Over 300 cruise ships dock in St Lucia every year, and from our experience, many passengers end up doing the same activities and excursions, meaning the most famous spots can feel very crowded. With just one day in port, knowing what to prioritise makes a huge difference to your experience on the island. The Pitons, waterfalls, mud baths, rainforest tours, beaches and boat trips are all tempting, but you simply can’t do everything in a single cruise stop, and do you want to follow the crowds or plan your day more strategically?
We’ve visited St Lucia multiple times, so this guide breaks down the best things to do in St Lucia on a cruise stop, how far each option is from Castries cruise port, how much they cost in 2026, and which ones are actually worth your limited time. Whether you’re deciding between an adventure excursion, a private driver, or a relaxed beach day, we’re also giving you a look at some hidden gem alternatives, so you can experience the real St Lucia – without spending your entire day in a tour bus queue.
1. Explore Castries (best if you want to stay close to the ship)
Most cruise ships dock at Pointe Seraphine or La Place Carenage, both within walking distance of Castries, the capital of St Lucia. Located towards the north of the island, on the west coast, it’s as you’d expect most Caribbean cities to be – busy, lots of hustle and bustle with local vendors, lots of traffic(!), and plenty of history too.
If you don’t want to venture far from the ship, wandering around Castries for a couple of hours to get some steps in and experience local life is one of our recommended things to do near St Lucia cruise port.
The two main attractions in Castries are The Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (an incredibly impressive cathedral) and the Castries Central Market and Vendors Arcade. We experienced the market on a Saturday, when it’s apparently at it’s busiest, and what we’d heard wasn’t wrong. There were local people everywhere, buying fresh produce and spices and selling coconuts. It was such a good vibe and an amazing way to see a side of St Lucian life you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere on the island.
There are a few other things you should check out that are close to Castries, but probably aren’t within walking distance – we’d recommend taking a taxi instead:
- Castries Viewpoint: A lookout at the top of an incredibly steep hill that has incredible views of the city and up towards the northern part of the island
- Meadows Battery and Married Women’s Quarters: Built in 1898 by the British, this derelict battery and living quarters overlooks St Lucia’s small airport and offers views across to Castries. It’s such a cool spot and amazing for photography.
- Tapion Shoal: This is a tiny little island that you can see from Meadows Battery. To get here, you’ll have to cross the ocean (at about ankle height depending on the tide time), but it’s a beautifully quiet spot with no one else around.
What does it cost to explore Castries while on a cruise?
🩴 Walking around town: Free
🥃 Local food or rum tour: $200 USD for 4-6 hours. Reserve your spot for the St Lucia Food and Rum Tour.
2. Head to Soufriere (Pitons, mud baths & waterfalls – our fave area!)
Soufriere, and the entire southwest of the island is the main reason most people visit St Lucia, including us! That means most people looking for things to do in St Lucia on a cruise are really hunting down the nature and adventure in this part of the island.
This area of the island is famous for the Pitons, waterfalls, sulphur springs, mud baths, mountains, rainforests, cocoa plantations, and well, probably some of the most stunning scenery we have ever encountered in the Caribbean. There’s so much to do and see, we were inspired to write our full guide to Soufriere covering all the best spots.
But, Soufriere is also the biggest commitment from a cruise ship.
How far is Soufriere from Castries cruise port? Plan 2.5 – 4 hours total travel time!
By road, Soufriere is around 1 hour 15 minutes drive away from Castries cruise port, and it can be longer if there’s traffic or more than one ship in port. So plan that time into your schedule to make sure you get back to the cruise ship in time. The drive is super beautiful but steep, winding and narrow in places, so if you get travel or car sick, that’s worth factoring in and taking some tablets before setting off!
Visiting Soufriere – What does it cost in 2026?
🚘 Private driver for the day: $130 per person
🛥️ Land and sea tour (includes snorkelling and Pitons): $115 USD per person
🛁 Sulphur Springs Mud Baths & Waterfalls Tour: $135 USD
Obviously, prices will vary slightly depending on the tour guide and what’s included, but this gives you a realistic range.
4 places we love in Soufriere to help you plan your day:
1. The Pitons
You won’t have time to climb a Piton, but you can get some STUNNING views from different spots across Soufriere. For the best up-close views, we recommend visiting Tet Paul Nature Trail. This is a very short hike that offers incredible views of the Pitons and surrounding areas. It took us around 20-25 minutes to do the entire loop, with stops for photos.
⛰️ See what’s included in the tour here.
2. Sulphur Springs Mud Baths and Drive-in Volcano
One of the things people look forward to most is visiting the sulphur mud baths at the ‘drive-in’ volcano. It’s one of the most popular things to do in St Lucia on a cruise! When we visited, there were several, huge cruise ship groups/tours huddled together, which looked cramped and unenjoyable, to be honest, when the experience is supposed to be fun and relaxing! That’s why we recommend a private tour, as it will be a much more enjoyable experience.
Side note: the sulphur mud baths are not nice on the nostrils or your clothes. The sulphur doesn’t smell great and it will stain your swimwear and leave it with a smell that is almost impossible to get out. We’ve been to several sulphur springs in the Caribbean, and our best tip is to wear swimwear you don’t mind putting in the bin afterwards!!!
🌋 Our pick for this experience: Sulphur Springs Tour! You also get a stop at Toraille waterfall, which is one of the best on the island as can stand right under it, get drenched and cool off properly after the baths.
3. New Jerusalem Mineral Baths
One of our favourite hidden gems we found in St Lucia was New Jerusalem Mineral Baths. Tucked away deep in the rainforest, this place is usually only visited by locals and the occasional tourist. Here, there is a collection of manmade pools, built into the rockface, and filled with completely natural mineral water. Each of the pools has a different temperature, and there is nothing more relaxing and rejuvenating than floating in these pools under the rainforest canopy.
If you want to avoid the crowds at popular places like Diamond Waterfall, Toraille Waterfall and the Sulphur Springs, then you have to put New Jerusalem Mineral Baths on your things to do in St Lucia on a cruise.
4. Our favourite waterfalls around Soufriere
Some of the Caribbean islands you visit on a cruise don’t have any waterfalls, but St Lucia is blessed to have a few beautiful small waterfalls that we have broken down in our full guide, with many of them either on the way to or around Soufriere.
Waterfalls you should consider stopping at are:
Anse La Raye Falls: A little off the beaten path, Anse La Raye Falls was definitely one of our favourites. The quaint and colourful fishing village of Anse La Raye is about halfway down the west coast (you’ll pass through on the way to Soufriere). It’s a little inland from the town, but it’s easy to get to and not many people visit here. If you have time, we’d definitely recommend a stop.
💦 See details for the Anse La Raye waterfall and village excursion.
Toraille Waterfall: This is one of the most popular waterfalls in the Soufriere. Most organised tours will stop here, so it can get a little busy. Our top pick for tour is the Sulphur Springs Tour as it ties in Toraille Waterfall with the mud baths. The waterfall itself is relatively small and falls into a relatively shallow pool (it’s knee height for most), but we were surprised at how cold it is! It’s a pretty spot, but you’ll enjoy it more if it’s quiet.
Piton Falls: Despite its name, this waterfall is not on either of the Pitons. But it is close to them. The waterfall here isn’t really that impressive, what makes this place special is the man-made pools the waterfall feeds into. It’s a great spot for swimming and relaxing in the rainforest.
Sapphire Falls & Jungle Spa: We were the only people at this waterfall and it is literally at the entrance to the drive-in volcano! If you want to avoid the crowds at the sulphur springs and drive-in volcano, then you should stop at Sapphire Falls and Jungle Spa instead. It’s a bit of a trek to get down there, but 100% worth it. Here, you’ll find a Sulphur Bath and an actual waterfall too.
Diamond Falls & Botanical Gardens: This is another popular stop for people looking for the best things to do in St Lucia on a cruise – it was so busy when we visited! We’ve put it last on our list because the mineral baths are better at New Jerusalem and you can’t get in the waterfall here, which we were disappointed by. The botanical gardens are beautiful and the rainbow-coloured waterfall is pretty, but we’d definitely suggest going elsewhere for a better experience (unless you love botanical gardens).
3. Spend the day on a St Lucia beach (easiest option on a cruise)
Even though the island isn’t incredibly famous for its beaches, there are still plenty of beautiful beaches in St Lucia. You’ll find a mixture of white sand, golden sand and black sand beaches because the coastline is so varied and St Lucia is volcanic. If you don’t want to spend half your port day in a taxi or on a winding mountain road, a beach day is the simplest way to enjoy St Lucia cruise port things to do.
How far are the beaches from the cruise port?
- Vigie Beach: 5-10 minutes by taxi / 25 minute walk
- Reduit Beach (Rodney Bay): 20-25 minutes by taxi
- Sugar Beach (near Soufriere): 1.5+ hours by road
To have a relaxing day on the beach, where you can have a swim and find a few local bars, we’d recommend Vigie Beach. It is the closest beach to the cruise terminal in St Lucia. It’s not the most commercialised beach, so you’ll likely be there with locals and the few other people getting off the ship who want to go to the beach.
If you want a more tourist-esque experience, then jump in a taxi and head to Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay. Rodney Bay is the main tourist town in St Lucia, with a lot of resorts, hotels and restaurants in the area. The beach is a bit busier, with more bars lining the shore. There is also an obstacle course in the water and water sports rentals to keep everyone entertained.
What does a beach day in St Lucia cost in 2026?
🚖 Taxi to Vigie Beach: $5-10 USD each way
🚖 Taxi to Reduit Beach: $30 USD each way
⛱️ Sunlounger rental: $10 USD seems to be the going rate in 2026
🍹 Drinks: $5-12 USD
All of the beaches in St Lucia are free to access, but you will have to pay for chairs and umbrellas on most of them.
4. Build your own private island tour (flexible & cruise friendly)
If you want to see a lot without feeling rushed, hiring a private driver for the day and going on a private island tour is one of the most popular cruise options in St Lucia. Instead of joining a large bus tour (which, from our experience, means squeezing into the back of a people carrier with lots of other people when you’re sweaty and feeling gross), you’ll travel in a smaller vehicle and choose exactly what you want to prioritise. Obviously, a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience!
We know that for cruise passengers, flexibility is the biggest advantage. You can adjust the itinerary depending on traffic, weather, where you want to go, or how long you want to spend at each stop.
In peak season, we’d highly recommend booking your driver in advance instead of waiting until you’re in port. Often, you’ll find the top-rated tour guides/drivers are booked out. Also, if you can, build a plan of what things you’d most like to do in St Lucia. Often, the private and group tours all visit the same places (like they do on most islands), but there is so much to do here, you’ll have a better time ticking off specifically the places that you’re interested in, not standing in lines and sitting in traffic.
What does a private driver in St Lucia cost in 2026?
🚗 Full day private and customisable tour: $130 per person.
5. Explore the North & Northeast (less tourist crowds)
While most people head south looking for the best things to do in St Lucia from a cruise ship, you could head to the rugged northeast. This part of the island really surprised us as it’s completely different to the rest of the island! It’s mostly barren and untouched, so it’s great for hiking, ATV excursions and horse riding on the beach or through trails.
If you want to get off the cruise ship and spend your day in nature, doing something a bit different to what you’d usually do, then you’ll find that in the northeast.
One of the really cool things you can do up here is horseback riding on the beach and trails. We fell in love with the beach this takes place on – Cas en Bas Beach – although it’s on the Atlantic coast, this crescent-shaped bay was lovely for swimming and the only other people around were those riding horses and a few locals enjoying a drink at a shack bar!
Other things to do up in the northwest is the Pigeon Island Tour (a National Park with old forts, ruins and a busy beach on a jut of land connected to the mainland by a causeway).
What does it cost in 2026?
🚖 Taxi to Rodney Bay / Pigeon Island: $30-40 USD each way for Rodney Bay, $40-45 for Pigeon Island
🪧 Entry to Pigeon Island National Landmark: $10 USD per person
⛱️ Beach chairs (if renting): $10 USD seems to be the going rate in 2026
6. Sample local food and rum at the best food stops near St Lucia cruise port
The history of St Lucia is a melting pot of cultures including, African, French, British, Carib and Indian – to name a few. That cultural diversity has spilt over into the food and drink, making for some seriously tasty experiences. When your ship has stopped in port for the day, we highly recommend sampling local food and rum to anyone visiting St Lucia on a cruise.
We found this food and rum tour which stops at some places no tourists will ever find. The best way to get to know a place is to go where the locals go and do as the locals do – in this case, drink rum and eat local food.
Also, on this tour, you’ll get to experience the incredible journey from the cruise terminal to Soufriere, but you’ll do it better than everyone else, because you’ll get to stop in a few of the beautiful fishing villages along the way, including Marigot Bay, Canaries, Roseau Beach and Anse La Raye.
Cost of St Lucia food and rum tour
🥃 Local food or rum tour: $200 USD for 4-6 hours. Reserve your spot for the St Lucia Food and Rum Tour.
7. Sail between beaches and colourful fishing villages down the west coast (the best way to see the Pitons if you don’t want a 1-2 hour drive)
You might think getting off a ship and onto a boat might be a strange thing to do, but we promise it’s one of the best things to do in St Lucia on a cruise. So, we told you about the trip to Soufriere in a car being long (it’s not great for someone who might get car sick). Well, you can do the same trip on a sailboat, catamaran or power boat!
There are plenty of excursions that offer different routes and activities, but they tend to all make their way down to Soufriere, where you’ll head back on land and visit places like Diamond Falls, Toraille Waterfall and the Sulphur Springs.
Also, you get a unique view of the incredible landscapes of St Lucia from the water, and you can even stop off at some beautiful beaches and do some snorkelling too.
Below, we’ve given you a list of the best boat tours to do in St Lucia from cruise ship, with prices:
| Excursion Type | Duration | Includes | Cost |
| Powerboat Tour | Half day | Mud baths, beach, waterfall | $115 pp |
| Catamaran Cruise | Full day | Drinks, snorkelling, waterfall | $150 pp |
| Sunset Sail | 2 hours | Drinks & snacks | $75 pp |
| Private luxury catamaran | Full day | Hors d’oeuvres & unlimited drinks | $2000 per group (up to 8) |
8. Learn all about cacao and make chocolate at Project Chocolat (Hotel Chocolat)
One of the most memorable activities we did while on the island was visiting Project Chocolat. This is another of the things to do in St Lucia on a cruise that is near Soufriere. We’ve given it its own section in this article, rather than putting it in the Soufriere section because we loved it so much.
You have two options here, you can do a Bean to Bar experience, which is learning a bit about cocoa followed by making your own chocolate bar by hand. We did this Tree to Bar experience, which teaches you about the entire cacao growing and harvesting process, including planting a cacao tree. This experience also includes lunch – one of the best meals we had on the island to be honest. At Project Chocolat, there is a street food-style food court, with every dish featuring some form of chocolate! Dishes such as white chocolate mash and chicken roti in a chocolate-infused wrap.
This is such a memorable experience, and we can highly recommend it!
What does this cost in 2026?
🫘 Bean to Bar experience: $70 USD per person
🌳 Tree to Bar experience: $125 USD per person (includes lunch)
9. Rent a car and explore independently (if you’re a confident driver)
In our opinion (as people who have ‘been there, done that’ when it comes to renting vehicles to explore Caribbean islands), there is no better way to see St Lucia than renting a car. It gives you the freedom to tick off as many or as few of the places on this list as possible. For us, it’s probably one of the best things to do in St Lucia while on a cruise because, instead of visiting the usual tourist hotspots, you can get to off the beaten path and see spots no one else on your ship will.
However, driving in St Lucia can be a bit precarious. The roads are steep, winding and hidden potholes are common. If you think you’ll be put off by switchbacks high on mountain roads, then it might not be for you.
If it’s your first time driving on a Caribbean island, you should expect the journey to take a little longer than your map suggests. And don’t cut it fine with making it back to the cruise ship – plan a drop off time to avoid any headaches.
Honestly, we think people make a big deal of the difficulty of driving in St Lucia and on other tiny islands. Yes, it’s not going to be what you’re used to back home, but that’s all part of the adventure!
🚘 We’d suggest using DiscoverCars to find the best rental car prices in St Lucia. It’s what we use in most destinations, you can easily compare different rental companies, costs and add insurance coverage too.
💡 Tip: Save this list and come back to it when planning your St Lucia trip – everything we’ve mentioned is our personal review and opinion, and linked for easy booking.
FAQs: Things to do in St Lucia on from cruise ship in 2026
How far is Castries from the cruise terminal?
Castries is a 5 minute drive or 15-20 minute walk from Pointe Seraphine Cruise Port. The walk is very picturesque around the harbour, so if you’re able to, and it’s not too hot, we’d recommend walking.
Is Castries a walkable city?
Definitely. Castries is a relatively small city, with sidewalks everywhere. It can get busy with traffic and people, but it’s definitely walkable. You can even take a walking tour of the city, so you see all of the sights before heading back to the cruise ship.
What is the best beach near Castries cruise port?
Vigie Beach is the closest option, around 5-10 minutes by taxi or a 25 minute walk. For more of a touristy vibe and more restaurants and bars, Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay is about 20-25 minutes away.
Should you get off the cruise ship in St Lucia?
Yes! St Lucia isn’t the place you decide to have a lazy day and chill in the cruise port or stay on the ship. There are so many things to do in St Lucia off a cruise, and it’s so different to some of the other stops you’ll be making around the Caribbean, you simply have to get off and immerse yourself in local life – you’ll regret it if you don’t. Trust us, we’ve been to over 30 islands in the region and still rank St Lucia as one of our favourites for nature and adventure.
Can I explore St Lucia without booking a ship excursion?
Yes. Many cruise ship passengers hire private drivers for an island tour, take independent boat tours, visit nearby beaches, or explore Castries on foot. Just make sure you allow plenty of buffer time to return to port before the ship leaves the island.
Planning a Longer Trip to St Lucia?
If you’re planning to stay more than one day on the island, or planning to return because you fell in love with the island (it’s easy to do!), our detailed St Lucia guides breaks down the best areas to stay, where we recommend eating for the yummiest food, things you don’t want to miss and tours we’d suggest adding into your itinerary.
Some of our guides are linked throughout this article, but you can check out some others here:
- Where to stay in St Lucia
- 27 Best Excursions in St Lucia We Recommend
- 20 Amazing Things to Do in St Lucia for Couples
- The 6 Best Restaurants in Soufriere
- Barbados vs St Lucia: Our Verdict After Visiting Both
Take me to: More St Lucia travel guides
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