St Lucia – Rodney Bay (The North)

St Lucia is an island in the Eastern Caribbean and home to the dramatic Pitons, volcanic beaches, lush forestation, reef diving sites, luxury resorts and the only drive-in volcano. We have family on the island so for me St Lucia is home from home, however this is only the second time to the island with my children and the last trip was 10 years ago. Not much has changed in that time, which is mostly a good thing. On a plus, more restaurants have emerged and although you still have to do your homework and ask the right questions with regards to food allergies, things have definitely moved forward.

Consider a multi-centre trip

As always, we tend to do multi-centre holidays when we are in St Lucia. This not only enables us to mix time spent with family with a stint in an all inclusive resort, but it also means we get to spend time in the north of the island (more touristy), as well as the south and experience the many things we know the island has to offer.

Check out part 2 to this blog (coming soon) that covers our adventures in the south of the island.

Rodney Bay (also called Gros Islet) is more touristy than the rest of the island and where you will find most of the resorts. Although the distance is only 40 miles (65km) from the airport, it takes about 2 hours to drive as there is only one road that winds through the mountains. There are some detours off the main road if the traffic is bad, but beware as they are not for the faint hearted!


Where to stay in Rodney Bay with food allergies

We booked the gorgeous Sun West Villa, in a lovely part of town, with the most amazing views of the Caribbean Sea, Martinique and Rodney Bay. The host (Greg) greeted us on arrival and was really welcoming. He’s been in the area for over 20 years so was a great font of knowledge on what’s changed and where and what to do. The villa had 4 bedrooms (sleeps 8 people), kitchen/diner, living area and pool (shared with another villa onsite). Located in an affluent part of town and close proximity to the beach, restaurants and shops.

Balcony View of Rodney Bay

We stayed here for 3 days, which was a perfect amount of time for us to explore the local area, with a packed itinerary of Segways, Horse Riding, Pigeon Island, eating out and local beaches.


Where to eat in Rodney Bay with food allergies

I could not come to the island without visiting my favourite restaurant/bar. I love this place and have been drinking their cocktails on the beach and eating dinner under the moonlight on pretty much every visit. Spinnakers has a chilled vibe right on Reduit Beach, but more importantly they are hot on catering for allergies.

My son had pan fried garlic chicken and fries, but he had plenty of options to choose from (steak, pork, lamb shank, potato wedges etc). Our waitress knew first hand about allergies due to being anaphylactic to fish herself, so together with the manager who was very attentive, we felt safe in the knowledge these guys knew what they were doing. This was really reassuring given the risk of cross contamination with fish/seafood which is in many of the dishes on the menu.


We found Sea Salt by chance. We had just arrived in Rodney Bay pretty hungry, with nowhere booked to eat. Rocking up to restaurants without contacting them first is not something I normally do, but we thought we would check out the Marina as we used to eat there all the time in a restaurant called ‘Scuttlebucks’, which used to be Amy Winehouse’s favourite place to hang out. That is now long gone with another restaurant in it’s place who couldn’t cater for my son’s allergies. All the other places pretty much sang the same tune, except for Sea Salt.

We spoke to the chef, Renee who was so helpful and honestly made us feel like family. She didn’t tell us what they could do, she asked my son what he wanted and then went off and made it. She brought out a huge plate of food and even made some locally inspired things for him to try. We were only in Rodney Bay for 3 days, but we all enjoyed the hospitality and food here so much, we returned to eat again before we left. The view over looking the marina was fantastic too.

Oh the Rum Punch is amazing too, packs a punch and probably one of the best throughout our trip!


Massy Supermarket

Massy stores are big across the Caribbean and are all over St Lucia. You will find most of what you need, including a small free from section that has pasta, dairy free milk, gluten free flour, gluten free fries and sausages, as well as sorbet. They also had some Aldi and Waitrose own brand products.
Food is actually quite expensive in St Lucia now, especially exported products. I always try to support local economy whenever we travel, so avoiding these was not a problem.
You will find some things you wouldn’t typically find at home, such as pig snout, cow’s feet, tripe and pig trotters. Interesting browse, but not for me!


Things to do in Rodney Bay and local area

Lots of people that I speak to stay mainly in the resort and only get to see a tiny part of the island, which is a real shame as the locals are so welcoming and there is SO much to do and see.

I manage

d to book a ‘Mothers Day Deal’ online before we travelled and grabbed a bargain for the 4 of us to zipline. I have been known to be a bit of a scatter brain and only realised whilst enroute that what I had booked was actually a completely different park on a different part of the island to where we were heading. This wasn’t a problem though, a quick call and they rescheduled our slot for an hour later.

Thankfully you can use Waze in St Lucia, which was actually a life saver as we drove seriously off-piste from the main road, taking us down some pretty steep hair pin roads. My husband is very familiar with driving here but even he was frazzled by the end of it.

We finally arrived at Rainforest Adventures, in the midst of lush forest situated at the base of La Sorcière Mountain. I had booked zip lining through the forest canopy, but you can also book the popular Aerial Tram, Nature Trail or Bird Watching Tour if you wanted something a bit calmer. There were 10 lines in total, with short walks between through the rainforest. This was really fun, with a bit or wildlife thrown in to boot, although I did walk really fast past the tarantula hiding in the tree!


Lucian Style Segway Day Tours came recommended to us and didn’t disappoint. As none of us had been on a Segway before, we were given a quick lesson and safety briefing before heading off. The kids picked it up in no time, but it actually took me a while to get the hang of it, even though our Segways were set to beginner mode and couldn’t actually go that fast. The Tour Guide removed the beginner mode for the second half of the trip and told my son to lead and go as fast as he liked. Boys being boys, he took off, hit a rock and nearly went flying!

The tour was off road and followed a trail through Rodney Bay and up Mt Pimard, which took us passed bunkers that the Americans used as tunnels during World War II. Set in a private reserve of 78 acres, we had regular stops to learn about the exotic plant-life and rich history of the area. The kids even got to swing on the vines ‘Tarzan’ style. My favourite part of the trip was at the very top of the mountain where there is an idyllic wedding gazebo, with the most amazing views.

This is definitely a trip to consider, great for all ages (they allow ages 8-99), great fun and the best way to check out the local history and wildlife.

Segway Tour – View from the wedding gazebo at the top of Mt Pimard

Pigeon Island

Pigeon Island is a 44-acre islet in Gros Islet. It was actually originally isolated and only artificially joined to the island in 1972 by a man-made causeway built from dirt excavated, which now forms the Rodney Bay Marina. Composed of two peaks the island is a historic site with numerous forts such as an 18th-century British fort and Fort Rodney, both used by the British to spy on French Ships from neighbouring Martinique.
In 1979 it was named a national park and is the home and major venue of the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival.

View of Rodney bay in Saint Lucia from Pigeon island

As you may come to know, my daughter and I always try to find amazing places to go horse riding when we are on our travels. After doing some research, we decided to try Sandy Hoofs, which just happened to be 10 minutes away from our villa in Rodney Bay. The main selling point for me was that it would take us to the coastline on the North East of the island, somewhere I had never been before and had heard it was supposed to be beautiful.

It did not disappoint. The horses were impeccably trained and really well looked after. What really impressed me was that they let the horses loose from the stable yard on their rest days, where they would then make their own way down to the coastline, to run free in acres of land and swim in the ocean. They would then wander back to the stables at dinner time. I’ve never seen this before and so lovely to see them have so much freedom.

The ride took us down a trail for a couple of miles, before hitting the beach where we were able to take the horses for a canter (gallop on the way back). Another short walk took us to a second beach where we jumped off for a freshly picked coconut before heading off for a horseback swim in the ocean. The whole coastline was deserted, just my daughter and I and the guide. I didn’t realise before, but there is no way of getting there by road, so you either ride there or walk for miles.

To sum up, we absolutely LOVED this trek. Sandy Hoofs cater for all abilities, so if you are looking for something different and want to see parts of the island most don’t get to see, then this is for you!


Catamaran Sightseeing Cruise With Snorkelling

We didn’t do a catamaran cruise this time as we were only in Rodney Bay for a few days and also knew we would be spending a lot of the time in the south of the island in the second half of the holiday. I wanted to give it a mention though, as not only are you able to visit some of the stunning bays and snorkelling spots along the west coast, but it is also a great way to visit some of the many attractions in the south, without tackling the long, windy drive across the mountains.

Leaving from Rodney Bay Marina, you get to sunbathe on the deck, whilst sipping on drinks from the open bar. There are a couple of stops to swim or snorkel at Anse Cochon and Margot Bay coral reefs, before arriving at Soufriere in the south. From here, you have the option to visit several attractions, whether it be the Morne Coubrail Estate (offering zip lining, historical estate tour, Sapphire Falls and chocolate tasting), the drive-in volcano and sulphur springs, or the Toraille Waterfall.


Beaches

Public beaches in Rodney Bay tend to be pretty busy as it is the side of the island that attracts the most tourists. Reduit Beach is particularly busy on Wednesdays as this is usually when the cruise ships dock and run organised trips for the passengers to the area. Pigeon Island Beach is a bit more relaxed. It is literally right next to Sandals and as all beaches in St Lucia are open to the public, you can venture over to that side, but the hotel won’t let you use any of the amenities such as beach loungers, bars, water sports etc.

Despite how busy they are, they are beautiful beaches and the water is calm and has a gentle run into the sea, making it great for the kids to paddle in – unlike some of the beaches in the south that face the Atlantic, that can sometimes be quite choppy. You can also pay for sun loungers and parasols, but be careful not to get ripped off, it is expected that you will barter them down. As an example, we paid 20 USD for 3 beds and a thatched parasol on Pigeon Island beach (which we negotiated down from 60 USD!)

As well as food huts, hair braiding and water sports, there are also several bars and water boats selling cocktails on Pigeon Island Beach and Reduit beach, so you will never be far from a Rum Punch or a Pina Colada!

Reduit Beach

The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival is an annual event, usually around April time and is ranked second in the Caribbean after the Trinidad Carnival. Over a 10 day period, the event brings together local and international musicians around Jazz, R&B and Calypso music, the majority of which takes place on Pigeon Island. This is such a great time to be on the island as the party vibe is one of the best. The last time we were there we saw Rihanna whilst sitting on a picnic blanket in the sun, drinking Piton beer and rum punch and everyone is so welcoming and friendly. Other big names that have played there include John Legend, Luther Vandross, Mary J Blige, Elton John, Amy Winehouse, Boyz II Men and UB40.

Aside from the festival itself, everyone in the area is ramped up to provide load of entertainment. A MUST if you don’t have the kiddies, is a party cruise that takes you down the west coast of the island. They provide you with loads of drink and few swimming stops on the way.


Preparing to travel…

To help with travel planning, refer to my Travel Tips to help you prepare for your trip and ensure everyone has a great time!

Also check out my blog on flights to the island and check what options are available to you to help ensure a safe and relaxing journey,


Typical Food & Drink in St Lucia

  • Green Bananas (sometimes called Green Figs) and Saltfish – Considered the national dish of St Lucia. During the cooking process, the green bananas are boiled, and then sautéed with vegetables and spices. The salted cod is often boiled a few times to get out the excess salt, and then stewed with vegetables and spices.
  • Breadfruit and Saltfish – Breadfruit is a versatile fruit that is a staple in Saint Lucia, and is known for its unique taste and culinary uses. Often used as a potato alternative.
  • Callaloo Soup – Healthy, delicious, and just overall comforting. This soup includes ingredients like callaloo, okra, potatoes and garlic.A great vegan dish, although as an alternative some people throw in seafood, or small cuts of meat.
  • Bouyon – A thick red beans one-pot soup meal made of meat, ground provisions (ground tuber foods) and vegetables.
  • Accra (also called Saltfish Fritters) – A fried snack composed of flour, egg, seasoning and the main ingredient of saltfish.
  • Bakes (also called Floats) – Fried bread often used as an accompaniment to other dishes. These are really simple to make and easy to swap out wheat for gluten free flour.
  • Fried Plantain – Fried plantains are addictive, and you’ll find this Caribbean staple on your plate at many local restaurants in Saint Lucia.
  • Cocoa Tea – The hot chocolate of the Caribbean – albeit a healthier alternative. It is less fatty, and creamy, and a little more bitter. Many people add a sprinkling of nutmeg and/or cinnamon over top for added flavour.
  • Rum Punch – Will likely end up being your go-to drink whilst in St Lucia. Made with local rum made on the island, mixed with tropical juices infused with spices.
  • Piton Beer – Named after the world famous Pitons, this local pilsner brand is the most popular on the island. Great served ice cold when you are soaking up the rays!
  • St Lucia Rum – Admiral Rodney, Chairmans Reserve, Bounty are among the biggest local brands in St Lucia. I’m a massive fan of fan and love all of these (including Bounty Coconut Rum, which is my favourite).

Coming soon…

Part 2 to this blog will cover just as many things to do in the south of the island. Including an amazing week at the all inclusive resort Coconut Bay Beach Resort.

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