There is no real ranking for THE top beach in St. Lucia, because it all depends on your preferences. It is very divers, there is something for everyone: Beaches to lime with locals, beaches to do water sports, beaches to work out, secluded beaches and more: So here is our favourite list of the best beaches in St. Lucia’s north, by category:
Prettiest beach and best snorkelling: Smugglers Cove
Surrounded by a cliff you will find a very picturesque beach in a small cove. If you have a rental car, you can park next to Cap Maison. Lot’s of stairs will get you down there from the street. The reward is stunning! Snorkelling is pretty nice here by the cliff on your right side. Bonus is a nice upscale beach bar called “Naked Fisherman”. Food and drink quality is outstanding. Sunday afternoons they sometimes have a DJ until about 6pm.
There is sometimes a beach break, so be careful those days with young children and non swimmers not getting caught by a wave.
Kite and Windsurfing: Cas En Bas Beach
Facing the Atlantic side this beach is not the typical calm Caribbean beach. When the wind is up, kitesurfers come here. It never gets crowded. There is a beach bar called “Marjories” with typical local food and drinks. There is a kite school where you can rent gear or take lessons. You can rent horses and go with them into the water. It’s shallow and easy for small kids. You can drive with your car straight to the beach. Access is the dirt road past Cotton Bay Village along wall.
Buzzing beach with lots of infrastructure: Reduit Beach
A very long beach stretching along Rodney Bay. Plenty of bars, restaurants a water park, renting beach chairs & umbrellas, jet ski rentals, SUPs, ATVs, you name it. Everything is here. It get’s pretty busy, a lot of hotels and resorts are along this stretch. The center is by the Rodney Bay police station and the Spinnaker bar. Large parking lot right there for your car. Nice calm Caribbean waters, good for small kids. If you are looking for a little less busy area but not far from all the infrastructure, go to the very south end of that beach. There is a local bar next to another parking lot.
Mingling with the locals: Pigeon island beach (outside park)
Sundays and holidays are the days for locals to lime at the beach. Drinks and food, family and friends gatherings. There are two busy beaches: A very small beach between Pigeon island and the Sandals resort right next to the parking lot. A few local bars are adjacent by the parking lot. Try the typical bar food breaded chicken with a bake. A rum and coke goes well with it!
South of Landings / Gros Islet beach
The other beach locals love is south of Landings. Access by car is the dirt road along the side wall of “The Landings”. There is no infrastructure by the beach, so bring food and drinks here.
On all other days than Sundays and holidays those beaches have a different vibe. You will not share them with many. If you don’t have a rental car, you can hike there from the guesthouse. It’s a 20-30 minutes walk to get to South of Landings. From there you can walk along the beach and take a free boat/raft to cross the small channel. It’s legal to walk along Landings beach and Sandals beach. It’s a nice walk all the way up to Pigeon island beach.
Secluded beaches
Most of the beaches in the north (except some on Sundays, see above) are in general not to crowded.
Pigeon Island beach (inside park)
A good choice if you don’t want to share a beach with many is inside the Pigeon island park. It’s a small but nice beach. Once in the park do the hike to the two peaks (the lower one is a short 5-10 minute walk from the gate), the views are stunning! There is a nice restaurant in the park “Jambe de Bois” with good local food. Park closes around sun set, but going to the restaurant is ok even past closing hours.
Bonus for surfers: On the Atlantic side is a surf break if the swell is up. It’s very shallow above the reef and the entrance is on slippery rocks, so definitely not a beginner surf spot.
Choc Beach
Right next to the Gros Islet highway closed to the “Mega J’s” shop. A pretty large beach, the north side is pretty remote and usually not very busy. There is no infrastructure, bring your own food and drinks. There is a beach volleyball net there.
Vigie Beach
Right next to the SLU airport. Very long beach. Little infrastructure next to the airport. Nice stroll and very remote if you walk up north from there.
In general the beaches facing the Caribbean side have smooth waters. Easy with small children. A great time to check them out are the morning hours when the sun is still on the east. The colours of the sea are amazing. The beaches facing the Atlantic side are a bit rougher facing wind and waves.
As a generic rule: If you decide to go to more remote places, don’t bring and don’t display valuables. Be cautious especially if you’re traveling solo and after dark.
More on beach activities such as kite surfing and other things to do in St. Lucia, check our recommendations page.