine. It was a fun half day trip and we drove them on the beach and through a Mangrove Swamp. The whole group was covered with mud when we were done. We were able to rinse off in the ocean, but were still filthy. Some of the guys were deliberately trying to get their girls dirty. We hired a taxi for the day and did an island tour to a lot of the scenic spots. Castries area, banana plantations, volcano, Botanical Gardens, The Piton's. The Castries Market is a great place to look around for a couple of hours and has an "alley" of authentic Caribbean food. The highlight of one of our trips was a day trip to The Grenadine Islands. We took a flight to Union Island, then sailed through the Grenadines for the day. Palm Island, Tobago Cays and Mayreau. You can see all of the islands from the plane as you fly at about 8000 feet. Way too much rum punch that day .

We haven't been since late 2004 and I haven't been on the St Lucia forums lately but I believe they now have zip-lines. I would also go to "The Fish Fry" at Anse La Raye on Friday nights. We didn't go and I regret it. Paule Deen from The Food Network did a family trip there and went to The Fish Fry. It looked great with a local charm and HUGE lobsters and a multitude of other seafood. You can get a taxi driver to take you there as well as the Friday night "Jump Up" at Gros Islet but the "Jump Up" didn't really look like our kind of scene. I would also consider doing a Jeep Safari into the rainforest. There is plenty to see and do on St Kucia if you look for it. Check out sunlinktours.com and stlucia.org for additional information. It seems like there a quite a few new or renovated accomodations since we were last there. Let me know if I can answer anything elae.

St. Lucia is dramatically different from St. John. It's beautiful, for sure, but nothing like St. John.

Driving? Forget it. You need to stay in a resort and pretty much park yourself there. Day trips are going to be long excursions. No quick run to a beach in your rental Jeep.

Snorkeling from the beach? Not so much.

White soft sandy beaches? Not really.

What it does offer is:
Rainforest (expect a lot of rain)
Huge and beautiful mountains
Lovely resorts (all inclusive ~ the only way to go because of the roads)

If you have a budget that allows you to check out a new place, even if it's not a perfect fit for you, DO IT. St. Lucia is beautiful. It's just very, very different from St. John.

Spent a week on St. Lucia several years ago. I agree with the others, that you should not go there expecting St. John. It is very different, yet it does have some wonderful things to offer.

The downsides are, as the others mentioned: the black sand beaches are not like the beaches you are used to seeing on STJ and the only white sand beach is man-made; snorkeling is not really a good option at most beaches; and most of the “good spots” are located at the resort properties. Also, the roads really make renting a vehicle tough and if you are driving yourself, be prepared to see some poverty stricken areas that will crush your heart.

There are many upsides, though. If you are bold, you can rent a vehicle. There are a lot of interesting things to see. However, the roads on SLU make the roads on STJ look pristine. Seriously. However, by renting a vehicle I saw a lot of things I wouldn’t trade for anything. Half the week was spent at the Jalousie Hilton on the south end and half the week in a private cliffside cottage in Cap Estate on the north end of the island. It was possible to experience a lot that way.

On the south end, you have the volcano and rainforests, which are pretty amazing. The drive through the rainforest is one of my best memories from that trip. The Pitons are pretty awesome and the beach at the Jalousie Hilton sits right between them. It’s a very dramatic spot. The Jalousie has individual cottages nestled on the mountainside, very private, each with it’s own small pool. It was a nice property. From it, you could walk to “Bang” an amazingly cool restaurant owned and operated by Lord Glenconnor (the eccentric guy that used to own the island of Mustique). The setting of the restaurant was very neat because he actually had several old Caribbean buildings moved there and reassembled to create a setting that feels almost like a little village. The food was very good and Lord Glenconnor and his dog came and talked to us while we ate. What an experience. Anse Chastanet is another resort area nearby and it has a lovely beach and is worth a visit. It actually offered some decent snorkeling. The Ladera resort and the Dasheen restaurant are pretty breathtaking, located on the hillside between the pitons. Going to Dasheen at sunset with a mountainside view of Gros Piton was unbelievable. Vieux Fort Beach on the southern tip was very pretty as well. It’s a windy beach with lots of windsurfers. Fun to watch. It also had a neat little outdoor bar/restaurant.

In the north, there is the LeSport resort which has a lovely beach, Cariblue Beach. There are some nice restaurants in Castries. Pigeon Island National Park is located on that end as well. It offers some nice walks, historic ruins, a topside view from Fort Rodney with sweeping views of the coastline, and a funky little restaurant/bar called Jambe de Bois. Castries also has a public market which was pretty neat and offered a lot of local flavor. I remember a couple of restaurants, the Great House and Coal Pot, being very good.

Fond d’or Bay is on the east side, sort of in the middle of the coast, and is a remote and gorgeous long stretch of sand and palms. It was breathtaking.

Although I would not return for a second trip to St. Lucia, I am very glad I went once. I agree with Marcia, if your budget can do it, go. It’s a great experience. I also agree with staying put at a resort. Although I enjoyed renting a car, I don't think I would recommend it to others.

I think I have a few pics online:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42427255@N ... 318733668/

We stayed at the Jalousie, too, Vicky. Nice property but the "villa with plunge pool" wasn't nearly as private as a villa on STJ. The Bang Between The Pitons restaurant was a hoot. I think Jorge would like that place, don't you?

The driving was so horrible (we took a taxi from the airport to the resort ~ a five mile drive but takes an hour and a half) so we took a helicopter to get back to the airport.

Like you, Vicky, we'll never go back but we are so glad we went once.

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I have spent 10 days on St. Lucia and probably wouldn't go back. It was beautiful but somewhat restricting be able to get around the island. I found dining on St. John to far exceed any restaurant on St. Lucia. Like Vicki said, I'm glad I went but probably wouldn't return.

We were there first on our one and only cruise (found we are terrible cruisers) and then returned for a week at Ladera. Ladera was gorgeous but waaayyy too far removed from the water for me. The island is indeed beautiful for it's own differences from other islands, but I prefer the VIs. We also saw Barbados on that cruise, struck out on our own "shore tour" with a taxi driver to see the Crane and have lunch, then returned there for a week after they were well along on the remodel. Now, that is a beautiful beach - Crane Beach - pink sand and gorgeous waves, yumm! We have talked about trying a villa on Barbados and will - someday, when we get tired of the VIs. Probably won't be very soon...

- Margy

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Jorge wrote:

Marcia (Mrs. Pete) wrote: The Bang Between The Pitons restaurant was a hoot. I think Jorge would like that place, don't you?

OK, I give. ?????? oh yea, Where's Pete?

The Pitons look like rather large breastesses. The name of the place, "Bang Between the Pitons" is, um, sexual in nature.

Jorge wrote:OK now, I am a little worried. Everybody loved St. Lucia but wouldn't go back. I was looking for a replacement for Montserrat.

Have you checked out Dominica?

Black sand beaches, mountains, rain forests, and some excellent diving to boot!