St Lucia is a super popular tourist destination famous for its mountainous scenery, jungle landscapes and epic white sandy beaches.
Each year more and more people look to visit this island paradise but where is St Lucia? Is St Lucia in Jamaica?
In this post we’ll debunk the geography myths about St Lucia to help you plan your trip.
Is St Lucia in Jamaica?
No, St Lucia is not part of Jamaica.
St Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean country located south of Martinique, northwest of Barbados and northeast of St Vincent whereas Jamaica is a Western Caribbean country located just south of Cuba.
Although they share many similarities, St Lucia and Jamaica are two completely different countries.
Check out the location of the two countries in the world map below:
Is St Lucia Close to Jamaica?
St Lucia and Jamaica are both located within the Caribbean meaning they are both in the same area of the world however they are not close to each other.
St Lucia sits on the eastern side of the Caribbean whereas Jamaica which sits on the western side of the Caribbean.
In between them, you’ll find a range of countries including Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the other islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Check out the map below to see the locations of St Lucia and Jamaica within the Caribbean:
How Far Apart are Jamaica and St Lucia?
Jamaica is 1,804 km (1,121 miles) away from St Lucia.
If you took a direct flight between them, it would take approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes.
The main problem with this is that there are no direct flights between Jamaica and St Lucia so the journey will take significantly longer.
On average, a flight between them actually takes between 18 hours and 20 hours as you have to stopover in another country (and the layovers are usually long).
The most common stopover is Miami. Most flights stop there for at least 13 hours.
Here’s an overview of the route:
Unsure which to visit? I compared Jamaica vs St Lucia to help you decide which is better.
What Country is St Lucia in?
St Lucia is its own country and isn’t currently a part of any other country.
Previously St Lucia was part of both the British and French empires however it gained independence in 1979.
St Lucia switched control between the French and the British so many times (14 to be exact!) that it became known as the ‘Helen of the West Indies’ after Helen of Troy who the Trojan War was fought over.
Prior to being colonized in the 1600s, St Lucia was inhabited by the native Amerindian peoples.
The Amerindian peoples were made up of two separate groups: the Arawaks and the Caribs.
Today the island is home to over 179,000 people and, whilst it does still hold on to some distinctively English and French elements, it does have its own distinct culture.
Another common misconception is that St Lucia is in the US Virgin Islands but this is also false.
What is St Lucia Known For?
St Lucia is known for its volcanic mountains, lush jungles, cascading waterfalls and white sandy beaches.
Here’s a few of my favorite things that St Lucia is known for:
Piton Mountains
The twin peaks of the Piton mountains are certainly a sight to behold and up close, they look even better.
Gros Piton is the tallest of the two reaching 2,619ft (786m) tall. Petit Piton, the smaller mountain, still reaches an impressive 2,425ft (739m).
It is possible to climb both mountains however, surprisingly, the smaller Petit Piton is actually the more challenging climb. This is mainly because it is really steep.
There are also plenty of great spots where you can get amazing views of the Pitons without having to hike them.
Pigeon Island
Pigeon Island is a 44-acre islet that forms part of St Lucia. It was actually used by pirates to raid passing ships in the 16th century.
It was also used by the British to spy on French ships during their numerous fights over the island. Today this island is a national park.
This tiny island was once completely isolated however back in the 1970s it was artificially connected to St Lucia so you can now easily access it from the main island.
Pigeon Island is filled with lush, green foliage and tons of interesting historical clues which give a glimpse into how life used to be there including several forts which were used to spy on passing ships.
Gorgeous Beaches
St Lucia has no shortage of beautiful beaches and, impressively, most of them come with breathtaking mountainous backdrops.
My favorite beach in St Lucia is Jalousie Beach, also commonly known as Sugar Beach.
This powdery white beach sits at the base of the colossal Piton mountains and comes complete with crystal clear turquoise waters.
Sugar Beach is a fantastic snorkeling location too so you can jump into the ocean to meet tropical fish like butterflyfish, parrotfish, eels and even barracudas.
Another beach that I love is Grande Anse Beach which is much quieter and more secluded. It feels more wild and rugged compared with other beaches in St Lucia.
Waterfalls
St Lucia also has an abundance of cascading waterfalls.
My favorite waterfall in St Lucia is Toraille Waterfall which reaches 50ft and drops straight into a pool that you can actually swim in! It’s pretty fun and super unique.
To reach most of these waterfalls, you will need to hike a little bit. It’s totally worth it though as the waterfalls are just so beautiful.
And that’s it!
Thanks for reading this post on if St Lucia is in Jamaica.
Hopefully it answered some questions and debunked some myths about where St Lucia is in the world.
Thinking of visiting St Lucia?
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