Named Rodney Bay after eighteenth-century British commander
George Brydges Rodney, the current incarnation of this former
American army base is a compact but fully fledged tourist resort,
sandwiched between the glorious if overcrowded Reduit Beach and
the shops and yachting facilities of Rodney Bay Marina. The mangrove
swamp that once separated the villages of Rodney Bay and Gros
Islet has been replaced by a man-made harbour channel, which
opens out into a deep-water lagoon dotted with bobbing yachts.
From the Castries-Gros Islet Highway, the main road into town
(look for the sign to Rodney Bay) is on the left side, just before
JQ's shopping mall, thwe harbour and marina.
The settlement itself is quite small, and most of the activity
is split between the beach and the Rodney Bay Marina . The
marina is considered by many to be among the finest in the
Caribbean, with plenty of slips and full services for boaters
as well as a few somewhat grotty and unappealing restaurants,
banks and gift-shops. The complex is also a good spot for
booking watersports : numerous operators are based here, and
activities
range from scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and pleasure boat
cruises, to windboard, sailboat, car and motor-craft rentals.
At the south end of the marina, just after you turn into
Rodney Bay from the highway, you can hop on the rather touristy
ferry
to Pigeon Island (tel 758/452-8816). Hostels in Rodney Bay |
ROOMS ST LUCIA
