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Travel Essentials
New Entry Requirements will be effective January 23 2007. Click here.
Saint Lucia is an island in the Caribbean sea, which is south of Florida and the U.S. gulf states. One of the Windward islands, we are situated between Martinique and St. Vincent, and to the northwest of Barbados. One of the wonderful things about St Lucia is the wide choice of transportation available to the Island. There are more than a dozen airlines that service St Lucia’s two airports Hewanorra International Airport and George Charles Airport, from a host of international and local destinations. For those visitors arriving by sea, cruise lines and local ferry’s tie up daily at Port Castries and Soufriere. Whether you choose to fly direct, stop off on a cruise or just pop over from one of the neighboring islands you will find a warm Caribbean welcome awaits you.
St. Lucia A to Z
A Airlines, Airports, Automobile Rental
B Banking
C Churches, Credit Cards, Crime, Currency, Customs Regulations
D Departure Tax, Domestic Travel within the Island
E Electricity, Emergency Telephone Numbers, Entry Requirements
G Geography, Government
H Health, Hospitals
L Language
P Ports
S Service Charges & Tax, Shopping
T Taxis, Telecommunications, Time, Tipping, Tourist Information, Tours & Tour Companies
W Weather
Y Yacht Charter and Private Moorings
Airlines
Air Jamaica, Air Caribe, Air Canada, Air Martinique, American Airlines, American Eagle, US Airways, British Airways, LIAT the Star of the Caribbean, Virgin Atlantic
WESTJET and International Charters.
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Airports
Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort is located 40 miles south of Castries. George F. L . Charles Inter Island Airport is just outside Castries.
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Automobile Rental
Cars, 4 wheel drive vehicles and scooters can be booked in advance through your travel agent or at the airports, hotels or car rental offices on the island.
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Banking
Banks open Monday to Thursday, 8.00am - 2.00pm and Friday, 8.00am - 5.00pm
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Churches
Almost 80% of St. Lucians are Roman Catholic. Other denominations include Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventists, Church of the Nazarene, Christian Science and the Salvation Army. Times of services vary at individual churches, so it is best to inquire at your hotel reception.
Credit Cards
Major international credit cards are widely
accepted at all large shopping centres,
restaurants, hotels, etc.
Crime
The crime in St. Lucia can be considered consistent with that of similar countries. It is unfair to say that it doesn’t exist, however, to say that it is minimal and well under control by our competent police force, is a well placed statement. We do advise all visitors and even our nationals that common sense should prevail when traveling abroad. Refrain from making large displays of wealth (such as wearing expensive jewelry, producing large wads of cash, etc.), avoid venturing is areas that may appear to compromise safety. Crimes of any sort should be reported to the hotel, the St. Lucia Tourist Board, and/or the Police
Currency
The currency of St. Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar which is linked to the US Dollar at the
exchange rate of 1 US$ to 2.70 EC$. US$ are widely accepted on the island.
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Customs Regulations
The duty free allowance into St. Lucia is 200
cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars,
one litre of spirit or wine. Duty free shopping is
available at Pointe Seraphine, La Place Carenage
and at the departure lounge of Hewanorra Airport.
Luxury items include Jewelery, Batiks, Giftware,
Local Crafts, Liquor, Cigarettes and Cigars.
Departure Tax
Departure Tax of EC $68 (US $26) for all passengers over 12 years is applied to ticket prices at the time of purchase.
Domestic Travel within the Island
Buses serve the north of the Island around
Castries and Gros Islet very well and run until
around 10.00pm: (longer on Friday night when the
weekly “jump-up” takes place at Gros Islet).
However, there is no scheduled bus timetable.
Bus fares: Castries - North end of the island EC
$2.00, Castries - South end of the island (Vieux Fort)
EC $8.00.
Car travel via the new West Coast Road from
Castries to Soufriere takes about an hour.
From Hewanorra Airport to Castries takes around
an hour.
For your added comfort, Helicopter transfers are
available from Hewanorra to Castries. There is a
Heli-pad located at Vigie Hanger and the Jalousie
Hilton Hotel. This can be booked directly with St.
Lucia Helicopters Ltd on Tel: 758 453 6950,
Fax: 758 452 1553 or Paradise Helicopters
758 450 9203.
Electricity
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.
Adaptors are generally available at the hotels.
Emergency Telephone Numbers
Police, Fire and Ambulance - Tel: 911. Po l i c e
Headquarters - Bridge Street, Castries, Tel: 758 452
2854 or request the Police Rapid Response Unit -
Tel: 758 452 2854 ext. 167.
You may also contact the St. Lucia Tourist Board -
Tel: 758 452 5968/453 0053/452 4094.
Entry Requirements
Visitors must carry valid passports. Visas are not required where the visitor is a citizen of the USA or certain
Commonwealth countries (please click here for visa exempted countries), or
where there is agreement for exemption between the home country and St. Lucia
New Entry Requirements, effective January 23 2007
Due to the volume of passport requests a decision has been taken that from now through September 30, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received, passports can temporarily enter and depart the United States by air without a passport. To do so, U.S. citizens MUST HAVE a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport.
As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.
This information does not reflect important changes to the WHTI expected from pending legislation. We will update this page once that legislation has been finalized.
For further details in the USA, contact the St. Lucia Mission, 800 Second
Avenue, 9th Floor New York, NY 10017 & for the UK contact the St Lucia High
Commission 1 Collingham Gardens, London SW5 0HW.
Geography
Our neighbors are Martinique, 21 miles from our
Northern tip and St. Vincent, 26 miles from our
Southern tip. Both are visible on a clear day.
Barbados is 110 miles Southeast. The island is 27
miles long and 14 miles wide, a total of 238sq.
miles.
Government
An independent democratic nation and part of the British Commonwealth.
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Health
Immunization is not required unless coming from
an infected area within six days of arrival, however
Hepatitis A, Polio and Typhoid are recommended.
Drinking water is safe from the tap and bottled
mineral/distilled water is also available.
There are several pharmacies in Castries, one on
the Gros Islet Highway and one in Gablewoods
Shopping Mall and in JQ Charles Mall Rodney Bay.
Most hotels have “over the counter” medication,
such as Aspirin and first aid facilities. All hotels
have doctors either resident or available on call. A
resident doctor’s visit costs approx. US$ 15
(approx. EC$40- EC$50). For a "call-out" visit it may
cost more.
Hospitals
In an emergency, call 911 - there are five medical
facilities which are:
| Victoria Hospital |
758 452 2421/7059 |
| St. Jude’s Vieux Fort |
758 454 6041 |
| Soufriere |
758 459 7258/5001 |
| Dennery |
758 453 3310 |
| Tapion Hospital |
758 459 2000 |
Language
English is the official language, but St. Lucians
speak a French Creole commonly called Patois.
Ports
The main sea port is Castries and many cruise
ships anchor at Pointe Seraphine and La Place
Carenage. There is an additional deepwater
anchorage for cargo and container ships at Vieux
Fort in the south near the airport.
Service Charges & Tax
On hotel and restaurant bills there is a
Government tax of 8%. A service charge of 10% is
also applicable. In some instances these charges
are included in prices quoted, so it is best to clarify.
The prices on labels in shops are what you pay.
Shopping
Local shops are generally open weekdays 8.30am
to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.00pm and on Saturday
8.00am to noon. There are a wide variety of
shopping experiences from Castries market,
where local crafts are available, to Po inte
Seraphine and La Place Carenage, two duty free
shopping centers in Castries where resort wear,
Colombian Emeralds jewelery, cosmetics and
perfumes are available. A variety of shopping malls
with extended opening hours offer a wide selection
of boutiques and restaurants. Most hotels have
boutiques and vendors' markets.
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Taxis
Taxis are easily available at taxi stands or by
telephone and minibuses can be hired as taxis for
groups. They generally can take up to 10 persons.
Some guideline fares are from Castries to
Hewanorra Airport (EC$185 or US$75 for up to 4 persons),
Castries to Rodney Bay (US$20 up to 4 persons).
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Telecommunications
Telephones and Mobile Phones are operated by
Cable & Wireless. Many card and coin public
phone boxes are available around theisland. Cards
can be purchased at Cable & Wireless offices, St.
Lucia Tourist Board Information Centres and many
other outlets including Airports, Rodney Bay
Marina etc. Cellular phones are available for rent from the Cable and Wireless Caribbean Cellular offices at the Gablewoods Mall, Rodney Bay and the Castries Waterfront. Internet access is available at most
shopping malls and at Cable & Wireless. Both
domestic and international direct dialing are
available in St. Lucia. Facsimiles are available
through most hotels or through the Cable &
Wireless office in Castries. The international
dialing code for St. Lucia is 1 758. To call the UK
from St. Lucia dial 011 44 plus number. To call USA
dial 1 plus number.
Time
St. Lucia is 4 Hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.
Tipping
Tipping is not automatically added and is
customary at about 10% to 12% of bills. Tips are
generally accepted by bell hops in hotels, taxis and
other persons providing service.
Tourist Information
Tourist Information can be obtained from hotel
front desks and the St. Lucia Tourist Board’s
Information Centers: Pointe Seraphine and La
Place Carenage, Castries Tel: 452 7577 or
Soufriere, Tel: 459 7419 and at both airports;
George F.L. Charles Airport Tel: 452 2596.
Hewanorra International Airport Tel: 454 6644.
Generally, the information centers are open from
8.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Pointe
Seraphine is open whenever cruise ships are in
port. Information Centres at the airports are open
during flight times.
Tours & Tour Companies
Tours can be booked through your hotel’s Tours
Desk or alternatively, you can book them direct
with one of the following Tour Companies:
| Barefoot Holidays |
758 450 0507 |
| Cox & Company |
758 452 2211 |
| Heritage Tours |
758 451 6058/458 1587 |
| M & C Tours |
758 458 8283 |
| Solar Tours |
758 452 5898 |
| Spice Travel |
758 452 0865 |
| St. Lucia Reps/Sunlink Tours |
758 452 8232 |
Travel Concepts |
758 458 2243/458 2244 |
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Weather
Sub tropical climate kept mild by cooling trade winds make St. Lucia a year round delight.
From June to November be prepared for sporadic tropical showers.
Yacht Charter and Private Moorings
There are a wide variety of vessels available for
both bare boat and crewed charters from St. Lucia
to the Grenadines and other destinations. The two
most popular marinas are at Marigot Bay and
Rodney Bay.
The companies and phone numbers in St. Lucia
offering yacht charter services are:
| Destination St. Lucia |
758 452 8531 |
| Escape to Paradise |
758 452 0344 |
| Moorings St. Lucia |
758 451 4256 |
| Tradewind Yachts |
758 452 8424 |
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