Apart from being an excellent place to unwind, St. Lucia is also a great shopping destination. The destination provides an excellent shopping experience for all types of travelers. Whether visitors are in St. Lucia for a romantic vacation, a family trip, or on a sporting holiday, the markets on the island will definitely meet the choice and needs of every traveler. Most of the shopping in St. Lucia is pivoted around the capital city Castries. Close to the harbor is the Pointe Seraphine shopping complex that offers duty-free designer perfumes, crystal, jewelry, china, and clothing. Visitors can also find woodcarvings and other local arts and crafts in this shopping complex, which houses more than 20 shops.
The Old Market in Castries is another excellent place to shop. The market is about 100 years old and is a great place to shop for local handicrafts and food. Travelers interested in arts can visit the Artsibits Gallery in Castries which has excellent paintings and carvings. North of Castries is the Gablewoods shopping center that has a wonderful range of shops and services including a supermarket, international books and news, and also postal service. Another great place to shop is the J.Q. Shopping Mall which has 54 modern shops and travelers can buy anything right from food to jewelry.
2 miles south of Castries, visitors can reach the La Toc Road where they can find the studios of Sydney Bagshaw, a local artist, and the La Place Carenage. The Marina Village is the latest Duty-Free Shopping Center in St. Lucia. Located at Marigot Bay, the shopping center has high-end clothing & jewelers, local art & craft, hand-painted pottery, and a souvenir and gift shop. Travelers can also visit the old Caribelle hilltop house for shopping and also sightseeing. Eudovic studios in Goodlands just 10 minutes from Castries features woodwork. Soufriere has some marvelous gift and clothing shops.
On the northern end of the town, the mesmerizing waterfront Maurice Mason Street walk has a stunning range of gift shops. The Gros Islet on the northern part of the island is a superb place to shop. The Rodney Bay Marina has a spectacular modern shopping arcade with excellent stores that sell gifts, clothing, and accessories and also provide banking facilities.
As most of the shopping is around Castries, visitors can easily find their way to the Masjid Al Nur and also find some Halal dining facilities nearby. The best time for shopping is between 8:30AM to 4:30PM Monday to Friday and 8:30AM to 12:30PM in the Castries Market, so travelers can be free by Zuhr. The main shopping centers are open till late all the week but the marina-based shops are closed on Sundays.
