Watersports
Holidays on St Lucia can be exciting. There are plenty of challenges for sporting visitors, whether it be on land or in the water!

With the sparkling Caribbean Sea on one side and the mysterious depths of the Atlantic Ocean on the other, sailors and fishermen will fall in love with St Lucia. Not only is it possible to charter any form of sea-going vessel anywhere on the island, but St Lucia also offers opportunities for some of the best deep sea fishing in the world. Described as "an angler's dream come true", it is home to several species of big game fish, and you may even catch a trophy white marlin as your prize!

Imagine the crystal clear, warm waters. Picture the fine white sand beaches, lined with gently swaying palms. Where better to go windsurfing, sailing, para-sailing or water-skiing than St Lucia?

Watersports are a way of life on this island, where a coastline of rain-forested mountains is frequently interrupted by natural harbors and bays. The island boasts some of the best underwater dive sites in the Caribbean. Many hotels offer scuba diving facilities and snorkeling equipment, as do a number of independent dive centers.

Saint Lucia has also become one of the region's main centers for yacht charters, with operations at the Rodney Bay Marina and at Marigot Harbor. Deep-sea fishing charters are also available for whole and half-day excursions.

Windsurfing
Windsurfers will be challenged by the waves at Cas en Bas and Vieux Fort, the most popular spots for advanced and intermediate windsurfers, while beginners will find the calmer waters of the west coast perfect for sharpening their skills. Top-of-the-line equipment and instruction is available at most hotels and several windsurfing centers around the island.

Snorkeling
There are several companies that offer boat trips to the popular snorkeling areas such as Anse Chastanet. The watersports at most of the major hotels and the scuba diving companies rent snorkeling equipment to guests.


Water-skiing and parasailing
Available at most hotels, water-skiing in Saint Lucia can be enjoyed by beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers. For an aerial thrill, visitors are encouraged to try parasailing, which allows riders to view spectacular sights as they soar above Rodney Bay.

Diving
St Lucia is a diving paradise. The island is at the tip of an underwater volcano where both beginner and experienced divers alike will enjoy the stunning variety of coral, sponge and marine life. Artificial reefs have developed around a number of sunken ships which have become home to huge gorgonians, black coral trees, gigantic barrel sponges, purple vase sponges and black lace corals. Exciting Caribbean diving trips will reveal turtles, nurse sharks, seahorses, angel fish, and golden spotted eels, to name but a few, among the dazzling cross section of Caribbean marine life.

There are several spectacular diving sites just off St Lucia, ranging from easy to challenging. Keyhole Pinnacles consists of 4 seamounts rising from incredible depths to within a few feet of the surface. Superman's Flight, a drift dive on a gentle wall which drops to 1,600 feet. At the base of Gros Piton the Coral Gardens rise from a depth of 15 to 50 feet and Anse La Raye, midway up the west coast is a superb wall and drift dive, where huge boulders cover a shallower slope creating fascinating formations to explore. On the point of Anse Chastenet, a plateau slopes gently from 40 - 60 feet. The reefs fall away to a depth of 140 feet in a unique coral chain, meandering out from the Bay. A number of shipwrecks provide adventure and exploration for divers. For the experienced only, off the southern part of the island, the Waiwinette freighter lies 90 feet below. The currents here make this dive extremely challenging, whereas further up the coast off Castries, there is a pleasant wreck dive in 20 feet of water for those less experienced.

Diving schools and centres abound in St Lucia. Trips, tuition, guides and equipment for scuba or snorkelling are offered for all levels of diving experience and can be arranged through your travel agent or when you arrive. You can also visit the award-winning Soufriere Marine Management Area on the west coast. An important project created to conserve St Lucia's coastal environment, its activities and vigilance ensures that underwater St Lucia retains its immense wealth and beauty.

Divers from all over the world know the exotic beauty and warm crystal waters of St Lucia. A great deal of care has been exercised to ensure that the island, as well as the surrounding water remains as pristine as it was a generation ago when it first began attracting divers in search of a paradise less traveled.

As mountainous below sea level as it is above, St Lucia offers incomparable sightseeing for divers who are drawn to the tremendous variety that nature has to offer: huge gorgonians, black coral trees, gigantic barrel sponges, purple vase sponges and lace coral. Angelfish, black beauties, golden spotted eels, seahorses, Stingrays, nurse sharks, turtles and many varieties of schooling fish are as plentiful as they are colorful and varied. A few submerged shipwrecks and a mysterious serpentine creature of mythical proportions known as “the thing” add to the excitement of diving in the waters of St Lucia.

Listed below are some of the islands most intriguing underwater diving sites

• Anse Chastanet: One of the most dramatic spots for diving is the stunning Anse Chastanet reef in the southwest of the island. The shallows, with depths to 25ft can be entered directly from the beach. The reefs falls away from 20-140 ft in a unique coral wall that continues from Anse Chastaner Bay around the headland of Grand Caille and in towards the harbor of Soufriere, providing some of the best diving in St Lucia.
• Anse La Raye: Known as one of the finest wall and drift dives in St Lucia, Anse La Raye can be found below a shallow wall. Interesting formations at the slope which consists of huge bolders, stimulate the eye and imagination.
• Coral Gardens: Located at the base of the Gros Piton, the Coral Gardens offer breathtaking scenery above and below the water, where five finger coral runds from a depth of 15-50ft.
• Fairy Land: At the point of Anse Chastanet, a plateau named Fairy Land slopes gently from 40-60ft. Since strong currents here keep the corals and sponges clean and the viewing is excellent and, this site is ideal for underwater photography.
• The Key Hole Pinnacles: Voted one of the "10 Best Dive Sites" by Caribbean Travel & Life, The Pinnacles are described by the magazine as "four coral and gorgonian-encrusted seamounts that rise tantalizingly up from the ocean depths".
• Lesleen M Shipwreck: The Lesleen M, a 165-foot freighter, was sunk by the Department of Fisheries in 1986 to provide an artificial reef. It lies upright in 60 ft of water near Anse Cochon on the west coast, just south of Marigot Bay. Divers can tour the ship in its entirety.
• Superman’s Flight: Names for a scene on St Lucia for the movie Superman II, this site is a drift dive on a gentle wall that drops to 1600ft. Good visibility created by strong currents permits crystal clear viewing for underwater exploration. Divers can enter the water here at the base of Petit Piton.
• The Thing: According to those who have seen it “The Thing” is said to be St Lucia’s own “Loch Ness Monster on Vacation” Seen regularly (but only at night) one may catch a glimpse of this mysterious creature at Anse Chastanet.

Yachting in St Lucia

Yachting in St Lucia is an unforgettable experience. Imagine the crystal clear, warm waters. Picture the fine white sand beaches, lined with gently swaying palms. Where better to go sailing than St Lucia? With the sparkling Caribbean Sea on one side and the mysterious depths of the Atlantic Ocean on the other, sailors have been falling in love with St Lucia for centuries. Not only is it possible to charter any form of sea-going vessel anywhere on the island, but St Lucia also serves as a hub for some of the best yachting adventures in the world.

At Rodney Bay Marina and Marigot Bay, Saint Lucia's two most popular marinas, yachts and sail boats can be chartered to navigate the West Indies through the beautiful Grenadine Islands. The marinas offer safe anchorage, shower facilities, restaurants, groceries and maintenance facilities.

The ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) is an annual transatlantic rally for cruising yachts starting each November from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and crossing to Rodney Bay on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

Since its inception in 1986 the ARC become the most popular way to cross the Atlantic. The largest trans-ocean sailing event in the world, every year the ARC brings together over 225 yachts from 25 nations.

The St. Lucia Regatta has been held every January in Rodney Bay for over 10 years, and attracts yachts and participants from not only from St. Lucia and the Caribbean, but from all over the globe with its combination of exciting racing and fun parties - all in one of the best sailing locations in the world!