St. Lucia · Nightlife

The island's long-running weekly jump-up: on Friday evening the streets of the fishing village close to traffic and fill with sound systems, barbecue grills and bars selling beer and rum by the plastic cup. Cash only, and it gets busier the closer to midnight you arrive.

The main concentration of bars, restaurants and late openings outside the hotels, spread along the Rodney Bay road and around the marina and the Baywalk mall. Most places open seven nights, and it is the one area where walking between venues is realistic.

A deep, sheltered inlet on the west coast with a marina and a handful of waterside bars. The evening here is drinks on the water rather than dancing, and a small boat shuttles across the bay for a few EC dollars so you are not driving the hill road twice.

The bigger nights follow the calendar, not the week — Carnival in July and the Saint Lucia Jazz season put outdoor stages and late licences across Castries and the north. The tourism authority's festivals pages carry the current year's dates, which move.

There is no night bus. The minibus routes thin out sharply after dark, so getting back from Gros Islet or Rodney Bay to Castries or the south means a taxi. Fares are zoned rather than metered and quoted in EC or US dollars — agree the number before you get in, and expect a night rate.