What to Do on a Rainy Day in Saint Lucia

Do not write off a wet day

Rain in Saint Lucia usually arrives in a short, heavy burst and then moves on, followed by sunshine and a rinsed green landscape. The wetter months, from June to December, bring more rain to the rainforest than to the coast, and showers are most often brief. When the weather does set in, you can turn the day towards culture, craftsmanship, history and food, which show a different side of the island. Our best time to visit guide explains the seasons.

Pack a light waterproof jacket, as set out in our what to pack guide, and keep the day flexible. Many of the ideas below can be combined into a half day or a full one, with a taxi or a driver to take you between them.

Tour a rum distillery

The Roseau Valley is home to Saint Lucia Distillers, which offers guided tours that explain how rum is made, from the cane to the cask. You learn about the ingredients and traditions and taste award-winning rums, including Chairman's Reserve and Bounty. It is one of the most popular indoor outings on the island, and it pairs well with a lunch of Creole dishes. Our food and rum guide describes the island's rums in more detail.

Check opening hours and booking requirements before you go, and arrange a driver if you plan to taste more than a little.

Make chocolate

Cocoa is a long-standing island crop, and the estates in the hills have turned it into a visitor experience. Hands-on chocolate tours at Rabot Estate's chocolate workshop near Soufrière, and at a cocoa and coffee plantation near Dennery, show how beans become chocolate, with tasting at the end. A workshop is a good way to spend a wet afternoon, and children enjoy it. Read more in our cocoa and chocolate guide.

Browse a market or craft centre

Castries Market has been trading since 1891 and remains one of the best places to see everyday life. Stalls sell spices, sauces, fruit, handmade souvenirs and Creole treats, and the covered halls keep you dry. Our Castries guide explains how to get the most from it. On the southwest coast, the Choiseul Arts and Crafts Centre showcases pottery, baskets, wood carvings, jewellery and artwork, and gives a glimpse of skills passed down through generations.

Buying directly from the people who make things is among the most rewarding ways to support local families, as our responsible travel guide explains.

• Visit the market in the morning for the best choice.
• Carry small notes of local currency.
• Ask before photographing vendors.

Visit a cathedral and a museum

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception stands in the centre of Castries and is one of the largest churches in the Caribbean. Its colourful interior murals and wooden architecture are worth seeing in any weather, and it sits beside Derek Walcott Square, so you can combine it with a coffee stop. Dress modestly, and check opening times, as services take place at various hours.

If you are near Pigeon Island, the small museum there gives background on the history of the site and the region.

Eat a long lunch

A wet afternoon is a good excuse to eat well and slowly. Restaurants known for island flavours, fresh seafood and Creole cooking include The Coal Pot, Orlando's, Pink Plantation House and Dasheene, and resort dining rooms are always an option. Our where to eat guide suggests places by area and price.

If you prefer to learn, ask about Creole cooking classes, which many resorts and local guides can arrange. Cooking a green fig and saltfish with a local cook is a memorable way to spend a rainy morning.

What can I do in Saint Lucia when it rains?

When it rains in Saint Lucia you can visit a rum distillery, make chocolate at a cocoa estate, browse Castries Market, tour a museum or cathedral, take a cookery class or enjoy a long lunch, because many of the island's best experiences happen under cover. Showers in the tropics are often short and heavy, followed by sunshine, so a wet morning does not mean a lost day. The key is to have a few indoor options in mind and to stay flexible. Our Creole cooking classes page describes a hands-on way to spend a wet afternoon, learning to cook local dishes and then eating the results at a long table with new friends and a cold drink.

Spa days are another natural answer. Resorts across the island offer treatments, and some are built to be enjoyed in the rain, with covered terraces, warm pools and the sound of water on leaves. Our spa rituals and mud baths guide explains what is on offer. A massage while a tropical shower passes outside can be one of the most relaxing hours of a holiday, and it is a good excuse to indulge without guilt. Book as soon as the sky turns grey, because treatment rooms fill quickly on wet days, especially at the larger resorts, and the best times disappear first.

If you prefer to stay active, consider a dive or snorkel, since you are going to get wet anyway. Underwater visibility can be good between showers, and the sea is warm. Our diving and snorkelling pages explain where to go. Ask the operator about conditions, and avoid the sea in thunderstorms. Equally, a rainy day is ideal for reading, writing postcards, catching up on a journal or playing cards on a veranda, and these quiet pleasures are often what people remember afterwards, long after the details of the busier days have blurred into a single, sunny impression of the island.

Which wet weather activities suit families and couples in Saint Lucia?

Wet weather activities that suit families and couples in Saint Lucia include chocolate making, cookery classes, craft workshops, museum visits and covered market strolls, all of which give children and adults something to do together. Cocoa estates often combine a tour with a hands-on session, and children enjoy the sticky, messy and delicious process of turning beans into chocolate. Our cocoa and chocolate guide explains how it works. Craft workshops let you make something to take home, which is a memorable souvenir and a good way to meet the people who keep the island's traditions alive, as well as a lovely way to pass an afternoon when the sky is grey.

Couples might prefer a slow lunch at a restaurant with a view, a tasting session at a distillery or a couple's treatment at a spa. Our rum and distilleries page describes how rum is made and how to taste it. Rain adds atmosphere to a covered terrace, and the island's food, from grilled fish to Creole stews, is made for lingering. Book a table in advance if you have a particular place in mind, since wet days can fill restaurants, and ask for a seat under cover with a view of the water so that you can watch the weather roll across the bay while you eat.

For older children, a trip to the capital can be a good wet day option. Browse the shops, visit a cathedral or museum, and have lunch in a local restaurant. Our Castries guide describes the main sights. Pack a light rain jacket and flip-flops that cope with puddles. If the weather clears, you can always change plans. The best approach is to start with an indoor activity, keep an eye on the sky and be ready to move outdoors when the sun returns, because tropical showers often pass quickly and leave the air fresh and the colours bright, which makes for lovely photographs.

How do I plan around showers rather than cancel plans in Saint Lucia?

To plan around showers in Saint Lucia, schedule outdoor activities for the morning, keep the afternoon flexible, check the forecast daily and pack light waterproofs, because rain in the tropics often arrives quickly and clears just as fast. The wetter months bring more frequent showers, but even then many days include long sunny spells. Our best time to visit page explains the seasons. Ask your hotel for local advice, since staff know how the weather behaves in their part of the island and can tell you whether a shower is likely to pass or settle in for the afternoon, which saves you from cancelling a trip that would have turned out perfectly well.

Choose activities that cope with rain. Boat trips usually go ahead in showers, though rough seas can change that. Waterfall visits can be spectacular after rain, with the water thicker and louder, though paths may be slippery. Our waterfalls and gardens guide gives tips on sensible footwear and care. Hiking is best postponed after heavy rain, as trails can be muddy and steep. Keep valuables in a dry bag, and take a spare towel and a change of clothes so that a soaking becomes part of the fun rather than a reason to turn back early and spend the afternoon feeling cold.

Above all, keep a sense of humour. A tropical downpour on a warm day is part of the Caribbean experience, and watching rain sweep across the sea, with the Pitons wreathed in cloud, can be as beautiful as clear blue sky. Have a plan B ready, and enjoy the way the island changes mood. Our packing guide suggests what to carry, and our food and rum page offers ideas for the indoor hours that rain provides, from a long lunch to a tasting of local rum and chocolate, so that even a grey day becomes one of the more memorable chapters of your holiday.

Turning a wet afternoon into a lesson in local life

Showers are part of a tropical island, and climate and hurricanes explains how and why they come. When one arrives, treat it as a chance to learn.

Settle in with literature and Nobel laureates, explore music and dance, or plan an indoor visit using heritage and historic sites. Culture and traditions has more to browse.

From planning to booking

Most visitors fit this into holidays to St Lucia, so choose your base first. Compare St Lucia hotels by area and style, and read our guides to luxury hotels in St Lucia and all inclusive resorts in St Lucia if you are choosing between a boutique stay and an all in package.

Then set your dates with the best time to visit St Lucia, book flights to St Lucia and pick days out from our St Lucia itineraries. Couples can also read about a honeymoon in St Lucia or weddings in St Lucia.

Questions travellers ask