January is an ideal time to visit St. Lucia. Visitors can expect an average of eight hours of sun during the day, and cooler temperatures at night.
The island of St. Lucia is a lush, mountainous, volcanic island located in close proximity to the equator. To give you an idea of just how close – the equator is located at zero degrees latitude, and St Lucia is located at 20 degrees latitude.
The average temperature in January will be in the high 70’s in the morning, rise to 80 degrees by early afternoon, and then drop to around 75 degrees in the evenings. Although this is not the rainy season, you might experience light showers which usually don’t last long. The North East trade-winds off the coast of Africa also pick up during this month, providing cooling breezes on the beaches and throughout the island.
St Lucia is one of the Windward islands, and the closest neighbor islands are Martinique, St Vincent and Barbados. In fact both Martinique and St Vincent are visible on a clear day. St. Lucia lies on the eastern side of the Caribbean Sea, but also borders the Atlantic Ocean.
The island drops off in a perpendicular angle into the Caribbean Sea which makes the water much darker than other islands in the Caribbean. As a volcanic island, the beaches are particularly unique and range from course black sand to soft white power sand – and every color variation from golden, beige and brown. Travelers are advised to wear plenty of sunscreen – even on days when it appears to be cloudy. Being this close to the equator – along with the cooling trade wind breezes – you can get sun burnt very quickly. The black sand beaches hold heat during the daytime hours, and wearing beach shoes will make it easier to walk as well as protect the feet.
There is a definite weather variation in different regions of the island. The coastal areas will normally be very pleasant during the day with cooling trade-wind breezes. However the tropical rain forest area in the interior of the island will be very hot and humid. St Lucia is one of the most mountainous islands in the region, and travelers looking to hike the Piton mountains should be aware that temperatures can drop quickly – definitely bring a light jacket or sweater.
Overall January in St Lucia will be quite pleasant with lots of sun, little rain, and always breezy.
