A Caribbean vacation in St Lucia is definitely within your budget with careful planning and the right timing.
I recently visited St Lucia whilst I was island hopping through the Caribbean and I did a ton of research beforehand to figure out the best time to visit.
In the rest of this post, I’d love to share my research with you!
Cheapest Time To Go To St Lucia
With a tight budget in mind, the cheapest time to visit St Lucia would definitely be in September or October.
These months are the wettest, but a handful of rooms can be had for around US$50 to $US60 per night.
The official ‘wet’ season in St Lucia starts in June and lasts through to November.
Precipitation starts to build up in July and August, with September and October being the wettest months of the year.
The average rainfall is between 9 and 10 inches during these months so it’s safe to say it rains a lot!
Take a look at the chart below which shows the average rainfall for each month:
As a general rule, the more rainier it is, the cheaper it is to visit St Lucia.
These months are right in the peak of the off-season as most storms build up in the Atlantic Ocean during this time.
There is a small risk of hurricanes but these are rare. You may experience some heavy thunderstorms though during your trip.
That’s not to say that you’ll get no good weather though during these months. It will rain from time to time but you’ll still get a decent amount of sunny days to enjoy the island.
The upside to the bad weather is that you’ll likely share the island with the locals rather than fellow tourists meaning you’ll get to experience a more authentic local lifestyle.
You can hit up the best tourist spots and attractions without battling the normal crowds. It’s a win-win right?!
And if you come here in July (which is also one of the wettest months), you’ll even get to jump right into the thick of the Carnival action.
💡Hint: During the St Lucia Carnival the whole island turns into a huge celebration. Expect elaborate costumes, funky beats, parades and so much more.
By November, average rainfall starts to taper off until December, which marks the start of the dry season and the return of dry weather when prices rise again.
Average Hotel Costs
During the months of September and October, rooms can be had for as low as US$50, and even lower if you choose to stay outside of the popular tourist centers like Rodney Bay or Soufriere.
During high season, a standard hotel in St Lucia costs between $100 to $250 and even more for the luxury resorts.
For the same room during the low season, you’ll spend $30 to $60 less per night so you do make a decent saving.
Check out the difference in the image below. I checked two different dates at La Haut Resort with one being in high season (February) and one during low season (October).
It was $59 cheaper per night to stay in October!
For a luxury 4-star hotel, you’ll spend between $500 and $600 during the high season.
For the same hotel during low season, you’ll pay between $70 and $140 less per night! What a saving, right?!
I checked two different dates at the St. James’s Club Morgan Bay Resort in both high season and low season.
The rate during low season was $146 lower!
During high season, 5-star hotels are available at upwards of $600 while super luxury accommodations can easily set you back $1,000, and even higher if you want to wake up with the Pitons seemingly within reach.
You’ll easily save a few hundred dollars per night by booking during the low season.
💡Hint: Check out my guide to doing St Lucia on a budget for more money-saving tips!
Cheapest Time to Fly to St Lucia
When it comes to finding the cheapest flight prices, you’ll find that October is the best month.
It’s no lie that flights to St Lucia are expensive but you can definitely make a saving by traveling to the island at certain times of the year.
To save money on flights, you’ll need to be willing to visit St Lucia during the rainy season which runs from June until November.
October is one of the wettest months and there’s an increased risk of hurricanes. For this reason, it’s the cheapest time to fly to St Lucia.
November is still wet, but by the end of the month, the official hurricane season which is why it’s slightly more expensive than October.
By December, St Lucia starts to look and feel more like the tropical island that you’d expect, thanks to lower average rainfall compared to preceding months and lower risk of encountering hurricanes.
The weather is drier and warmer, with averages of around 85°F, signaling the start of the dry season, which lasts until April when average rainfall falls to 3.5 inches.
As you can imagine, these months are the high season in St Lucia, with March and December being the peak season owing to spring breaks and holiday breaks in the United States, allowing families to vacation together.
It’s not unusual to pay up to $1,000 for a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles (LAX) to Hewannora International Airport (UVF) in St Lucia.
During the hurricane season, however, round-trip tickets from mainland United States can get as low as $500 (compared to the average $700), with October flights seeing the cheapest flight deals.
If you’re flying direct from one of the airline’s hubs in the United States such as Miami or Atlanta, you may even snag a sweeter deal.
And that’s it!
No matter which time of year you visit, you’re bound to have an amazing time.
Need more help planning your St Lucia vacation?