How Far is St. Lucia from Jamaica (mi & km)

How Far is St. Lucia from Jamaica? (mi & km)

Whether you live in Jamaica, are visiting there, or just want to use it as a stepping stone, you may find yourself with the question of how far away Saint Lucia is from Jamaica. The island of Saint Lucia is 1,122 miles or 1,805 kilometers from Jamaica. 

While Saint Lucia and Jamaica are both in the Caribbean Sea, they are relatively far apart compared to other islands. Saint Lucia is on the eastern side of the Caribbean while Jamaica is on the western side, just west of Haiti. 

Typically the flight times are calculated based on the straight line distance. While the straight line distance between Saint Lucia and Jamaica is 1,122 miles or 1,805 kilometers, that does not necessarily easily translate to an accurate measurement with which to calculate flight times.

How Long Is the Flight from Jamaica to Saint Lucia?

Based on the distance alone and the average speed of a commercial flight, it would take between 3 hours and 4 hours. Overall the average time in flight is about 3 hours and 15 minutes, but this does not take into account the layover times. 

With layover times, the total travel time from Jamaica to Saint Lucia can range from 14 hours to 30 hours. The reason for the long travel time in spite of the distance is the lack of any commercial direct flight routes. The length of time in the air is also dependent upon the location of your layover.

The quickest flight from Jamaica to Saint Lucia would be through Barbados. This first flight from Jamaica to Barbados is about 2 hours and 30 minutes long. The second flight from Barbados to Saint Lucia is about 45 minutes. Again, this does not take into account the layover length between Jamaica and Saint Lucia. 

Is There a Straight Flight from Jamaica to Saint Lucia?

In the past, there was a straight flight from Jamaica to Saint Lucia and vice versa, but that route no longer exists. Among other islands of the Caribbean, there are direct flights from several airlines, but none that directly link Jamaica and Saint Lucia

If you are flying to Saint Lucia through Jamaica, you will need to have a layover on either another Caribbean island or to other locations in the North or South American continents. Again, keep in mind, the location of your layover will determine how long your flight is in the air as well as the length of time for your layover.

Jamaica’s airports run flights to and from certain Caribbean islands. Saint Lucia has even fewer options for incoming flights. Your closest layover option is Barbados. No other Caribbean islands currently accept flights to and from both Jamaica and Saint Lucia. Barbados is the only one of four airports that have flights back and forth from Saint Lucia and is the only one that also has flights to and from Jamaica.

Since the Caribbean islands are so close to each other, most people traveling between islands focus on travel by boat. People will go on chartered boats, ferries, and cruises to go island hopping. As a result, it is not necessarily economically feasible nor logically possible for all islands to run flights to and from all other Caribbean islands. 

Your options are very limited in your options as a result. You can certainly choose to add another stop and layover. Leaving from Jamaica you may have your first stop in a different nearby country to reach the second stop in Saint Lucia through Dominica, Martinique, or Trinidad and Tobago. From there you could fly to Saint Lucia. This will, however, impact the amount of time you spent on the plane, but may decrease time spent waiting for layovers.

What Airlines Fly Between Jamaica and Saint Lucia?

Since there is no direct flight between Jamaica and Saint Lucia, you will need to take whatever airlines will fly to and from the layover location of Barbados. Unfortunately, the airline between Barbados and Jamaica and Saint Lucia are not the same. Thus, you will need to book through two separate airlines:

  1. From Jamaica and Barbados, you will fly with Caribbean Airlines
  2. Then from Barbados to Saint Lucia, you will fly with interCaribbean Airways

For both airlines, there are typically 30 flights per airline in a month between the islands. Thus, having one flight a day will impact your layover time. If your flight from Jamaica does not make it to Barbados early enough in the day, you may need to wait until the following day to get a flight to Saint Lucia.

The flights from Jamaica tend to arrive around noon in Barbados. Given this fact, it should give enough time for the departure towards Saint Lucia which is typically around 1 pm. However, there are several different factors, such as delays, that will cause the flights to not align. Also take into consideration that these are separate airlines, which may cause difficulties in moving from one airline to the next.

Does a Jamaican Need a Visa for Saint Lucia? 

If you are a Jamaican traveling to Saint Lucia, you may need to consider the length of time of your visit when deciding whether or not to get a visa. If you are staying for less than six weeks, you can go to Saint Lucia without acquiring a visa.

If you are staying for longer, you will need to investigate the types of visas you may need for your stay. When entering Saint Lucia, you will need to present your Jamaican passport as well as other types of documents, such as health documents and travel itineraries.

Are Visas Required for Other Visitors?

Similar to a Jamaican citizen, other nationalities also do not require a visa. As long as you do not stay for longer than six weeks, you can pass up on applying for a Saint Lucia visa.

You will need to show your passport, which needs to remain valid six months after you leave Saint Lucia. You will also need to provide upon your arrival in Saint Lucia your travel itinerary, proof of your travel purposes, and proof of funds that can support your length of stay.

What Does a Jamaican Need to Enter Saint Lucia?

As a tourist, Jamaicans need to bring several items to leave Saint Lucia’s immigration airport counters. You will need to have your passport that will remain valid six months after your scheduled departure from Saint Lucia.

You should also have your travel itinerary.

This will indicate your travel reservations to and from Saint Lucia and plans for traveling and accommodations within Saint Lucia. In addition, you will need to prove that you have enough funds available to you throughout your stay in Saint Lucia. These funds also need to prove you have enough money to leave Saint Lucia as well.

Due to COVID-19, Saint Lucia requires proof of vaccination of COVID-19. The final dose of your vaccination needs to have been given at least 14 days before your departure for Saint Lucia. Also before departing for Saint Lucia, you need to have a negative PCR COVID-19 test that was conducted 72 hours prior.

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