St. Lucia is blessed with many uniquely beautiful beaches, but only some have areas that are perfect for snorkeling. Some beaches on the island will not provide you with good snorkeling experience at all due to the absence of coral reefs and poor water visibility. But, the best beaches in St. Lucia for snorkeling will provide you with a window into the Caribbean’s fascinating underwater world.
In this article, we will explore the best beaches in St. Lucia for snorkeling. So if you’re visiting St. Lucia and plan to go snorkeling, you’ll know exactly where to go.
St. Lucia is an excellent pick for visitors who want to explore the underwater paradise of the Caribbean. St. Lucia also has many dive companies who provide guided snorkeling tours. So if you love snorkeling, doing it in St. Lucia may prove to be your most fascinating snorkeling experience yet. So if you’re ready to go snorkeling in St. Lucia, here are the best beaches with the perfect areas to do it.
Anse De Pitons (Sugar Beach)
One of the fascinating snorkeling spots in St. Lucia is at the Anse de piton beach also known as (Sugar Beach). The Anse de piton beach is between the Pitons in Soufriere. Not only is the location a great snorkeling spot, but the scenery provides a picturesque sightseeing experience. The surrounding waters at this beach are deeper than other beaches in St. Lucia, but the location is still ideal for snorkeling because of the many coral reefs around the Pitons. The coral reefs serve as a home to many species of fish and other Aquatic animals. It also serves as a nursery for thousands of small fish that you will see in their colorful splendor.
Where to Find Anse De Piton Beach?
Anse Chastanet Beach
The waters at Anse Chastanet beach has some of the best stretches of coral reef in St. Lucia. Although there is a hotel in that location, the beach is still accessible to anyone who wants to visit.
The snorkeling area at this beach is also part of the Soufriere marine reserve. The area is well managed and provides an excellent experience for exploring the underwater life of its protected Reef.
Anse Chastanet beach also has waters with high visibility which is ideal for snorkeling. Scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts who are visiting St. Lucia usually choose Anse Chastanet beach as a first choice, especially for underwater photography. In the surrounding waters of Anse Chastanet Beach, you will find a dense, colorful coral reef with numerous exotic fish that will make for excellent underwater photography.
Where to Find Anse Chastanet Beach
Anse Cochon Beach
Snorkeling at the Anse Cochon beach gives you a chance to explore one of the most densely populated coral reefs in St. Lucia. This beautiful stretch of black sand is also a favorite stop for many boat tours which provide their guests the snorkeling experience at Anse Cochon.
The snorkeling experience is particularly good at both ends of the beach where the water visibility is excellent. You will experience a variety of aquatic life that will keep you fascinated throughout your exploration of this location.
The Ti Kaye Resort which is adjacent to the Anse Cochon beach has a beach restaurant if you care to buy food when you visit the location. You can visit the Anse Cochon Beach by either boat or by car, but access road from the main road to get there is a bumpy ride.
Where to Find Anse Cochon Beach
Virgin’s Cove
Virgin’s Cove is very close to the Anse Cochon beach and is another one of the top areas in St. Lucia for snorkeling. Virgin’s Cove can only be accessed by boat so you may need to hire a water taxi or book a snorkeling tour if you want to snorkel there. Although Virgin’s Cove is one of the least popular snorkeling sites, it provides a very unique but amazing experience from other snorkeling areas in St. Lucia. One of the great things about the Virgin’s Cove is that it has a snorkeling area that is only 15 feet deep. So, it serves as an excellent location for beginners and the less adventurous.
In the water’s at Virgin’s Cove, you will find many large barrel sponges, gorgonian sea fans, brain coral and many other hard and soft coral species. Some of the aquatic species you will find at Virgin’s Cove include moray eels, sea crabs, and many variations of snapper. In the shallowest parts, you will find cleaner shrimp and scorpion fish in significant numbers.
Where to Find Virgin’s Cove
Virgin’s Cove can be found a little ways off the Anse Conshon beach. It is not a very well know snorkeling site so it is rarely featured on a map.
Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay is a famous bay in St. Lucia and snorkeling is an everyday activity there. The pristine waters, the abundance of aquatic life and the vast coral structures at Marigot Bay beach makes it one of best Beaches in St. Lucia for Snorkeling. It’s also one of the preferred snorkeling spots for boat tours and dive companies in St. Lucia so you may find my other snorkelers there depending on when you go. If you don’t have your snorkeling gear, you can also easily access equipment at the Marigot Beach Club Dive resort close to the beach.
In the waters surrounding the Marigot Bay beach, you will find a lot of juvenile fish and other colorful aquatic life. Marigot Bay Beach is also a convenient location where you can buy food and drink after you’ve explored the underwater paradise at this lovely bay.
Where to Find Marigot Bay
Malgretoute Beach
Malgretoute Beach is a rugged black sand and pebble beach at the base before petit piton in the town of Soufriere. Malgretoute Beach beach is not a secluded beach although it may seem so if you’re unfamiliar with the access road. You can gain access to the magnitude Beach by walking to it or by Water taxi if you cannot find the access road.
The best snorkeling area to explore at Margaret beach is at the very end of the beach next to the base of Petit Piton. This unique beach presents one of the more adventurous snorkeling experiences in St. Lucia because you get to snorkel into deeper waters around the base of the Petit Piton Mountain. The use of this beach is popular with the locals, but you won’t find many tourists there. Nonetheless, Malgretoute beach provides access to a unique snorkeling location that should be explored by any snorkeling enthusiast visiting St. Lucia.
Where to Find Malgretoute Beach
There are numerous other beautiful beaches in St. Lucia. However, they do not provide the best snorkeling experiences like the above mentioned. For the best snorkeling experiences, you should ensure that water clarity is pristine so you can see the inhabitants of the Coral Reefs. To go snorkeling in St. Lucia, you may opt for an unguided tour, but we recommend that you go with tour guides who are familiar with the territory. It is also recommended that you get travelers insurance while on a vacation particularly if you plan to do the more adventurous activity. Travelers insurance will cover the cost of any injury you get during snorkeling.
The Best Beaches in St. Lucia for snorkeling will provide you with lots of photo opportunities if you plan to go, so be sure to walk with your underwater camera equipment.
Have you had a snorkeling experience somewhere in St. Lucia that we did not feature in this article? If so, please share your experience with us in the comments below
Damian is a co-founder, editor, and author at Islanderkeys. He is also a dedicated father and husband. Damian is an IT Manager / Web developer by profession, but he loves to Blog and share his knowledge about St. Lucia in travel forums.
