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Gros Islet fishing village impressions
This is where we parted ways with most of the tourists of St Lucia, as we were staying in the small fishing village of Gros Islet, sandwiched in between the Marina, Rodney Bay, and the Sandals and the Landings condo development. Although staying in a small fishing village sounded quaint, the village itself was pretty rough. We were the only tourists - which didn’t bother us - but the complete lack of restaurants, the locals smoking pot on every corner, open sewers running through the streets - well let’s just say it took away considerably from the charm of the fishing village. There is what could be a nice stretch of beach in front of it, but the water didn’t look overly clean, and there was a lot of junk around the area. There are no tourist facilities - no ‘real’ restaurants - mainly street food and bars selling barbecue chicken. We did end up eating at Somewhere Special with some friends we met, and we all had good meals, although despite the name, it was nothing that special.
There is no real grocery store in Gros Islet- there’s a very basic bakery, and a small convenience store - but nowhere to buy basics like cheese, eggs, fresh fruits, or vegetables. For that, you need to drive 15 minutes to the large supermarket in Rodney Bay.
There is no real grocery store in Gros Islet- there’s a very basic bakery, and a small convenience store - but nowhere to buy basics like cheese, eggs, fresh fruits, or vegetables. For that, you need to drive 15 minutes to the large supermarket in Rodney Bay.



Hi Ian and Wendy. What a lovely site. Thanks for the frank description of the town of Gros Islet. I’m a Saint Lucian national and am from the quarter of Gros Islet although not from the town itself.
The town suffered a sort of death, being cut off by the Rodney Bay Marina Channel from the rest of the economic growth of the general area. A lack of investment in the town itself also meant that its streets turned into dead zones, brewing much undesirable activity. Quite sad but a clear indication of how planning can make a big difference. I truly hope in years to come it can be a place of authentic urban regeneration to realize its potenial given such a wonderful location.
[Reply]
Comment by Calixte — February 9, 2009 @ 1:21 am