TikToker Exposes Unexpected Reasons This Caribbean Paradise May Not Be What It Seems
The islands that dot the glistening blue Caribbean Sea are popular travel destinations for a number of reasons, including tropical beaches, gorgeous sunsets, unique culture, and great food. Nestled somewhere between Martinique and Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia (St. Lucia), a small island of volcanic origin that boasts picturesque mountain hikes, breathtaking beaches, iconic chocolate making, and friendly people (especially if you take a trip to the island capital, Castries). It was even voted second on a list of best places to visit in the Caribbean for the years 2023-2024 (via U.S. News & World Report).
Even so, according to a TikToker @soph_sim_travels, there are quite a few unexpected elements you need to watch out for if St. Lucia is on your list of go-to travel spots. It's always helpful to know about crucial details before your visit to a Caribbean island, and according to this travel enthusiast, St. Lucia is unnecessarily expensive, especially when compared to other Caribbean islands she described as "far more enjoyable and just as beautiful."
A visit to St. Lucia can be tailored based on your budget, with luxury resorts costing upwards of $1,200 per night. If you need to spend less money, your average daily cost (inclusive of two-person accommodation) could be anywhere between $200 to $450. That is a weekly cost at a little over $3,000 per person (at most).
Is St. Lucia an expensive destination?
Per @soph_sim_travels, the assumed mid-range average cost was $6,700 per couple for a week, and even that was a "gross understatement." She went on to detail that she spent between $6,000 to $8,000 per week but she also had to put up with rats by the pool, bad food, dirty rooms, and intrusive staff for the price. According to her post, a really enjoyable experience at St. Lucia may only come with a weekly expense of $10,000 to $15,000 for a couple. Interestingly, spending upward of $12,540 for two people is considered luxury travel as far as this Caribbean Island is concerned.
It is unclear if the TikToker stayed at an all-inclusive resort or rented a vehicle for the price she mentioned. But she did talk about using Viator, a third-party company that books tours, for excursions. According to reviews on Tripadvisor, you can slash your travel costs quite a bit if you avoid third-party tour companies and book directly with local tour operators.
While renting a vehicle or booking a driver to do your own sight-seeing can be a refreshing change to scheduling with tour companies, taking public transport (minibuses) to get around is estimated to cost just about $0.50 to $4, depending on where you're going. If you decide to eat out, avoiding upscale restaurants and choosing locally-popular eateries might reduce your costs. As for reasonably-priced accommodation, while five-star resorts have their own appeal, you can opt for budget-friendly, all-inclusive resorts or villas and apartments.
Other unexpected concerns when visiting St. Lucia
The TikTok video highlighted the Caribbean island's rainy weather, longish travel times (there are only two main roads: one along the West Coast and the other along the East.), the "money hungry" beach vendors, and underwhelming excursions as the other unsavory things you'd come across in St. Lucia. The country's official rainy and hurricane season is from June to December. However, according to Tripadvisor reviews, the mountainous regions of the island might experience more rainfall, and it's reasonable to expect passing downpours even in the dry season, which is from December to April. Visitors to the Caribbean paradise link this to the fact that the island is located in the tropics, it's got lots of mountains, and it's also covered by rainforests. Even so, the island enjoys consistently warm weather (between 84 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round.
The TikToker noted that it took them one to two hours to get anywhere on the island. However, you could travel from the northern tip (Gros Islet) to the southern end (Eau Piquant) in less than two hours, per Google Maps, but that doesn't account for traffic. St. Lucia is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. Vendors are a reality in most popular public beaches across the world, especially in countries where tourism is a big revenue source, and @soph_sim_travels isn't the only travel enthusiast who's highlighted St. Lucia's disappointing excursions. Even so, it remains one of the safest Caribbean islands to visit. Perhaps this just means you have to travel there yourself before you make up your mind.