Saint Lucia is on the high of everybody’s dream record of Caribbean island getaways. The island is blessed with stunning seashores, fascinating volcanic geography, and spectacular mountaineering trails. It’s no marvel you’re debating a visit; Saint Lucia is certainly one of our favourite locations, too.
Nevertheless, these planning phases do beg the query: Is Saint Lucia protected? What do you have to count on out of your journey by way of crime and pure catastrophe danger? As a complete, we’d inform you to train regular precautions, however that’s straightforward sufficient to say. What precisely are “regular” precautions anyway?
On this information, we’ll study security in Saint Lucia. Get able to dive deeply into particular crime charges, pure catastrophe danger, and extra. We might help make Saint Lucia one of many most secure locations you possibly can presumably go to.
Is St Lucia Secure?
We all know that not everybody has the posh of limitless time to analysis Saint Lucia. If you need fast solutions, don’t fear; we’ve obtained you.
Listed below are the primary issues you need to know in regards to the danger of journey in Saint Lucia:
As a complete, Saint Lucia is likely one of the most secure island nations to go to within the Caribbean. The key resort areas and most neighborhoods are extremely protected, with tens of millions of holiday makers touring to Saint Lucia hassle-free every year.
There are some pure risks in Saint Lucia, together with a hurricane danger from June till November. The island additionally has the danger of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The prospect of a extreme catastrophe occurring is low however can’t be dominated out. It’s smart to know the right protocols earlier than touring, have ample insurance coverage, and keep away from high-risk instances, like August till October for hurricane danger.
There are crime incidents in Saint Lucia, particularly at massive occasions just like the Saint Lucia Carnival. Be cautious of petty crimes like bag snatching and pickpocketing in heavy crowds. Nevertheless, additionally bear in mind that there’s a critical crime danger, 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 legislation. The primary factor to notice could be very conservative attitudes to LGBTQ+ relations throughout the nation. Whereas 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 word that drug offenses carry extreme penalties, typically together with the demise penalty. It’s additionally unlawful for anybody to put on camouflage clothes, a rule not even youngsters are exempt from.
Talking of issues which might be enforceable by legislation, you want a brief driving license to lease a automotive in Saint Lucia. Some rent corporations can get hold of this move for you, nevertheless it’s good to ask upfront; in any other case, you’ll need to think about an in-person go to to the official Division of Tourism. Fast aspect word: by no means cease for pedestrians flagging down your automobile, and at all times maintain your doorways locked whereas driving.
St Lucia Crime Charges
Sadly, there’s really been a spike in Saint Lucia’s crime charges previously three years, just lately 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 danger, and the protection rating falls by half if you stroll in the course of the day versus strolling at evening. that being stated, we felt extremely protected after we had been visiting the island.
As a basic rule, its remoted areas appeal to opportunistic assaults and theft. Within the capital of Castries, there’s a extra clockwork sample of normal crime, like medication and armed theft, in locations just like the (paradoxically named) Serenity Park and Vieux Fort. That is typical amongst massive cities, and we’d advise you to maintain your wits about you. It’s smart to take a look at the precise crime hotspots of specific locations in Saint Lucia that you simply’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 and not using a pre-agreed fare are all recipes for catastrophe. Equally, take additional care within the daytime when main occasions just like the Saint Lucia Carnival are going down.
Preserve jewellery and costly objects at dwelling or well-concealed when in Saint Lucia. Regardless of precise occasions of focused vacationers being low on this stunning nation, a very good rule when touring wherever is “convey it when you’re ready to lose it”. Within the case of a mugging, by no means attempt to combat on your belongings.
Police Drive Presence
As a complete, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Drive is an efficient system on the island. It’s a little short-staffed and underfunded, with occasional accusations of corruption within the type of bribes. Nevertheless, the police drive receives assist from the US in its operations and does a very good job of dealing with justice on the island. You possibly can contact the Royal Saint Lucia Police Drive on 911 and know that they’re one of the best level of contact in a harmful scenario.
Nevertheless, we advocate reviewing the foundations and cultural variations in Saint Lucia earlier than touring. These are the next legal guidelines you need to know:
You have to carry a brief Saint Lucia license if renting and driving a automotive on the island.
Medicine, 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 probably harmful.
The police are efficient in Saint Lucia, so don’t get on the flawed aspect of them both! That is significantly true when you’re driving somewhat than utilizing public transportation.
Pure Disasters in St Lucia
Saint Lucia isn’t proof against pure disasters, though there’s often minimal disruption or extreme occasions. Usually talking, these are the three principal dangers:
Volcanic exercise
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Volcanic exercise and earthquakes are uncommon and fairly exhausting to foretell. Nevertheless, you possibly can 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 hardly ever really harmful hurricanes in Saint Lucia. Nonetheless, flash flooding, journey disruption, and injury are an actual danger. 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 certain that to take a look at our subsequent part.
Hurricanes in St Lucia
So, if you’re useless set on holidaying in Saint Lucia between June and November, right here’s what you have 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.
Right here’s the rating system you possibly can count on:
Class 1: Winds of 74-95 mph are harmful and might trigger injury, resembling injury to powerlines that would trigger outages.
Class 2: Winds of 96-110 mph which might be very harmful and can trigger injury, like all powerlines destroyed and energy out for weeks.
Class 3: Winds of 112-129 mph that trigger devastating affect with electrical energy and water entry broken for weeks.
Class 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.
Class 5: Winds of 157 mph that may trigger catastrophic injury, with most areas uninhabitable for a lot of months. A excessive proportion of homes might be destroyed with collapsed roofs and partitions.
Staying Secure in St Lucia Hurricanes
So, how do you keep protected on this state of affairs? Effectively, you possibly can take some easy steps to maximise your probabilities of security in Saint Lucia’s hurricane season. On this part, we’ll provide the high three.
Almost all hurricanes impacting Saint Lucia are in class 1 or 2, so that you shouldn’t expertise probably the most extreme finish of the dimensions. However try 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 sudden prices and to be versatile along with your itinerary. Cancellation insurance coverage is at all times a useful card to have up your sleeve!
Listed below 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 method 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 preserving an influence financial institution charged is a good way to guard your self in case of an outage.
2. Know Your Resort or Lodging’s Emergency Insurance policies
Does your lodge or lodging have a selected procedures plan? In the event that they don’t inform you if you arrive or if you get your reserving affirmation, then ask. Just be sure you know the way individuals round you’ll act if there’s a hurricane and if there are any accommodation-specific methods to remain protected.
3. Consider Having No WiFi
This may occasionally sound apparent, however there’s no WiFi if there’s no energy. This implies you’ll lose entry to issues like Google Maps, your banking app, and even simply contact with family and friends again dwelling. Having a backup plan, like offline maps or the flexibility to only textual content your ISP to improve to a roaming package deal, is significant. It’s best to by no means assume that you simply’ll have WiFi to remain protected.
Staying Secure on St Lucia Seashores
You possibly can by no means be too cautious in the case of the ocean. There’s at all times a slight danger, and the ocean could be harmful. When staying protected on St Lucia’s seashores, an important factor to know is that the island doesn’t use warning flags. This implies 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 implies waves can get critically uneven, particularly in hurricane season when winds choose up typically.
Not having restricted areas means you could use your frequent sense when deciding the place to swim. And when you’re uncertain, ask your lodge for recommendation or go to a extra protected seashore, like one of many non-public resort seashores with a 24/7 lifeguard.
Want some inspiration? Take a look at one of the best seashores right here.
Climate in St Lucia
Figuring out the climate of your vacation spot earlier than departure can actually be a lifesaver. If you happen to go to St Lucia in July, you’ll know that it’s hurricane season with a excessive storm danger. Climate issues, as it might probably vastly affect your journey. Figuring out your vacation spot inside out is the true approach ahead.
St Lucia has two principal seasons: the moist season from June till December and the dry season from December till late Could. Temperatures are additionally fixed at 78-83 levels Fahrenheit. However we’ll take a better have a look at the seasonal variation month by month.
Spring
That 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 Could beginning to see just a bit extra rain. It’s best to go to throughout this time in order for you clear skies for sightseeing and loads of hikes and seashore days.
Summer season
St Lucia isn’t everyone’s cup of tea in summer season, and it’s proper in the course of the June to November hurricane season. July and August have the best ranges of humidity, with common exhausting spells of downpours. That stated, costs are decrease, and points of interest are quieter.
If you happen to really feel like an low season vacation, it’s nonetheless worthwhile. You possibly can restrict the danger of being impacted by a hurricane with ample analysis beforehand and cancellation insurance coverage. Simply 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 solely falls into the class of “hurricane danger”. We wouldn’t actually advocate this time of 12 months. Even when there are not any hurricanes, it falls clearly into the moist season (which runs from June to December), so that you’re a lot of wet days.
Winter
December to February is when issues begin to change in St Lucia. You possibly can wave goodbye to the hurricane danger and hey to the transition from moist to dry season. December is prone to nonetheless expertise loads of moist days (a median of 16), however January drops (a median of 14 moist days), and February drops even additional (simply 9). You can undoubtedly have enjoyable reserving to go to St Lucia in winter; simply intention for that later window.
5 Ideas To Keep Secure in St Lucia
Staying protected in St Lucia is completely manageable. It’s only a case of doing analysis and taking primary precautions. It’s a protected vacation spot; it simply requires a little bit of pre-departure prep and in-country savviness.
Right here’s our recommendation on the highest 5 methods to remain protected when touring to St Lucia.
1. A Be aware on Money
It’s value noting that credit score and debit playing cards are solely accepted at some retailers, in native taxis, and in some resorts. To keep away from this, we’d counsel at all times carrying {dollars} as free money. This manner, you don’t have to attract out cash wherever harmful or get into altercations unintentionally.
Carrying a pockets of money can be useful when managing the danger of a harmful mugging assault. So many individuals hail the usage of a dummy pockets trick, which simply entails carrying a pretend pockets with fewer {dollars} or non-valuable playing cards in it. Within the occasion of a mugging, you possibly can hand over that pockets as an alternative of your actual one – sensible, proper? You may as effectively use this money to double up as a dummy pockets when touring to St Lucia.
2. Good Lodging
It’s value reiterating that the place you might be situated issues. Be sure to’re a protected 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 sport changer concerning security. You’ll thank your self later when you possibly can stroll hassle-free to the primary points of interest and facilities.
3. Registered Taxis
We shouldn’t have to emphasise this, nevertheless it’s so necessary that we add it to this record anyway. Solely ever use registered taxis, that are marked by a light-weight blue quantity plate. Frankly talking, when you get into an unregistered taxi, no person is aware of who you’re with or the place you’ll find yourself. It isn’t a protected touring apply, so don’t take the danger.
4. Know Your Climate
The numerous danger of this stunning island is the climate. So do your analysis and know the climate danger of the month you’re visiting. This little bit of preparation could make all of the distinction. If you happen to sense there’s “one thing within the air,” you’ll be taking the lead in preserving your self protected.
5. Know the Native Legal guidelines
A lot of staying protected is simply being road savvy. However when you determine to go to St Lucia, you also needs to know the native legal guidelines, which require some analysis. You have to be aware of the restrictions round drug use, the foundations for renting vehicles, and the conservative attitudes in direction of LGBTQ+ relationships. This manner, you possibly can maintain the police in your aspect.
Tips about St Lucia For Solo Vacationers
Saint Lucia is such an enchanting vacation spot. And when you don’t consider that straight off the bat, simply take a look at these enjoyable information. There are some things to notice as a solo traveler, although:
You’re extra interesting to criminals finishing up muggings, particularly when you’re utilizing your telephone for instructions with no “second pair of eyes”.
There’s no person to fall again on when you get spiked or drink an excessive amount of.
There’s no person to look at your issues on the seashore or if you use loos.
Principally, try to be conscious you could be seen as a little bit of a sitting duck. Don’t develop into bait; be savvy and conscious of what’s round you.
A Be aware For Feminine Solo Vacationers
Any skilled solo feminine traveler is aware of how staying protected works. When touring to Saint Lucia, commonplace precautions are obligatory. You have 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 is likely to be worthwhile, particularly when you don’t really feel assured managing public transportation solo. Strolling isn’t probably the most environment friendly approach of getting round, leaving you susceptible to isolation. The info on sexual assault stats are a little bit regarding, so it pays to be a little bit cautious.
If you happen to do your analysis on “unhealthy areas” and stick by the same old solo feminine handbook guidelines, you’ll love this tropical island.
Tips about St Lucia For Households
St Lucia might need a barely spiked crime charge, however as a complete, it’s nonetheless nice for a household vacation. It’s because there’s a stable infrastructure of family-friendly resorts, and even problematic areas are protected within the daytime. A household with younger youngsters isn’t going to be out and about at evening anyway. Therefore, you might be in a superb place to discover Saint Lucia safely.
In case you have accountable and skilled grownup vacationers, you’ll love visiting Saint Lucia as a household. Simply be cautious of issues like riptides on the seashore (shallow water can nonetheless be deceptively sturdy), select the place your lodge is situated rigorously, and keep away from remoted areas or famend city districts at evening.
It is likely to be value sticking to the north aspect 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 elements play an enormous half in how protected your time in Saint Lucia might be.
If you happen to’re an skilled traveler, you gained’t have any points navigating Saint Lucia. Listed below are some fast FAQs to solidify all the security ideas we’ve run over.
General, very protected. Simply be cautious of particular areas like Anse Le Raye (recognized for armed robberies) and take care at evening and in distant areas, the place there’s a heightened danger of assault and theft.
St Lucia is barely extra harmful than Jamaica, with a spiked murder charge 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. That is if you get probably the most rain, and it’s the height of hurricane season, that means there’s a danger of disruption and a critical danger of flash floods.
Completely. Saint Lucia is an excellent place to go to. Its fascinating geographical structure presents a lot of actions, like mountaineering and driving into the world’s solely drive-in volcano.
Is St Lucia Secure? Last Ideas
As you possibly can see, Saint Lucia is a rustic with some crime dangers and risks. Whereas there’s a danger of hurricanes and volcanoes, extra extreme occasions are uncommon. All the time choose respected lodging, analysis hurricane season, and take commonplace journey precautions, and also you’ll have a implausible time. Saint Lucia actually is a wonderful nation if you go to along with your head firmly screwed on.
That’s all from us; Saint Lucia is certainly one of our high 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 happen to’d like additional inspiration on touring to Saint Lucia, take a look at our complete information to the finest issues to do in Saint Lucia – together with the one drive-in volcano on this planet.