Soufriere
From CruisersWiki
| Soufrière Port of Entry
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 Satellite View of Soufrière |
Soufrière is a port of entry to St Lucia. The small town is in a large beautiful bay. The whole bay is Sea park and anchoring is prohibited to protect fragile the coral. There are, however, several laid moorings where one can tie for 40 XCD (about $25 USD) for 2 nights. Find a free mooring and secure your boat, an attendant comes with a launch and collects the fee. Do not be deceived by the free-roaming young men who will rush to assist you. Any assistance, no matter how trivial, costs a minimum of 10 XCD .
If you want to snorkel you must purchase a permit for 3 XCD, the coral reefs are full of small fish; some parrot fish, large schools (over 600) of tigerfish, sponges, coral formations, etc. But the visibility is not like the Aegean's, it is less than 5 m (16').
Charts
See St. Lucia.
Weather
See St Lucia.
Passages
See St Lucia.
Communication
Add here VHF channel for the coastguard, harbor masters. etc.
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
The approaches to Soufrière are straightforward.
Entrance
Soufriere is a port of entry/exit for St Lucia. For details see Entrance: St Lucia.
Berthing
You must go to a mooring. Right next to the customs is the office if the Sea Park where you can obtain a diagram of their moorings.
Find a free mooring and secure your boat, an attendant comes with a launch and collects the fee (about 40 XCD).
Anchorages
There are many small coves where the Sea Park has laid moorings. Consult the diagram obtained from their office.
Amenities
| Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Water | Water is available at the town dock, if your hose is long enough (30 meters or so) |
| Electricity | N/A (Not Available) |
| Toilets | ? |
| Showers | ? |
| Laundry | ? |
| Garbage | There are bins near the dock |
| Supplies | |
| Fuel | At the town of Soufrière there is a fuel station, you have to carry cans |
| Bottled gas | ? |
| Chandlers | None |
| Services | |
| Repairs | N/A |
| Internet | ? |
| Mobile connectivity | ? |
| Vehicle rentals | Ask at the Hummingbird restaurant |
Provisioning
There are some modest stores in the town of Soufrière.
Eating out
The Hummingbird restaurant next to Soufrière serves good meals are reasonable prices and has a breathtaking view of the Pitons. However, watch out for the dingy minders at the restaurant dock. They are out for blood!
Transportation
See St. Lucia.
Tourism
Places to Visit
A visit to Piton Valley, part of the UNESCO World Heritage is a must. It is a truly unique place.
The place I have enjoyed the most is the Botanical Gardens near Soufrière. It is full of exotic tropic flowers of many colors and shapes. Soufrière is a run down but picturesque town with many old colonial buildings. The walk through the town, however, is not pleasant. You are hassled all the time by people who want to sell you fruits, bread, take the garbage, sign you up for a tour, use their taxi etc. These people are at the dock, the streets, and in the sea with various boats. --Istioploos
In addition to the gardens, there are two near-by attractions: the waterfalls, the volcano. The waterfalls are not very impressive but the walk through the thick rainforest to reach them is rather enjoyable. In the volcano, there are a lot of sulfur deposits, hydrogen sulfide fumes, and a phenomenon that I have never seen before: pools of boiling black water, a real witches' brew. Seawater seeps into the volcano. Then the water, mixed with carbon and other minerals, boils and bubbles out from fissures in the crater. It is quite impressive.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Soufriere at the Wikipedia
- Soufriere at the Wikivoyage
- St. Lucia Official Guide
References
See St Lucia.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
- The town is run-down but picturesque with many old colonial buildings. The walk through the town, however, is not pleasant. You are hassled all the time by people who want to sell you fruits, bread, take the garbage, sign you up for a tour, use their taxi, etc. These people are at the dock, the streets, and in the sea with various boats. This is very tiresome and it negates the enjoyment of a really stunningly beautiful place. The steep Pitons, covered with thick rainforest, come all the way down to the green ocean and to the small beaches of very fine sand. --Istioploos 13:16, 15 April 2008 (MDT)
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Soufriere and this page's details validated:
- February 2005 --Istioploos
Travels with S/Y Thetis
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Names: Istioploos |
