Sightseeing Tours in St. Lucia

Sightseeing Tours

Taxi drivers are well informed and can give you a full tour -- and often an excellent one, thanks to government-sponsored training programs. From the Castries area, full-day island tours cost $140 for up to four people; sightseeing trips to Soufrière, $120. If you plan your own day, expect to pay the driver $20 per hour plus tip.

Jungle Tours (Cas en Bas, Gros Islet. 758/450-0434) specializes in rain forest hiking tours for all levels of ability. You're required only to bring hiking shoes or sneakers and have a willingness to get wet and have fun. Prices range from $80 to $90 and include lunch, fees, and transportation via open Land Rover truck. St. Lucia Helicopters (Pointe Seraphine, Castries. 758/453-6950. 758/452-1553. www.stluciahelicopters.com) offers a bird's-eye view of the island. A 10-minute North Island tour ($55 per person) leaves from Pointe Seraphine, in Castries, continues up the west coast to Pigeon Island, then flies along the rugged Atlantic coastline before returning inland over Castries. The 20-minute South Island tour ($85 per person) starts at Pointe Seraphine and follows the western coastline, circling picturesque Marigot Bay, Soufrière, and the majestic Pitons before returning inland over the volcanic hot springs and tropical rain forest. A complete island tour combines the two and lasts 30 minutes ($130 per person). St. Lucia Heritage Tours (Pointe Seraphine, Castries. 758/451-6058. www.heritagetoursstlucia.org) has put together an "authentic St. Lucia experience," specializing in the local culture and traditions. Groups are small, and some of the off-the-beaten-track sites visited are a 19th-century plantation house surrounded by nature trails, a 20-foot waterfall hidden away on private property, and a living museum presenting Creole practices and traditions. Plan on paying $65 per person for a full-day tour. Sunlink Tours (Reduit Beach Ave., Rodney Bay. 758/452-8232 or 800/786-5465. www.sunlinktours.com) offers dozens of land, sea, and combination sightseeing tours, as well as shopping tours, plantation, and rain forest adventures via Jeep safari, deep-sea fishing excursions, and day trips to other islands. Prices range from $20 for a half-day shopping tour to $120 for a full-day land-and-sea Jeep safari to Soufrière.