Welcome to the St. Lucia cruise port guide. St. Lucia might just be the most beautiful Caribbean island around. This is an island that is not just about its beautiful beaches. This unique mountainous island shows much diversity in scenery. The iconic Pitons, the volcanic Soufriere and its lush jungle make any ride on the island a spectacular one. St. Lucia changed hands quite often during the last few centuries. The British and French have held the authority on and off. Nowadays St. Lucia is an independent state. The capital Castries is a charming small city. Although several fires destroyed the town it still has a certain old charm to it. When visiting St. Lucia we would definitely recommend to go for a panoramic drive over the island. It simply is something you don’t want to miss. 
Cruise Port Guide Castries – St. Lucia: docked
In Castries you wil find several cruise docks. Most ships will dock at Pointe Seraphine, although Port Castries is also an option. Check with the front desk on board where you ship is scheduled to dock or check ahead of time on the following link: http://www.slaspa.com/contentPages/view/cruise-schedules
Cruise dock Pointe Seraphine
This pier is a short walk from the old city centre of Castries. You will find a tourist information and shopping centre in the cruise terminal at the dock. Taxis are waiting for you outside the terminal.
Cruise dock Port Castries
When Pointe Seraphine cruise dock is taken ships dock at the Port Castries. This dock is on the other side of the harbor (see map above). From here it is about a mile walk to the city centre of Castries. There is a shopping terminal at the dock and taxis.
Taxis in Castries
Alternatively to a shore excursion you can opt for the taxi. The drivers are usually excellent guides. Negotiate the price before stepping into the taxi, but please know they are officially fixed by the government. 3 or 4 hours of sightseeing should cost about 150 US dollar. One way fares range from 35 to 40 US dollars to Marigot Bay and Rodney bay should be about 30 dollars one way. The rates mentioned here are per taxi.
Renting a car
We do not recommend to rent a car in St. Lucia. In our opinion only the most experienced drivers are up to negotiate the windy and chaotic roads of St. Lucia.
Public Transportation in and around Castries
Public Transportation in St. Lucia is present but often crowded and unreliable. The minivans and jitneys depart from Jeremy street (see map above for exact location). These busses go in the direction of Cap Estate. At Bridge street you will find the busses leaving for Vieux Fort and Soufriere. Do not take the public transportation unless time is on your side and you are up for the ride.
Beaches
Vigil beach is the closest beach to the cruise terminal. About 2 km north of Pointe Seraphine and 3 km north of the Port of Castries. Therefore you could walk it, but we still recommend a taxi. There are also far better beaches a little further afield. You can take a taxi one of the following popular beaches in the area:
Reduit Beach – 10 km north
Pigeon island – 14 km north
Marigot beach – 13 km south
Find out what there to do in the area in the map underneath:
