Sports and Fitness in Saint Lucia

A sporting island

For a small island, Saint Lucia has a good spread of sporting facilities. National stadiums and training centres sit alongside village football fields, a swimming centre, tennis courts and golf courses. Sport is part of community life here, so there is almost always a match, practice or session within reach.

Visitors can use it in two ways. You can watch a game and soak up the atmosphere, or you can use the facilities and the outdoors to stay in shape. Our guide to cricket culture covers the island's best-loved game, and the sections below look at the rest.

Major venues in the north

The Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium is the island's biggest, near Gros Islet and Rodney Bay. It holds up to around twenty thousand people and has floodlights for day and night cricket. Nearby at Beausejour, the Indoor Practice Facility was built for the 2007 Cricket World Cup and now hosts basketball, volleyball and netball, with seating for about six hundred.

The National Tennis Centre, also at Beausejour, has six courts including a stadium court for tournaments. Our golf and tennis guide adds details on the courses, and the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre has a 25 metre pool plus a shallow training pool, with swimming lessons, competitive programmes and group classes such as aqua aerobics.

Football grounds around the island

Football is the sport you will see most in villages. Anse La Raye has a lit grass field beside the sea, and Soufrière has a mini stadium with an artificial pitch and an athletics track. In Dennery, the Saint Lucia Football Association technical centre has an artificial pitch used for training and matches, and Dennery Playing Field is also a busy ground.

Vieux Fort has the Philip Marcellin Grounds, with a grass pitch, stands and lights. Micoud has the Micoud and Desruisseaux fields, both with artificial turf and floodlights. If you want to watch, ask your hotel about local fixtures, because village games are friendly and cheap. See our Anse La Raye and Vieux Fort guides for context.

Open-air fitness

Swimming is the most natural exercise here, from pools to calm open-water bays. Beaches suit early walks and runs, and many resorts have gyms and classes. For paddling, see our water adventures guide, and for hiking, the hiking and rainforest guide sets out trails for every level.

Sandy Beach near Vieux Fort is a long windswept stretch popular with kitesurfers. Wind is the thing to look for, so ask local schools about lessons and conditions before you hire equipment. Running is best early, before the heat, and on quieter roads away from traffic. Take water and wear reflective gear if you go before sunrise.

• Run or swim in the morning, when it is coolest.
• Ask your resort about gym access and classes.
• Check wind and sea conditions before kitesurfing.

Wellness alongside the workout

After activity, look after recovery. Many resorts offer yoga, spa treatments and massage, and the yoga and mindfulness guide and the spa rituals guide explain the choices. Hydration matters, as the tropical heat is stronger than it feels.

Local fruit, fish and provisions make good fuel, and our where to eat guide suggests places to refuel. Sun protection is essential, even on cloudy days.

Planning around sport

Check fixtures and opening times before you go, as stadiums and pools are used for events and community sessions. Local sport is often organised through the island's sports platform, which brings together cricket, football, rugby and swimming, so ask at your hotel for the latest.

A sporty trip fits well with a base in the north, using the accommodation guide to choose. The family fun itinerary adds ideas for children, and the packing guide covers kit.

Can I keep up my fitness routine on holiday in Saint Lucia?

Yes, you can keep fit on holiday in Saint Lucia with early runs and beach walks, swimming in pools and bays, resort gyms and classes, yoga, hiking, paddling and kitesurfing near Vieux Fort. The key is working with the climate rather than against it. The tropical heat and humidity are stronger than they feel, so exercise in the early morning, when the air is coolest, or after the sun has dropped, and drink more water than you would at home. Allow a day or two to acclimatise before you push yourself, and wear light, breathable kit.

Resorts make it easy. Many have gyms, pools and a timetable of classes, and several offer yoga on a deck or beach with the sea in front of you. If you prefer to be outdoors, a long walk on the sand at dawn is hard to beat, and swimming across a calm bay is a gentle workout with a view. Runners should choose quiet roads away from traffic, wear reflective gear if they start before sunrise and carry water, and should be aware that hills are steeper than they look on a map.

Think of the activities in this guide as workouts too. A guided hike in the rainforest is a full-body session with scenery, a paddle along the coast builds shoulders and core, and a day of snorkelling and swimming is surprisingly tiring. Our guides to hiking and rainforest and water adventures show what is on offer, and the yoga and mindfulness guide covers classes and retreats that fold gentle movement into the day. You do not have to give up your habits, but you may find you enjoy new ones.

Where can I watch live sport in Saint Lucia?

You can watch live sport in Saint Lucia at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium near Gros Islet, at village football grounds across the island and at tennis, swimming and indoor events at the Beausejour and Rodney Heights facilities. Cricket is the sport most visitors from Britain want to see, and a match at the stadium, whether international or local, has a convivial atmosphere with music, food and cheerful rivalry. Our guide to cricket culture explains the history of the game on the island and how to enjoy a match day.

Football is the sport of the villages. On a weekend afternoon, you may hear a game before you see it, with a ground beside the sea or in the hills and a crowd of locals on the touchline. Ground facilities vary from simple grass pitches to artificial surfaces with floodlights, and visitors are welcome to watch. Ask your hotel or a taxi driver about fixtures, as schedules are posted locally rather than online. A friendly match is a good way to meet people, and it is rare to be turned away from the sideline.

Other sports have their place. The island has a tennis centre with several courts, a swimming centre with a long pool and a training pool, and facilities for basketball, netball and volleyball. Events are organised throughout the year, from school sports to national competitions, and the island's athletes are a source of pride. The background article on sport in Saint Lucia describes the national story, and our golf and tennis guide adds more on playing as well as watching.

What is the best sport and fitness base for a Saint Lucia holiday?

The north around Rodney Bay and Gros Islet is the best base for sport and fitness in Saint Lucia, with the cricket stadium, tennis centre, aquatic centre, marina and beach all close together and many resorts offering gyms and classes. Staying here means you can run on the sand at dawn, play tennis in the morning, swim in the afternoon and watch a match in the evening without long drives. Our guide to Rodney Bay describes the area, and the range of hotels is wide enough to suit every budget and style.

The south offers something different. Near Vieux Fort, Sandy Beach is a long, windswept stretch that attracts kitesurfers, and local schools offer lessons for those who want to learn. Check wind and sea conditions with the school before you book, and be honest about your experience. Around Soufrière, the emphasis shifts to hiking and diving, with steep trails and walls that drop close to shore, and the Vieux Fort area is a good place for those who like open space, big skies and fewer crowds.

Whichever base you choose, plan your recovery. Spa treatments and massage are widely available, and the detox and wellness retreats guide shows how longer stays combine activity with rest. Pack sensibly using our what to pack guide, including trainers with grip, quick-drying kit and a hat, and have a look at where to stay to choose a resort with the facilities you will use. A good holiday for active people mixes effort with idleness, and the island is built for both.

Staying active in a sporting island

Fitness here sits within a wider sporting culture. The sport in Saint Lucia guide describes the games people love, and notable Saint Lucians introduces athletes of whom the island is proud.

For planning, the climate guide helps you choose when to train, and education and health gives a wider view of wellbeing on the island.

Where to stay and how to plan

Most visitors fit this into a holiday in St Lucia, so choose your base first. Compare places to stay in St Lucia 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