We built this house in 2013 and it served as our family home for 5 years before we returned to Canada. Now we spend a few months a year in it, and the rest of the time it's available for you!
It's a modern home built around the breeze and the gorgeous view. A large wrap-around balcony keeps the house cool and dry. Three large glass-and-aluminum garage doors open up the main living area to the outdoors. A full kitchen is equipped to make anything.
The main floor has the open-concept kitchen/dining/living area, plus 2 bedrooms and a bathroom.
Upstairs is a family room, office, large balcony (my favourite place for coffee and wine), and the master bedroom with ensuite.
The bottom floor has a rental suite with long-term tenants who are delightful, quiet people. There is no connection or shared space.
I think you'll be pleased with the house for the price, but note that it is a functional family home and not a hotel or luxury suite.
The most important consideration before staying here is the location: it's not for everybody. It couldn't be farther from the populated area of St. Lucia, which is centered in the north around Rodney Bay. It's in a fishing village, and all of the shops and food services are designed to cater to locals, not tourists.
You'll definitely need a rental car. Bus service and taxi service is poor — it's possible, but difficult, to get around. If you're skipping the rental car, you should be staying for several weeks and be prepared for lots of walking (on very hilly terrain).
However, if you want to experience authentic St. Lucia life, this may be the place for you. You'll be in a residential neighbourhood, and you'll hear people, chickens and dogs. You'll be warmly greeted by the friendly, relaxed locals. You'll get to buy fresh fish from fishermen. You'll explore Sabwisha, one of the last untouched beaches in St. Lucia, with fantastic snorkeling and spear fishing.
It's also within a 30-minute drive of several ultra-high-end resorts and some popular tourist spots:
- Sabwisha Beach (5 mins)
- Gros Piton hike (20 mins)
- Petit Piton hike (30 mins)
- Tet Paul hike (15 mins)
- Ladera resort (15 mins)
- Sugar Beach resort (30 mins)
- Mond Corbaril estate (15 mins)
- Ziplining (15 mins)
- Sulphur Springs (15 mins)
- Soufriere Town (20 mins)
Couple other things you should likely know:
- I think our place is best for couples or families that want to explore. I don't think this is a good place for a honeymoon or special anniversary.
- Very steep driveway with tight turn into parking. Go slow!
- No air conditioning. We built the house around the breeze, but on days without wind, especially August to November, it can be uncomfortable
One more thing: it's hard for us to keep up with the brutal Caribbean environment. Things that take 50 years to break down in Canada are gone in a year or two in St. Lucia — the result of sea blast, high humidity, insects, and moulds and funguses that attack everything. We do our best to keep it in good shape, but you'll be happier with your stay if you expect that some things will not be in perfect repair.
Below are a few additional tips on visiting St. Lucia:
CELL PHONES
St. Lucia has excellent 4G wireless coverage, and 2 main providers: Flow and Digicel. I find it very useful to have a phone from the second the plane touches down.
You can likely use a roaming plan with your mobile provider in your home country. If you want to save some money, there are two options: use an e-sim provider (I’ve had good success with Airalo); or go into the Flow store in Vieux Fort and buy a pre-paid local SIM card. A 7-day plan is currently EC 28 with 5GB of data.
MONEY
US dollars are accepted at many places, including grocery stores. It’s also easy to change US dollars to EC dollars at any bank. The exchange rate is fixed at 2.7 EC to 1 US.
It’s also easy to take EC cash out of the many ATMs. I find that sometimes the ATMs are out of cash or not always working, so don’t be surprised if you need to try 2 or 3 to find one that gives you money. However, I’ve always been able to withdraw money from an ATM somewhere.
There’s an ATM at the airport. There are also several in Vieux Fort town. Search for the KFC or Domino’s Pizza in Vieux Fort. They are in the same building in the heart of Vieux Fort, along the main road. There is also a grocery store, “Massy’s”, in there. Massy’s has an ATM. There is also an ATM at a CIBC Bank, just past the Massy’s, and another across the street. Note that it is very busy at all hours around this part of Vieux Fort, and parking is tight, so be prepared for a colourful introduction to the island!
GETTING AROUND
Most of our guests rent a car. Taxis are rather expensive (especially in comparison to Latin America) and need to be pre-arranged. However, taxis are stress-free, and the drivers are usually relaxed, friendly and helpful.
For car rentals, I’d recommend any of the rental agencies that are in the airport. Note that every international driver needs to purchase a driving permit from the rental agency. It costs $21 USD and is valid for 3 months.
On the lower half of the island, there is a single main road that circumnavigates St. Lucia. Most of us just call it the “main road”. When you exit the airport, turn right and you will be on the main road, heading towards Vieux Fort in 3 minutes, and Choiseul (and our house) in 30 minutes.
Remember to drive on the left!
GROCERIES
Grocery stories are open until 7pm every day except Sunday, when they close at 1pm. The big grocery store chain on the island is Massy. There are two Massy's in Vieux Fort, where the airport is, and one Massy in Choiseul, about 6-7 minutes drive from our house. The ones in Vieux Fort are a bit more complete, but we do almost all our shopping at the one in Choiseul.
Online maps provide good directions to it. It's right along the main road.
Note that grocery stores close early or entirely on public holidays, and St. Lucia has lots of public holidays. If you are arriving on a holiday, please arrange with us to purchase some basic provisions for you to tie you over.
We normally get some 5-gallon jugs of water. There are empties at the house if you want to exchange them (saves a few dollars).
If you like drinking coffee every morning, I'd suggest buying your coffee in your home country before you come. It's hard to get good coffee at the grocery stores, as most people drink instant. There is a coffee grinder in the kitchen, plus a drip machine and an espresso machine. (It’s a Gaggia Classic that is a bit tricky unless you’ve used one before.)
ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA
Under 1 hour
- Walk to Choiseul Village. Buy fresh fish at the fisheries
- Drive 5 mins to Sabwisha Beach (this is the neighbourhood beach that you may enjoy frequenting)
1 - 3 hours
- Hike Tet Paul. It’s a 1-hour loop with an *amazing* view. We like to do it just before sunset, starting around 4 or 4:30.
- Sunset drinks and snacks at Ladera Resort. Very expensive and very worth it, just for the view. Get there in plenty of time for sunset.
Over 3 hours
- Horseback riding at Atlantic Shores. About 40 minute drive. Very few safety precautions :-). You’ll ride along the beach, maybe even galloping along the ocean! Afterwards, consider a beachside lunch at The Reef, about 10 minutes from Atlantic Shores.
- Get one of the fishermen in Choiseul village to give you a ride to Sugar Beach Resort (a 20-30 min ride). The beach is public access. He might charge $100 roundtrip, but it will be a highlight. Beautiful view from the sea on the ride, and the beach is gorgeous. You might want to pack a lunch as the prices at the resort are exorbitant.
- Lunch at Martha’s Tables. She’ll let you know where you can park your car to walk down to the beautiful Malgretoute Beach for a swim. Her brother also has a restaurant at the end of the beach, at the base of Petit Piton.
- Drive to Soufriere. Park at Hummingbird Beach. Go for a swim in the ocean. Get lunch at one of the stands. Or upgrade your lunch at Orlando’s.
- Drive to Anse Chastanet (or take a water taxi from Soufriere). It’s a hotel, but the beach is open to anyone. It’s the home of Jade Mountain, a resort that costs thousands of dollars per night. Once there, enjoy the snorkelling at the main beach, or walk another 20 minutes to Anse Mamin, which you will often have all to yourself.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOUSE
*Electricity*
St. Lucia is the same voltage of Europe: 220V/50Hz. The plugs are UK-style.
If you are from a 120V country — like Canada or USA — note that almost all electronics are dual-voltage. Your laptop, phone, tablet, etc. are fine with 220V. But the plug style is different. We have some plug adapters at the house.
However, don’t bring a hair dryer, curling iron, NutriBullet, unless they are specifically designed for 220V. They will operate for a few seconds and then blow.
*Internet*
There is high-speed wifi internet (100Mbps) that’s good enough for video-conferencing or Netflix. Most of the house is coated, though some devices might find a dead spot in the one bedroom furthest from the routers.
*Stereo*
There is a stereo in the living room with a bluetooth amp. Bring your own digital music. There is a culture of music everywhere, and people like it when you “share” your music by playing it loudly. But try to play reggae and afro beats rather than Metallica. Interestingly, older country music (Hank Williams, George Jones, etc) is also popular, apparently due to early radio stations on the island.
*Neighbourhood noise*
At night, there can be crickets, dogs, roosters, goats, and local house parties (St. Lucians LOVE loud music and dancing, especially around holidays). If you’re a light sleeper, you might appreciate ear plugs. There is also a white noise machine in the master bedroom.
*Beach supplies*
There are beach chairs and beach towels at the house. No umbrella, but most beaches have trees for shade.
