St. Lucia - Facts

St. Lucia FAQs

Pre-Arrival Boat: SailClear online clearance can be completed in advance. See Clearance for details.
Pre-Arrival Crew: An Immigration form must be completed online for all crew. Some nationals may require a visa in advance. See Immigration for details.
Where can I enter? There are 5 ports of entry. Click on the anchor symbol in the blue “Explore Country” drop down, to see ports of entry.
Are fees high to enter by yacht? Entry fees for a typical cruising yacht during normal working hours is EC$50. See Fees for further details.
What security concerns should I know about? St. Lucia does suffer its fair share of incidents, particularly in Rodney Bay, Vieux Fort, the Soufriere/Pitons area and Anse Canaries (mainly theft from boats at anchor). See Security for more info.

St. Lucia Facts for Sailors

• St. Lucia is part of the Windward Islands and a good base from which to explore the rest of the Lesser Antilles. Situated between the islands of Martinique and St. Vincent, Castries is the capital city and the main port located on the northwest coast.
• St. Lucia is the largest of the English-speaking Windward islands with a population of 183,629 as of 2020.
• English is the official language, and French patois, a Creole dialect, is also spoken.
• The Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) is the island's currency. See money for more details.
• UTC−4 (AST) is observed all year in St. Lucia.
• The weather in St. Lucia stays consistently warm throughout the year. The busiest time to visit St. Lucia is from December to April during the driest season. The rainy season in St. Lucia is from June to December.
• The island is mountainous and lush, with tropical rainforest in the interior and cultivated land on its coastal slopes. The area around Soufriere and the Pitons is impressive with stunning anchorages and the island has a number of beautiful white sand beaches.
• Cruising attractions include excellent facilities at Rodney Bay Marina in the north and in the well-protected port of the capital Castries, the scenic anchorage of Soufrière Bay overlooked by The Grand and Petit Pitons and the delightful, yet crowded, the landlocked harbor of Marigot Bay.
• The government has actively encouraged the establishment of yachting related businesses, aiming to make St. Lucia one of the prime yachting centers in the Caribbean. See Yachting Essentials for more details.