St Lucia / Kitesurfing/Windsurfing

The best place for windsurfing, and latterly kitesurfing or kiteboarding is Anse de Sables in the far south east of the island, close to the airport. The beach looks out onto an extremely large bay with onshore and cross-shore winds that run straight off the Atlantic. The area is quite a popular gathering point for windsurfers and general beach goers alike. There are a couple of bars as well as the sports shops.

Windsurfing and kitesurfing have the same basic requirements - constant winds and a protected location (so that you don’t end up being blown off to Curacao) - and Anse de Sables is ideal, with winds that average between 15 and 20 knots during most of the year, rising to 25 or even 30 knots in January and February.

That said, the two sports give each other a little room so that surfers do not get tangled up. The windsurfers tend to take the space upwind in the bay and the kitesurfers downwind. Rental costs around US$60 for a windsurfer and US$80 for a kitesurfer (board only $30) per day, with better weekly rates of course.

The Saint Lucia Kite Surfing Fiesta is an annual competition held at Anse de Sables in Vieux Fort since 2007, which attracts some of the big names associated to the sport. Two days of entertainment with live bands and beach activities as well as the pro and expression events.

Equipment hire and instruction for both sports is available through the following two sports shops:

Tornado Kite and Surf St Lucia, Gros Islet.

The Reef Kite + Surf, Anse de Sables.