Saint Lucia is on the prime of everybody’s dream record of Caribbean island getaways. The island is blessed with lovely seashores, fascinating volcanic geography, and spectacular mountaineering trails. It’s no marvel you’re debating a visit; Saint Lucia is one in all our favourite locations, too.
However, these planning levels do beg the query: Is Saint Lucia secure? What must you anticipate out of your journey by way of crime and pure catastrophe threat? As an entire, we’d inform you to train regular precautions, however that’s straightforward sufficient to say. What precisely are “normal” precautions anyway?
In this information, we’ll study security in Saint Lucia. Get able to dive deeply into particular crime charges, pure catastrophe threat, and extra. We can assist make Saint Lucia one of many most secure locations you could possibly presumably go to.
Is St Lucia Safe?
We know that not everybody has the posh of limitless time to analysis Saint Lucia. If you need fast solutions, don’t fear; we’ve received you.
Here are the primary issues you need to know concerning the threat of journey in Saint Lucia:
As an entire, Saint Lucia is without doubt one of the most secure island international locations to go to within the Caribbean. The main resort areas and most neighborhoods are extremely secure, with thousands and thousands of tourists touring to Saint Lucia hassle-free every year.
There are some pure risks in Saint Lucia, together with a hurricane threat from June till November. The island additionally has the danger of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The likelihood of a extreme catastrophe occurring is low however can’t be dominated out. It’s clever to know the correct protocols earlier than touring, have enough insurance coverage, and keep away from high-risk occasions, like August till October for hurricane threat.
There are crime incidents in Saint Lucia, particularly at giant occasions just like the Saint Lucia Carnival. Be cautious of petty crimes like bag snatching and pickpocketing in heavy crowds. However, additionally bear in mind that there’s a critical crime threat, together with armed theft. These are fortunately rare incidents usually occurring in distant areas or after darkish.
There are some strict cultural variations, enforceable by regulation. The primary factor to notice may be very conservative attitudes to LGBTQ+ relations throughout the nation. While members of the LGBTQ+ can nonetheless journey to Saint Lucia, it’s advisable to be aware of issues like public shows of affection. You also needs to notice that drug offenses carry extreme penalties, generally together with the demise penalty. It’s additionally unlawful for anybody to put on camouflage clothes, a rule not even kids are exempt from.
Speaking of issues which are enforceable by regulation, you want a short lived driving license to hire a automobile in Saint Lucia. Some rent corporations can receive this move for you, however it’s sensible to ask prematurely; in any other case, you’ll must think about an in-person go to to the official Department of Tourism. Quick facet notice: by no means cease for pedestrians flagging down your car, and at all times hold your doorways locked whereas driving.
St Lucia Crime Rates
Unfortunately, there’s truly been a spike in Saint Lucia’s crime charges prior to now three years, not too long ago scoring a murder rating of 77.6 p.c in 2022. There’s an general crime rating of 70.24 on Numbeo, which is deemed excessive threat, and the security rating falls by half if you stroll through the day versus strolling at evening. that being mentioned, we felt extremely secure after we had been visiting the island.
As a normal rule, its remoted areas entice opportunistic assaults and theft. In the capital of Castries, there’s a extra clockwork sample of standard crime, like medicine and armed theft, in locations just like the (paradoxically named) Serenity Park and Vieux Fort. This is typical amongst huge cities, and we’d advise you to maintain your wits about you. It’s clever to take a look at the particular crime hotspots of explicit locations in Saint Lucia that you just’re visiting.
As at all times, take additional care or just keep away from touring after darkish. Solo evening walks on seashores and drunken rides in taxis with no pre-agreed fare are all recipes for catastrophe. Similarly, take additional care within the daytime when main occasions just like the Saint Lucia Carnival are happening.
Keep jewellery and costly gadgets at residence or well-concealed when in Saint Lucia. Despite precise occasions of focused vacationers being low on this lovely nation, a great rule when touring anyplace is “bring it if you’re prepared to lose it”. In the case of a mugging, by no means attempt to struggle in your belongings.
Police Force Presence
As an entire, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is an efficient system on the island. It is slightly short-staffed and underfunded, with occasional accusations of corruption within the type of bribes. However, the police drive receives assist from the US in its operations and does a great job of dealing with justice on the island. You can contact the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force on 911 and know that they’re one of the best level of contact in a harmful state of affairs.
However, we suggest reviewing the foundations and cultural variations in Saint Lucia earlier than touring. These are the next legal guidelines you need to know:
You should carry a short lived Saint Lucia license if renting and driving a automobile on the island.
Drugs, together with marijuana, aren’t authorized in Saint Lucia and carry extreme authorized repercussions, together with the demise penalty.
It’s unlawful for anybody to put on camouflaged garments.
LGBTQ+ exercise is presently not authorized, and displaying affection in public is doubtlessly harmful.
The police are efficient in Saint Lucia, so don’t get on the improper facet of them both! This is especially true in the event you’re driving somewhat than utilizing public transportation.
Natural Disasters in St Lucia
Saint Lucia isn’t resistant to pure disasters, though there’s often minimal disruption or extreme occasions. Generally talking, these are the three primary dangers:
Volcanic exercise
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Volcanic exercise and earthquakes are uncommon and fairly exhausting to foretell. However, you’ll be able to subscribe to alerts when touring to Saint Lucia, which is able to promptly notify you of updates and emergency programs of motion. It’s one thing to be aware of and subscribe to earlier than flying to the island.
Hurricanes are extra common, and Saint Lucia has a hurricane season between June and November. There are not often really harmful hurricanes in Saint Lucia. Still, flash flooding, journey disruption, and injury are an actual threat. In a super world, you need to keep away from this era, particularly from August till October, when hurricanes are at a peak.
If that isn’t potential, although, be sure to take a look at our subsequent part.
Hurricanes in St Lucia
So, in case you are lifeless set on holidaying in Saint Lucia between June and November, right here’s what it is advisable to know. Hurricanes are measured on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This ranks between 1 and 5 in severity and helps to categorise damages and decide whether or not hurricanes are a critical menace.
Here’s the rating system you’ll be able to anticipate:
Category 1: Winds of 74-95 mph are harmful and may trigger injury, comparable to injury to powerlines that would trigger outages.
Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph which are very harmful and can trigger injury, like all powerlines destroyed and energy out for weeks.
Category 3: Winds of 112-129 mph that trigger devastating influence with electrical energy and water entry broken for weeks.
Category 4: Winds of 130-156 mph that trigger catastrophic injury and a few areas to be uninhabitable for a lot of months. There could also be injury to some homes.
Category 5: Winds of 157 mph that may trigger catastrophic injury, with most areas uninhabitable for a lot of months. A excessive proportion of homes will likely be destroyed with collapsed roofs and partitions.
Staying Safe in St Lucia Hurricanes
So, how do you keep secure on this state of affairs? Well, you’ll be able to take some easy steps to maximise your probabilities of security in Saint Lucia’s hurricane season. In this part, we’ll provide the prime three.
Nearly all hurricanes impacting Saint Lucia are in class 1 or 2, so that you shouldn’t expertise probably the most extreme finish of the size. But you ought to be ready for issues like energy outages and impacted flights. It’s a good suggestion to have insurance coverage to cowl you for any surprising prices and to be versatile along with your itinerary. Cancellation insurance coverage is at all times a useful card to have up your sleeve!
Here are some additional recommendation for you.
1. Carry a Charged Powerbank
A charged energy financial institution is crucial for energy cuts. Your telephone is your lifeline; it’s a technique to contact the police or an ambulance and navigate to locations like hospitals (you need to have already got realized the place they’re as a precautionary measure). Carrying or maintaining an influence financial institution charged is a good way to guard your self in case of an outage.
2. Know Your Hotel or Accommodation’s Emergency Policies
Does your resort or lodging have a selected procedures plan? If they don’t inform you if you arrive or if you get your reserving affirmation, then ask. Make certain that you understand how individuals round you’ll act if there’s a hurricane and if there are any accommodation-specific methods to remain secure.
3. Factor in Having No WiFi
This might sound apparent, however there’s no WiFi if there’s no energy. This means you’ll lose entry to issues like Google Maps, your banking app, and even simply contact with family and friends again residence. Having a backup plan, like offline maps or the power to simply textual content your ISP to improve to a roaming package deal, is significant. You ought to by no means assume that you just’ll have WiFi to remain secure.
Staying Safe on St Lucia Beaches
You can by no means be too cautious in the case of the ocean. There’s at all times a slight threat, and the ocean may be harmful. When staying secure on St Lucia’s seashores, an important factor to know is that the island doesn’t use warning flags. This means that you could be not be warned if there are areas unsuitable for swimming or with riptides.
Off the again of this, the island’s jap shoreline additionally opens out onto the Atlantic Ocean. This means waves can get critically uneven, particularly in hurricane season when winds decide up typically.
Not having restricted areas means you should use your frequent sense when deciding the place to swim. And in the event you’re uncertain, ask your resort for recommendation or go to a extra protected seaside, like one of many personal resort seashores with a 24/7 lifeguard.
Need some inspiration? Check out one of the best seashores right here.
Weather in St Lucia
Knowing the climate of your vacation spot earlier than departure can actually be a lifesaver. If you go to St Lucia in July, you’ll know that it’s hurricane season with a excessive storm threat. Weather issues, as it may massively influence your journey. Knowing your vacation spot inside out is the actual manner ahead.
St Lucia has two primary seasons: the moist season from June till December and the dry season from December till late May. Temperatures are additionally fixed at 78-83 levels Fahrenheit. But we’ll take a better have a look at the seasonal variation month by month.
Spring
This is the most well-liked time to go to St Lucia and falls into the Spring Break dates. March is the driest month in St Lucia, with April additionally pretty dry and May beginning to see just a bit extra rain. You ought to go to throughout this time in order for you clear skies for sightseeing and loads of hikes and seaside days.
Summer
St Lucia just isn’t all people’s cup of tea in summer season, and it’s proper in the midst of the June to November hurricane season. July and August have the very best ranges of humidity, with common exhausting spells of downpours. That mentioned, costs are decrease, and sights are quieter.
If you’re feeling like an low season vacation, it’s nonetheless worthwhile. You can restrict the danger of being impacted by a hurricane with enough analysis beforehand and cancellation insurance coverage. Just be ready to take a number of taxis on moist days.
Fall
The hurricane season grinds to a sluggish halt round November, which suggests fall completely falls into the class of “hurricane risk”. We wouldn’t actually suggest this time of 12 months. Even if there are not any hurricanes, it falls clearly into the moist season (which runs from June to December), so that you’re taking a look at numerous wet days.
Winter
December to February is when issues begin to change in St Lucia. You can wave goodbye to the hurricane threat and howdy to the transition from moist to dry season. December is more likely to nonetheless expertise loads of moist days (a mean of 16), however January drops (a mean of 14 moist days), and February drops even additional (simply 9). You may undoubtedly have enjoyable reserving to go to St Lucia in winter; simply intention for that later window.
5 Tips To Stay Safe in St Lucia
Staying secure in St Lucia is completely manageable. It’s only a case of doing analysis and taking primary precautions. It is a secure vacation spot; it simply requires a little bit of pre-departure prep and in-country savviness.
Here’s our recommendation on the highest 5 methods to remain secure when touring to St Lucia.
1. A Note on Cash
It’s value noting that credit score and debit playing cards are solely accepted at some retailers, in native taxis, and in some lodges. To keep away from this, we’d recommend at all times carrying {dollars} as unfastened money. This manner, you don’t have to attract out cash anyplace harmful or get into altercations by chance.
Carrying a pockets of money can be useful when managing the danger of a harmful mugging assault. So many individuals hail using a dummy pockets trick, which simply includes carrying a pretend pockets with fewer {dollars} or non-valuable playing cards in it. In the occasion of a mugging, you’ll be able to hand over that pockets as a substitute of your actual one – good, proper? You would possibly as nicely use this money to double up as a dummy pockets when touring to St Lucia.
2. Smart Accommodation
It’s value reiterating that the place you’re positioned issues. Make certain you’re a secure distance from any tough areas, whether or not you’re in cities or extra rural cities. Doing that analysis earlier than committing to lodging is a recreation changer relating to security. You’ll thank your self later when you’ll be able to stroll hassle-free to the primary sights and facilities.
3. Registered Taxis
We shouldn’t have to emphasise this, however it’s so necessary that we add it to this record anyway. Only ever use registered taxis, that are marked by a light-weight blue quantity plate. Frankly talking, in the event you get into an unregistered taxi, no one is aware of who you’re with or the place you’ll find yourself. It isn’t a secure touring follow, so don’t take the danger.
4. Know Your Weather
The important threat of this lovely island is the climate. So do your analysis and know the climate threat of the month you’re visiting. This little bit of preparation could make all of the distinction. If you sense there’s “something in the air,” you’ll be taking the lead in maintaining your self secure.
5. Know the Local Laws
Much of staying secure is simply being avenue savvy. But in the event you determine to go to St Lucia, you also needs to know the native legal guidelines, which require some analysis. You needs to be aware of the restrictions round drug use, the foundations for renting vehicles, and the conservative attitudes in the direction of LGBTQ+ relationships. This manner, you’ll be able to hold the police in your facet.
Tips on St Lucia For Solo Travelers
Saint Lucia is such a captivating vacation spot. And in the event you don’t imagine that straight off the bat, simply take a look at these enjoyable details. There are some things to notice as a solo traveler, although:
You are extra interesting to criminals finishing up muggings, particularly in the event you’re utilizing your telephone for instructions with no “second pair of eyes”.
There’s no one to fall again on in the event you get spiked or drink an excessive amount of.
There’s no one to observe your issues on the seaside or if you use bogs.
Basically, you ought to be conscious which you can be considered as a little bit of a sitting duck. Don’t develop into bait; be savvy and conscious of what’s round you.
A Note For Female Solo Travelers
Any skilled solo feminine traveler is aware of how staying secure works. When touring to Saint Lucia, commonplace precautions are needed. You needs to be aware of strolling alone in quiet areas or neighborhoods infamous for crime, stay vigilant of your environment always, and restrict your consumption of alcohol. You also needs to at all times keep away from strolling alone at evening.
When touring to Saint Lucia, reserving group excursions and day journeys may be worthwhile, particularly in the event you don’t really feel assured managing public transportation solo. Walking isn’t probably the most environment friendly manner of getting round, leaving you susceptible to isolation. The information on sexual assault stats are slightly regarding, so it pays to be slightly cautious.
If you do your analysis on “bad areas” and stick by the standard solo feminine handbook guidelines, you’ll love this tropical island.
Tips on St Lucia For Families
St Lucia might need a barely spiked crime price, however as an entire, it’s nonetheless nice for a household vacation. This is as a result of there’s a stable infrastructure of family-friendly resorts, and even problematic areas are secure within the daytime. A household with younger kids isn’t going to be out and about at evening anyway. Hence, you’re in a wonderful place to discover Saint Lucia safely.
If you may have accountable and skilled grownup vacationers, you’ll love visiting Saint Lucia as a household. Just be cautious of issues like riptides on the seaside (shallow water can nonetheless be deceptively robust), select the place your resort is positioned fastidiously, and keep away from remoted areas or famend city districts at evening.
It may be value sticking to the north facet of Saint Lucia, the place loads of family-friendly resorts exist.
Visiting St Lucia: FAQs
When planning a safe journey to St Lucia, it’s necessary to think about when you’re going, who you’re going with, and what you’re going to do there. All of those components play an enormous half in how secure your time in Saint Lucia will likely be.
If you’re an skilled traveler, you gained’t have any points navigating Saint Lucia. Here are some fast FAQs to solidify all the security suggestions we’ve run over.
Overall, very secure. Just be cautious of particular areas like Anse Le Raye (identified for armed robberies) and take care at evening and in distant areas, the place there’s a heightened threat of assault and theft.
St Lucia is barely extra harmful than Jamaica, with a spiked murder price of 77.6 p.c versus Jamaica’s 52.9 p.c in 2022.
The climate in Saint Lucia from August to October is fairly horrific. This is if you get probably the most rain, and it’s the height of hurricane season, that means there’s a threat of disruption and a critical threat of flash floods.
Absolutely. Saint Lucia is an excellent place to go to. Its fascinating geographical structure presents numerous actions, like mountaineering and driving into the world’s solely drive-in volcano.
Is St Lucia Safe? Final Thoughts
As you’ll be able to see, Saint Lucia is a rustic with some crime dangers and risks. While there’s a threat of hurricanes and volcanoes, extra extreme occasions are uncommon. Always decide respected lodging, analysis hurricane season, and take commonplace journey precautions, and also you’ll have a unbelievable time. Saint Lucia actually is a gorgeous nation if you go to along with your head firmly screwed on.
That’s all from us; Saint Lucia is one in all our prime suggestions for island holidays within the Caribbean. The rugged volcanic panorama with jutting peaks behind white sand seashores is iconic. And its luxurious lodging scene is equally spectacular. If you’d like additional inspiration on touring to Saint Lucia, take a look at our complete information to the greatest issues to do in Saint Lucia – together with the one drive-in volcano on the earth.