Friday May 16, 2008

Enjoy time on the water by taking a ferry around St. Lucia

Ferry Tales

St. Lucia offers a variety of ferry options for island hopping and touring the local Caribbean. Take advantage of scenic and relaxing trips on the water while making your way around St. Lucia and the surrounding area.

St. Lucia has several different ports of entry, which makes boats and ferries a good travel option. Air passengers who fly into George F.L. Charles Airport and need to travel south to Soufri�re or Hewanorra International Airport can take a ferry to Soufri�re. This can reduce travel time between airports.

Those who prefer to do much of their traveling on the water will find that St. Lucia is well serviced by ferries, making it easy to include St. Lucia in any island hopping tour. Several ferry lines connect St. Lucia with Martinique. From there travelers can continue on to other islands such as Dominica and Guadeloupe. L'Express des Isles (The Caribbean Express) offers the most extensive service to and from St. Lucia and neighboring islands.

Traveling to St. Lucia (times subject to seasonal change)

Day Departure
(Fort-de-France, Martinique)
Arrival
(Castries, St. Lucia)
Monday Noon 1:20 p.m.
Tuesday Noon 1:20 p.m.
Wednesday 8:00 a.m. 9:20 p.m.
Thursday 8:00 a.m. 9:20 a.m.
Friday Noon
5:00 p.m.
1:20 p.m.
6:20 p.m.
Saturday 5:00 p.m. 6:20 p.m.
Sunday 3:00 p.m. 4:20 p.m.

Traveling from St. Lucia (times are subject to seasonal change)

Day Departure
(Castries, St. Lucia)
Arrival
(Fort-de-France, Martinique)
Monday 2:30 p.m. 3:50 p.m.
Tuesday 2:30 p.m. 3:50 p.m.
Wednesday 5:00 p.m. 6:20 p.m.
Thursday 5:00 p.m. 6:20 p.m.
Friday 2:30 p.m. 3:50 p.m.
Saturday 6:30 a.m. 7:50 a.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
2:20 p.m.
6:20 p.m.

Roundtrip tickets are $116(USD) for adults and $91(USD) for children. One way fares are $73(USD) for adults and $55(USD) for children. L'Express des Isles also offers day tour packages with guides.

Another way to make the roundtrip between Martinique and St. Lucia is by Channel Shuttle. Shuttles depart from Le Marin to the SLASPA Ferry Complex in Castries at 8:00 a.m. daily and at 1:30 p.m. on selected days. Roundtrip fare for adults is $77(USD), and passengers must pay a departure tax of $12(USD). The contact number for Channel Shuttles is 758-452-8757.

Day trippers can also take advantage of ferry and boat service in various parts of St. Lucia. The two sides of Marigot Bay are connected by continual ferry service. Rodney Bay has hourly ferry service from its marina and shopping area between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Ferry service from Rodney Bay also connects the main island to Pigeon Island National Park. Entry to the island is $5(USD). Packages that include ferry fare, park entrance, and a meal can be bought at the marina or at your hotel.

Visitors can use ferries in a number of ways to see the island and its neighbors. Take advantage of the opportunities to explore your surroundings while on vacation in St. Lucia.