Saint Lucia is on the prime of everybody’s dream listing of Caribbean island getaways. The island is blessed with stunning seashores, fascinating volcanic geography, and spectacular mountain climbing trails. It’s no marvel you’re debating a visit; Saint Lucia is one among our favourite locations, too.
However, these planning phases do beg the query: Is Saint Lucia secure? What do you have to anticipate out of your journey by way of crime and pure catastrophe threat? As a complete, 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 look at security in Saint Lucia. Get able to dive deeply into particular crime charges, pure catastrophe threat, and extra. We may help 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 principle issues it’s best to know concerning the threat of journey in Saint Lucia:
As a complete, Saint Lucia is without doubt one of the most secure island nations to go to within the Caribbean. The main resort areas and most neighborhoods are extremely secure, with thousands and thousands of holiday makers 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 probability 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 ample 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 severe 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 legislation. The most important factor to notice could 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 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.
Speaking of issues which might be enforceable by legislation, you want a short lived driving license to lease a automotive in Saint Lucia. Some rent corporations can get hold of this go for you, however it’s sensible to ask prematurely; in any other case, you’ll must consider an in-person go to to the official Department of Tourism. Quick aspect word: by no means cease for pedestrians flagging down your car, and all the time maintain your doorways locked whereas driving.
St Lucia Crime Rates
Unfortunately, there’s truly been a spike in Saint Lucia’s crime charges up 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 protection rating falls by half whenever you stroll throughout the day versus strolling at night time. that being mentioned, we felt extremely secure once we had been visiting the island.
As a common rule, its remoted areas appeal to 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 (satirically named) Serenity Park and Vieux Fort. This is typical amongst large cities, and we’d advise you to maintain your wits about you. It’s clever to take a look at the precise crime hotspots of specific locations in Saint Lucia that you simply’re visiting.
As all the time, take further care or just keep away from touring after darkish. Solo night time walks on seashores and drunken rides in taxis with no pre-agreed fare are all recipes for catastrophe. Similarly, take further care within the daytime when main occasions just like the Saint Lucia Carnival are going down.
Keep jewellery and costly objects at residence or well-concealed when in Saint Lucia. Despite precise occasions of focused vacationers being low on this stunning nation, 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 combat in your belongings.
Police Force Presence
As a complete, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is an efficient system on the island. It is a little bit short-staffed and underfunded, with occasional accusations of corruption within the type of bribes. However, the police drive receives help from the US in its operations and does job of dealing with justice on the island. You can contact the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force on 911 and know that they’re the very best level of contact in a harmful state of affairs.
However, we advocate reviewing the foundations and cultural variations in Saint Lucia earlier than touring. These are the next legal guidelines it’s best to know:
You should carry a short lived Saint Lucia license if renting and driving a automotive 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 at present not authorized, and displaying affection in public is doubtlessly harmful.
The police are efficient in Saint Lucia, so don’t get on the flawed aspect of them both! This is especially true in case you’re driving moderately than utilizing public transportation.
Natural Disasters in St Lucia
Saint Lucia isn’t proof against pure disasters, though there’s normally minimal disruption or extreme occasions. Generally talking, these are the three most important dangers:
Volcanic exercise
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Volcanic exercise and earthquakes are uncommon and fairly onerous to foretell. However, 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 actually harmful hurricanes in Saint Lucia. Still, flash flooding, journey disruption, and harm are an actual threat. In an excellent world, it’s best to keep away from this era, particularly from August till October, when hurricanes are at a peak.
If that isn’t attainable, although, ensure to take a look at our subsequent part.
Hurricanes in St Lucia
So, in case you are useless set on holidaying in Saint Lucia between June and November, right here’s what it’s essential 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 severe menace.
Here’s the rating system you possibly can anticipate:
Category 1: Winds of 74-95 mph are harmful and might trigger harm, similar to harm to powerlines that would trigger outages.
Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph which might be very harmful and can trigger harm, 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 harm and a few areas to be uninhabitable for a lot of months. There could also be harm to some homes.
Category 5: Winds of 157 mph that may trigger catastrophic harm, 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 possibly can take some easy steps to maximise your possibilities 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 have 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 all the time a useful card to have up your sleeve!
Here are some further 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 option to contact the police or an ambulance and navigate to locations like hospitals (it’s best to have already got realized the place they’re as a precautionary measure). Carrying or preserving an influence financial institution charged is an effective 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 whenever you arrive or whenever you get your reserving affirmation, then ask. Make certain that you know the way folks 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 simply’ll have WiFi to remain secure.
Staying Safe on St Lucia Beaches
You can by no means be too cautious in relation to the ocean. There’s all the time a slight threat, and the ocean could be harmful. When staying secure on St Lucia’s seashores, a very powerful 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 japanese shoreline additionally opens out onto the Atlantic Ocean. This means waves can get severely uneven, particularly in hurricane season when winds decide up typically.
Not having restricted areas means you could use your frequent sense when deciding the place to swim. And in case you’re uncertain, ask your resort for recommendation or go to a extra protected seaside, like one of many non-public resort seashores with a 24/7 lifeguard.
Need some inspiration? Check out the very 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 might massively influence your journey. Knowing your vacation spot inside out is the actual method ahead.
St Lucia has two most important 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 take 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 if you’d like clear skies for sightseeing and loads of hikes and seaside days.
Summer
St Lucia shouldn’t be 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 very best ranges of humidity, with common onerous spells of downpours. That mentioned, costs are decrease, and sights are quieter.
If you are feeling like an low season vacation, it’s nonetheless worthwhile. You can restrict the danger of being impacted by a hurricane with ample 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 solely falls into the class of “hurricane risk”. We wouldn’t actually advocate this time of yr. Even if there aren’t any hurricanes, it falls clearly into the moist season (which runs from June to December), so that you’re a number of wet days.
Winter
December to February is when issues begin to change in St Lucia. You can wave goodbye to the hurricane threat and hey 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 might positively have enjoyable reserving to go to St Lucia in winter; simply goal 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 price noting that credit score and debit playing cards are solely accepted at some outlets, in native taxis, and in some motels. To keep away from this, we’d counsel all the time carrying {dollars} as unfastened money. This method, you don’t have to attract out cash anyplace 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 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 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. Smart Accommodation
It’s price 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 possibly can stroll hassle-free to the principle sights and facilities.
3. Registered Taxis
We shouldn’t have to emphasise this, however it’s so essential that we add it to this listing anyway. Only ever use registered taxis, that are marked by a light-weight blue quantity plate. Frankly talking, in case 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 secure touring apply, so don’t take the danger.
4. Know Your Weather
The vital threat of this stunning 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 preserving your self secure.
5. Know the Local Laws
Much of staying secure is simply being avenue savvy. But in case you determine to go to St Lucia, you also needs to know the native legal guidelines, which require some analysis. You ought to be aware of the restrictions round drug use, the foundations for renting automobiles, and the conservative attitudes in direction of LGBTQ+ relationships. This method, you possibly can maintain the police in your aspect.
Tips on St Lucia For Solo Travelers
Saint Lucia is such a captivating vacation spot. And in case you don’t consider that straight off the bat, simply take a look at these enjoyable info. There are some things to notice as a solo traveler, although:
You are extra interesting to criminals finishing up muggings, particularly in case you’re utilizing your telephone for instructions with no “second pair of eyes”.
There’s no person to fall again on in case you get spiked or drink an excessive amount of.
There’s no person to look at your issues on the seaside or whenever you use bogs.
Basically, you have to be conscious you can be seen as a little bit of a sitting duck. Don’t turn out to be 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 obligatory. You ought 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 all the time keep away from strolling alone at night time.
When touring to Saint Lucia, reserving group excursions and day journeys may be worthwhile, particularly in case you don’t really feel assured managing public transportation solo. Walking isn’t probably the most environment friendly method of getting round, leaving you susceptible to isolation. The knowledge on sexual assault stats are a little bit regarding, so it pays to be a little bit 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 charge, however as a complete, it’s nonetheless nice for a household vacation. This is as a result of there’s a strong infrastructure of family-friendly resorts, and even problematic areas are secure within the daytime. A household with younger youngsters isn’t going to be out and about at night time anyway. Hence, you’re in a wonderful place to discover Saint Lucia safely.
If you will 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 rigorously, and keep away from remoted areas or famend city districts at night time.
It may be price 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 essential to consider 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 secure your time in Saint Lucia will likely be.
If you’re an skilled traveler, you received’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 (recognized for armed robberies) and take care at night time 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 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. This is whenever you get probably the most rain, and it’s the height of hurricane season, that means there’s a threat of disruption and a severe threat of flash floods.
Absolutely. Saint Lucia is a superb place to go to. Its fascinating geographical format gives a number of actions, like mountain climbing and driving into the world’s solely drive-in volcano.
Is St Lucia Safe? Final Thoughts
As you possibly can 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 implausible time. Saint Lucia actually is a wonderful nation whenever you go to along with your head firmly screwed on.
That’s all from us; Saint Lucia is one among 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 this planet.