Vigie Beach

[Guest TopoChico]

We’ve been to St Lucia more times than we can count, and always find the same thing happens.  There’s a very limited number of beaches that can be easily and reasonably done cost wise.  Naked Fisherman is great if you want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. $160 just in cab fare for a 50 minute each-way drive for two people, plus at least a few hundred for lunch and drinks. In my opinion, and only my opinion -it’s nice - but not worth the cost to me for a few hours of beach time if you’re not interested in a very pricey lunch. The beach is lovely but very small. The drinks are very good very expensive.  
Reduit and Vigie are the two main players.  We’ve done both more than once.  
Know upfront that cabbies will talk you out of Vigie because it’s cheaper to get to.  They 100% will try to talk you out of it, pretending they’re wanting to take you to the “superior beach.”
Reduit is always more crowded because cabbies make more $ taking passengers there.
on the beach, they line the chairs right up to the waters edge, so close together you’re literally on top of each other.  The chairs slope downward in the sand making it very uncomfortable. We have found the staff to be very rude on multiple visits. 

 We started realizing the deal when we started choosing to go to Vigie. Cabbies will try to talk you out of it every time. Don’t let them.  Vigie is nicer, more roomy with semi-friendly staff.  The bar/restaurant is reasonable with some good bbq options. The beach is pretty and really long for a nice walk. 
Bring a few single dollars because there is a $1 charge to use the restroom, and the woman there is rude.  Ignore her. You’re just there to pee.

 

St Lucia is by far our least favorite cruise stop. And after talking to others, it seems most people agree. 
We’re on Vigie as I write this. Next time we’ll likely stay on the ship, but if not, Vigie is perfectly acceptable.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by TopoChico

[reedprincess]

Your first mistake is paying $160 for cab fare to/from Naked Fisherman. It should be, at most, $40usd one way for up to 4 persons. It's a set rate. If you've been paying $160 round trip, you either have a large large group, or are getting royally ripped off. 

You also have Pigeon Island as a "main player" much less crowded than Reduit, whether inside the park or outside. May be worth a visit to see something different.

Or skip the beach and actually enjoy what St Lucia has to offer different than other Caribbean islands. .

Glad you're enjoying Vigie, best part is you can simply walk there and back - no cab driver needed. .

[Cherries Jubilee]

Thank you so much for your information!

[Guest TopoChico]

On 11/30/2022 at 9:10 PM, reedprincess said:

Your first mistake is paying $160 for cab fare to/from Naked Fisherman. It should be, at most, $40usd one way for up to 4 persons. It's a set rate. If you've been paying $160 round trip, you either have a large large group, or are getting royally ripped off. 

You also have Pigeon Island as a "main player" much less crowded than Reduit, whether inside the park or outside. May be worth a visit to see something different.

Or skip the beach and actually enjoy what St Lucia has to offer different than other Caribbean islands. .

Glad you're enjoying Vigie, best part is you can simply walk there and back - no cab driver needed. .

You’re correct.  We had eight when we went to the Fisherman (based on seeing it mentioned here)

So it was $160 just to get to Naked Fisherman. My mistake.  I mention this because I see it recommended quite often here when people are looking just for a beach day, and it is quite frankly not in the price range for most travelers. It’s VERY EXPENSIVE. And it took almost two hours of travel time back and forth. 

 

Vigie is very close but definitely not EASILY walkable. Take a cab. It’s five bucks each way and we’ll worth it. 

 

But more importantly my purpose for this post was to bring attention to the fact that cab drivers are out to make money, not to help travelers determine which beach is better.  I see quite a few people coming here asking for recommendations and I wanted to add mine. 
 

We find that the area in St Lucia where cabs are procured to be extremely unpleasant, every single time.  We watch them talk people out of Vigie to make money. They get very rude.
And so, while they may want to treat cruise passengers like cattle - I am not going to behave like cattle or be steered somewhere I don’t want to go. Which I watch happen every single time we’re there. 
 

Edited December 2, 2022 by TopoChico

[Guest TopoChico]

On 12/1/2022 at 3:42 AM, Cherries Jubilee said:

Thank you so much for your information!

Read and take everything people say with a grain of salt. Bottom line is, on any island, do your own research and don’t let cabbies or anyone on a board like this one who repeatedly comes on pushing a specific place, sway your judgement. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by TopoChico

[bren61]

Just curious what the cab fare is to Vigie from the port so we know what to expect and don't get ripped off. There are just 2 of us.

 

 

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, bren61 said:

Just curious what the cab fare is to Vigie from the port so we know what to expect and don't get ripped off. There are just 2 of us.

 

 

$10usd one way 

[HiramAbif]

On 1/4/2023 at 11:56 PM, reedprincess said:

$10usd one way 

Is that for 1 to 4 people or per person?

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, HiramAbif said:

Is that for 1 to 4 people or per person?

 

1 hour ago, HiramAbif said:

Is that for 1 to 4 people or per person?

All taxi rates are per vehicle, not per person. 

[mickeyhereicome]

On 1/7/2023 at 5:49 PM, reedprincess said:

 

All taxi rates are per vehicle, not per person. 

Love all your info. Do you happen to know if Vigie has any good snorkeling from shore? We have been to St. Lucia for a land vacation and loved the snorkeling. This time we are visiting from a cruise and are only in port 1pm-8pm so really only at the beach until 5pm the latest. So this really limits the places we can go for snorkeling.

[reedprincess]

4 hours ago, mickeyhereicome said:

Love all your info. Do you happen to know if Vigie has any good snorkeling from shore? We have been to St. Lucia for a land vacation and loved the snorkeling. This time we are visiting from a cruise and are only in port 1pm-8pm so really only at the beach until 5pm the latest. So this really limits the places we can go for snorkeling.

Nope, not really any. It's a mainly sandy large cove, no rocks or reefs in the area.. 

[krismon]

On 11/30/2022 at 11:43 AM, TopoChico said:

We’ve been to St Lucia more times than we can count, and always find the same thing happens.  There’s a very limited number of beaches that can be easily and reasonably done cost wise.  Naked Fisherman is great if you want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. $160 just in cab fare for a 50 minute each-way drive for two people, plus at least a few hundred for lunch and drinks. In my opinion, and only my opinion -it’s nice - but not worth the cost to me for a few hours of beach time if you’re not interested in a very pricey lunch. The beach is lovely but very small. The drinks are very good very expensive.  
Reduit and Vigie are the two main players.  We’ve done both more than once.  
Know upfront that cabbies will talk you out of Vigie because it’s cheaper to get to.  They 100% will try to talk you out of it, pretending they’re wanting to take you to the “superior beach.”
Reduit is always more crowded because cabbies make more $ taking passengers there.
on the beach, they line the chairs right up to the waters edge, so close together you’re literally on top of each other.  The chairs slope downward in the sand making it very uncomfortable. We have found the staff to be very rude on multiple visits. 

 We started realizing the deal when we started choosing to go to Vigie. Cabbies will try to talk you out of it every time. Don’t let them.  Vigie is nicer, more roomy with semi-friendly staff.  The bar/restaurant is reasonable with some good bbq options. The beach is pretty and really long for a nice walk. 
Bring a few single dollars because there is a $1 charge to use the restroom, and the woman there is rude.  Ignore her. You’re just there to pee.

 

St Lucia is by far our least favorite cruise stop. And after talking to others, it seems most people agree. 
We’re on Vigie as I write this. Next time we’ll likely stay on the ship, but if not, Vigie is perfectly acceptable.

 

 

Topochico... I would love to hear about ur fav excursions on Bonaire, Aruba, St kitts, St Lucia, Curico (feel free to PM me if I'm not allowed to ask that here.)  Thanks bunches for all the info u post

[Guest TopoChico]

On 1/9/2023 at 10:54 PM, krismon said:

Topochico... I would love to hear about ur fav excursions on Bonaire, Aruba, St kitts, St Lucia, Curico (feel free to PM me if I'm not allowed to ask that here.)  Thanks bunches for all the info u post

We have never done an excursion.  We rent a cab and head to the beach. On Bonire, we had an amazing day snorkeling on Klein Island.  St Kitts, we like Cockelshell Beach and a stop at Shipwreck Bar. Haven’t been to Aruba in a long time but we went to Eagle beach a few times. Haven’t been to Curaçao yet! .  As far as St Lucia, as I said it’s our least favorite island and we will try to avoid cruises going there (impossible lol) and or stay on ship next time. Been there 9 times over 20 years and it just is not for us. Vigie is pretty but the people working it are extremely rude and we found that everywhere we went.  And before it is suggested, we are very quiet, demand nothing and tip very well. It’s just not somewhere we like.  

Edited January 16, 2023 by TopoChico

[olya1972]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:01 AM, Guest TopoChico said:

We have never done an excursion.  We rent a cab and head to the beach. On Bonire, we had an amazing day snorkeling on Klein Island.  St Kitts, we like Cockelshell Beach and a stop at Shipwreck Bar. Haven’t been to Aruba in a long time but we went to Eagle beach a few times. Haven’t been to Curaçao yet! .  As far as St Lucia, as I said it’s our least favorite island and we will try to avoid cruises going there (impossible lol) and or stay on ship next time. Been there 9 times over 20 years and it just is not for us. Vigie is pretty but the people working it are extremely rude and we found that everywhere we went.  And before it is suggested, we are very quiet, demand nothing and tip very well. It’s just not somewhere we like.  

Thank you for the information provided here. I was just starting my research on what to do in St Lucia with short cruise day (8 am - 4 pm). As I was reading these boards and TripAdvisor forums, I formed the opinion similar to what you expressed in your post, but of course not being there physically, but just reading, I did not want to be presumptuous. We too have been to St Lucia once before on a cruise and that would not be my island of choice to return to. We did land and sea tour at the time and saw most highlights island had to offer. Thank you again.

[karena1]

St Lucia is one of our favorite islands!  We have never had any rude people, far from it, we have met some of the nicest people in St Lucia except for the vendors at Reduit.

 

This time we are going to try Vegie.  Will be there next week.  Hoping we like it as it is far less money for a cab and doesn't seem like there are tons of vendors since it is also a beach locals go to.  Looking forward to trying it.  If we like it, will go back there again next year on our cruise.

 

 

[olya1972]

We just returned from the cruise with a stop in St Lucia. We went to Viggie beach. We walked from the port to the beach. The walk was not pleasant and though was not difficult for us, one should be a walker to try to walk there. The first part of the walk is in fact about 20-25 min, but it’s along busy road and not all of it has sidewalks along the way, neither is it pretty to look at. Once you get to the beach area, you are at the beginning of the beach near some resort and the cemetery next to it. Then the second part of the walk along the beach starts to get to the area with some local bars and shops where beach loungers can be rented. This area is at the end of the beach and is about another 15-20 min walk from the entrance point. This walk is much more pleasant even though first part of it is along the cemetery. The loungers rentals are not expensive, $15 for two chairs and a shared umbrella. There are vendors on the beach, but they are not very pushy, so that is not an issue. There is an airport all along the beach ( right behind), so if someone is looking for full tranquility, this is not the place. We liked it, though. Airport was not busy on the day we were there and we saw fewer then half a dozen plains take off or land in three hours that we were there. It’s interesting to watch planes close overhead. There is engine noise associated with that activity, of course. The beach itself is beautiful. It’s not straight and goes into partial semicircle so one can see vegetation and hills and mountains across the bay. There are trees along the beach line, so there is shade if one doesn’t want to rent chairs/ umbrellas. The day we were there it was drizzling and water was not calm, but even so we were able to go into the water without any problems. Entrance into the water is flat. Sand is soft, no rocks. Water was clean and warm. Taxis back were readily available and charged $15 for shared van ( I believe it was not per person but for both of us). Taxi from the cruise port to the beach was $10/ride. Ride is short, under 10 minutes. We liked the experience overall and would do it again if in St Lucia.

 

 

 

[mississauga]

On 11/30/2022 at 11:43 AM, Guest TopoChico said:

We’ve been to St Lucia more times than we can count, and always find the same thing happens.  There’s a very limited number of beaches that can be easily and reasonably done cost wise.  Naked Fisherman is great if you want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. $160 just in cab fare for a 50 minute each-way drive for two people, plus at least a few hundred for lunch and drinks. In my opinion, and only my opinion -it’s nice - but not worth the cost to me for a few hours of beach time if you’re not interested in a very pricey lunch. The beach is lovely but very small. The drinks are very good very expensive.  
Reduit and Vigie are the two main players.  We’ve done both more than once.  
Know upfront that cabbies will talk you out of Vigie because it’s cheaper to get to.  They 100% will try to talk you out of it, pretending they’re wanting to take you to the “superior beach.”
Reduit is always more crowded because cabbies make more $ taking passengers there.
on the beach, they line the chairs right up to the waters edge, so close together you’re literally on top of each other.  The chairs slope downward in the sand making it very uncomfortable. We have found the staff to be very rude on multiple visits. 

 We started realizing the deal when we started choosing to go to Vigie. Cabbies will try to talk you out of it every time. Don’t let them.  Vigie is nicer, more roomy with semi-friendly staff.  The bar/restaurant is reasonable with some good bbq options. The beach is pretty and really long for a nice walk. 
Bring a few single dollars because there is a $1 charge to use the restroom, and the woman there is rude.  Ignore her. You’re just there to pee.

 

St Lucia is by far our least favorite cruise stop. And after talking to others, it seems most people agree. 
We’re on Vigie as I write this. Next time we’ll likely stay on the ship, but if not, Vigie is perfectly acceptable.

 

 

Thanks for sharing. How much would a cab be to Vigie Beach?

[PATRLR]

We went to Vigie Beach on Dec 18.   We found a beach that looked quite different from the photos posted above.  

First, it was very narrow.  Most of the loungers were actually set up under the trees with a 12-18" step down to a more sandy surface where the highest waves were breaking.  Even further down to the left (as looking at the water) where there were less people, the beach was nowhere near that wide.

The whole place is very primative.  The drink/food establishments are a series of shacks that appeared to me to be very similar to hawker stalls you might find in Asia, but not as clean/sanitary.  The bathrooms were NOT available (told there was no water).   We got drinks only from a guy working out of the back of his truck (reasonable and reliable).

I think if we visit St Lucia again, it might be a good place to do a catamaran or other excursion out on the water.