Rodney Bay beach © Adam Strange
The street party is a great place to try authentic St Lucian food, and dance in the streets with the locals.
The Rodney Bay area is the island’s best known resort. The bay itself stretches from Pigeon Island in the north south for 5km towards Castries, lined with luxury hotels, a large marina but also the village of Gros Islet. The town of Rodney Bay, though, has a concentration of coffee houses, international restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The action is mainly situated on Réduit Bay Avenue, and the area is popular with visitors and St Lucians alike, particularly on weekends. The area also boasts one of the island’s prettiest beaches in Réduit Beach, although this becomes busy in high season. Rodney Bay is also the best area on the island for some retail therapy, with Bay Walk Mall and JQ Mall within walking distance of each other. The Rodney Bay Marina is a popular spot for drinks and dining, and the marina is the end destination for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, a transatlantic sailing competition which starts off the coast of Africa in November. Gros Islet is a small fishing village which is worth a visit if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Rodney Bay. If you’re looking for a lively night out, however, the village hots up on Friday evenings when it hosts the Friday Night Jump Up. This street party is a great place to try authentic St Lucian food, and dance in the streets with the locals.