St Lucia is a beautiful, small coastal town in Northern KwaZulu-Natal approximately 2.5 hours drive from King Shaka International Airport in Durban. It is located on the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, on the East Coast of South Africa.
St Lucia is surrounded by the ocean, the St Lucia Estuary and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, one of South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the St Lucia Estuary and the closeness to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve are three of the many reasons why St Lucia is a popular town to visit and stay in.
The St Lucia Estuary, is well known for the large hippo and crocodile population that live in it and this is one of the big attractions of the small town.
Whilst hippos and crocodiles spend their days happily in the water of the estuary, in the evenings the hippos move on to the land to feed.
Some interesting Hippo facts:
- Hippos are herbivores, so they are looking for grasses to graze on.
- Adult hippos weigh about 1,500 – 2,000 kgs and they eat up to 1.5% of their body weight a night.
- Hippos graze for about 5 hours a night and can travel up to 10kms in this time, to ensure they find enough food.
- Despite their vast size, hippos are actually very fast and can run up to speeds of 30km/h on land.
In St Lucia, hippos (groups and individuals) are frequently seen at night, walking through the streets of St Lucia heading to the grassy areas for their evening meal.
It is an incredible sight to see and one that St Lucia is renowned for, but it must be remembered, these are wild animals and are dangerous. They must be respected and never approached.
When visiting St Lucia, if lucky enough to experience this incredible sighting, stay well back and observe from a safe distance. Never advance towards a hippo.
There are so many activities to enjoy when visiting St Lucia, but the one St Lucia is most well known for is the Hippo and Croc Boat Cruise on St Lucia Estuary.
The boat cruises run multiple times a day and last about 2-hours. They normally operate every 2-hours from about 8am to about 4.30pm.
There are several companies offering boat cruises and the boats varying in size and passenger capacities, so it is best to see which you prefer and book that specific trip.
As well as hippos and crocodiles, the St Lucia Estuary is home to numerous bird species, making these trips extremely popular with birding enthusiasts.
Recommendation from “What to do in South Africa”
Our recommendation is to book onto one of the smaller boat cruises. These boats are often able to get closer to the animals and as there are less people you are able to enjoy a better view.
In addition, there tends to be less noise on the smaller boats making it easier to hear the fascinating facts and information the guides have to share.
St Lucia has so many activities and excursion to enjoy. Here are a list of some of the most popular ones:
- Full-day or half-day game drives/safaris to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve
- Full-day or half-day game drives/safaris in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Guided Birding walks
- Snorkelling trips to Cape Vidal in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Sunset game drives/safaris to the Eastern or Western Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Night drives to the Eastern or Western Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Horse riding in the bush and/or on the beach
- Turtle Tours
- Whale-watching tours
- Deep sea fishing trips
- Guided fishing trips on fat bikes
- Cultural Village tours
- Elephant interaction at Bayete Zulu
- Cat Rehabilitation tour at Emdoneni
St Lucia has a huge variety of accommodation available.
There are camping grounds, backpackers, self-catering units, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, holiday homes and luxury lodges.
St Lucia has accommodation for each and every taste and budget, so there will be the ideal place for everyone.
There is no bad time of the year to visit St Lucia, however, the weather and temperatures do vary between seasons.
St Lucia has a sub-tropical climate with its rainy season in the summer and its dry season in the winter.
- January, February and March are the warmest and the wetest months of the year. Average temperatures are 25°C – 40°C and humidity is high.
- April and May have warm days, but the evenings are beginning to cool down in May. Average temperatures are 22°C – 30°C.
- June, July and August are winter and are the driest months of the year. During this time, the days are still warm and sunny with the evenings cooling down a little. Average temperatures are 15°C – 24°C
- September, October, November start warming up during the days and the nights with average temperatures of 22°C – 32°C
- December is peak holiday season in South Africa. In St Lucia the days are hot and so are the evenings. The long school holidays take place and the town becomes extremely busy with many accommodations fully booked several months in advance. Average temperatures are 27°C – 40°C.
If you wish to visit St Lucia in December, we recommend you book well in advance.
