Anchorage· St Lucia· Windward Islands
Anse Chastanet Moorings
13° 52.1′ N · 61° 4.8′ W · approximate
The SMMA mooring area between Anse Chastanet and Anse Mamin, just north of Soufrière, puts you over one of the island's best reefs with a resort beach, dive centre and rainforest behind.
Practical
Position is off the beach between Anse Chastanet and Anse Mamin, derived from the OpenStreetMap coastline (approx). Noonsite lists 'between Anse Chastanet and Anse Mamin' as an SMMA yacht mooring area, while The Moorings' itinerary says anchoring only with no mooring balls: check with the ranger on arrival. SMMA rules in brief (Noonsite, last updated April 2023, and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority): the coast from Anse Cochon to Gros Piton is managed by the Soufrière Marine Management Area; anchoring is forbidden except in designated zones, and even there only by day (6 am to 6 pm) with a stern line to a palm tree. Use only SMMA moorings, which carry a yellow tag on the pick-up line; private moorings laid by locals off the town are not SMMA moorings and are of unknown quality. Mooring requires a Coral Conservation Permit bought from a uniformed SMMA ranger. The Moorings advises using it as a lunch stop if the wind is not favourable for an overnight. Approaching from the north, give the shoal off the south side of Anse Chastanet a wide berth (Noonsite). The reef starts right off the beach; keep the boat and dinghy outside the swim and reef area.
Best for
Snorkelling straight off the boat
Season
Settled weather; exposed to NW swell
Nearby
- Turtle Reef (Anse Chastanet)0.1 NM away
- Anse Chastanet Beach0.2 NM away
- Anse Mamin Beach0.2 NM away
- Jungle Beach Bar and Grill (Anse Mamin)0.2 NM away
- Trou au Diable Beach Restaurant (Anse Chastanet)0.2 NM away
- Anse Chastanet Reef0.3 NM away
- Scuba St Lucia Dive Centre (Anse Chastanet)0.3 NM away
- Fairyland (Anse Chastanet Headland)0.4 NM away