On our first trip to Saint Lucia, we anchored in Rodney Bay for one night while working our way south to Grenada for hurricane season. We didn’t have time to disembark on that stop, so now that hurricane season is over, we made it a priority to head back to this lovely island in the Caribbean to begin our explorations.
We left Bequia Island at sunup for a 68 nautical mile trip to Rodney Bay at the northwestern corner of Saint Lucia. We had a great 11-hour day of sailing and even enjoyed an 8.5 knot run as we crossed the Bequia Channel. We motor-sailed around Saint Vincent, but once we made the crossing from Saint Vincent to Saint Lucia, in the open Caribbean Sea, the winds picked up and we were sailing again at an average of 7.5 knots. We even had to slow the boat down to avoid an upcoming squall. It would have been nice to have the swells coming from a different direction, other than on our starboard bow, since it made for a bit of a seesaw ride, but the seas were less than three-feet, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Overall, it was a great day and we were happy to be sailing again!
Sailing up the west coast of Saint Lucia is a sight to behold. Its natural beauty is stunning, with its mesmerizing Piton Mountains, white sand beaches, sapphire blue waters, and lush rainforests.
We anchored in Rodney Bay in about 18-feet of water. Our anchor held tight the first time in sand, and we were happy to rest for the night after a full day of sailing. Gregory, a local produce boat vendor promptly visited us upon our arrival and offered up his wares. We bought a few of his local oranges, cucumbers, and avocados. He often sells his wife’s homemade banana and zucchini bread too, and we found him to be kind, joyful, and reputable. We are happy to buy fruits and vegetables from him and support his livelihood.
Rodney Bay is a large, horseshoe shaped natural harbor near the northwest corner of St. Lucia. It is both the name of the bay and the adjacent town. The bay attracts both locals and tourists due to its nice beaches (Reduit beach being the most popular), and its clean water for swimming, snorkeling, and kitesurfing. It is even home to the Caribbean’s first open-water sports park, Splash Island Water Park, where families can enjoy hours of fun!
Through a small channel, Rodney Bay opens into a large manmade lagoon housing Rodney Bay Marina. This is one of the nicest marinas we have seen in the Caribbean, with a plethora of amenities, from restaurants, a coffee shop, gelato and ice cream shop, laundromat, florist, boutiques, a small upscale grocery store, and more. There is a free dinghy dock here, and the customs office is located on the second floor past the restaurants. It was an easy clear-in process, but they do require online Sail Clear documents to be completed prior to arrival.
When we first stepped foot on land at Rodney Bay, we met a really nice sailor who was more than happy to give us the lay of the land. He pointed out the trash disposal, the gourmet market, and his favorite pizza place. He also told us about another, hard-to-find dinghy dock on the southwest side of the lagoon near the Coco Palm Resort. A short walk from the dingy dock lands you on Castries Street with even more amenities. We were surprised that Saint Lucia is so upscale. We walked up and down the street, pursued the Baywalk Shopping Mall, enjoyed cappuccinos at Rituals Coffee, and ate lunch at Sakuragi Grill & Sushi Bar.
open for breakfast and lunch
At the south end of Baywalk Shopping Mall along Castries Street is a large Massey’s supermarket. They carry a wide variety of foods and speciality items that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the Caribbean. It’s clear that they cater to yachts as they carry a lot of organic products and specialty sauces, dressings, condiments that I’ve only seen in the United States.
There is a smaller mall along Castries Street opposite Baywalk Mall called Island Galleria. It seemed to be where the locals hang out. They have clothing, jewelry, makeup, and sundries stores, but they also tend to sell more traditional Creole clothing and foods items. They even have a food court on the second floor with local Caribbean cuisine that looked very good! We enjoyed sitting on a bench in the lobby and watching the locals come and go while the sun was shining beautifully through the glass ceiling.
We really enjoyed our time in Saint Lucia. It is a beautiful island from what we’ve seen so far. Sadly, we needed to leave our anchorage prematurely because we were expecting a storm with 30 knot winds coming from the northeast, and the anchorage at Rodney Bay wouldn’t give us the protection we desire. It likely would have been very rolly there with that kind of wind direction.
So we picked up anchor and headed to Saint Anne, Martinique, but it’s our desire to make it back to Saint Lucia. We’d like to explore the central and southern parts of the island, especially The Pitons, waterfalls, rainforest, beaches, overlooks, and trails. From what we’ve seen so far, however, we understand why many tourists visit this island. It is a jewel in The Eastern Caribbean!
