Pigeon Island Beach

Pigeon Island is the quietly excellent beach day in the north of St Lucia, and it earns that reputation by doing the simple things well. Two small white sand coves sit inside a national landmark joined to Rodney Bay by a causeway, the water in each is calm and clear, and behind the sand the grounds rise to Fort Rodney and the green knolls that once watched for passing ships. It is a swim with a setting, and the setting is kept tidy and calm by the Saint Lucia National Trust.

What makes it special is the ease and the privacy. Arrive at opening, walk past the ruins to the cove by the dock, and you can have the clearest water and the best of the small reef fish to yourself before the cruise groups and the catamarans arrive. There is shade on the grass, a cafe for a long lunch, and a sense of order that the busier beaches nearby do not have. For the traveller who values a civilised day over a loud one, this is the pick of the north.

The honest catch is the gate. You pay to enter the landmark, the snorkelling is good but not the equal of the reefs at Soufriere, and on a cruise ship day the coves can fill by late morning. The exposed Pigeon Island Causeway Beach outside the gate is free but roadside and far less appealing, so resist the saving and go inside. Treat the fee as the price of a quiet, well kept cove rather than an imposition.

Come to Pigeon Island for calm water, history and a serviced day. For the island's liveliest swim and watersports next door try Reduit Beach, for the finest shore snorkelling head south to Anse Chastanet, and for a quiet town beach near Castries see Vigie Beach. To arrange a table or a daybed, use our St Lucia beach clubs directory, and for the full ranking see the best beaches in St Lucia.