St Lucia Town Information
St Lucia Town Information
Home of the Hippo
St Lucia is small quaint and incredible with a permanent residency of 1000 people you will undoubtedly be surprised by the beauty that surrounds this South Africa's very first world heritage site.
St Lucia Town Information
Location
Situated within the Zululand area St Lucia is 2,5 hours North of Durban and easily accessed.
Wildlife
Surrounded by iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the town has numerous wildlife visitors both by day as well as by night. Hippos being the most photographed.
Origanal Name
Rio de la Medaos Oura in 1554, then renamed Santa Lucia in 1575 and once again in 1822 to St Lucia.
What makes St Lucia so Special?
First of all the area is South Africa's very first world heritage site (UNESCO 1999). If it's wildlife and pristine beaches that you are looking for then this may just be the place to visit. Surrounded by water the area is actually an island and access is by a bridge. The west is the St Lucia Estuary home to 800 Hippos and 1200 Nile Crocodiles. On the eastern side the Indian Ocean with its warm tropical waters year-round.
Hippos are continuously seen wandering the town and this remains a marvelous sighting, to say the least.
Cape Vidal
No trip to St Lucia may be complete without a visit to Cape Vidal. The gate is approximately 3 km from At Heritage House and makes for an incredible day outing be it for some wildlife sightings or some time spent on the beach. Enroute one may enjoy numerous loop roads, hides, or a quick stop at Mission rocks for some amazing views. Cape Vidal is a protected bay and offers some amazing snorkeling. Keep a lookout for the Samango Monkeys that frequent the area. The total distance from St Lucia to Cape Vidal is 30 km.
St Lucia Town
Previously a fishing village the area has fast grown into a top tourist destination after it's world heritage status. One is spoilt for accommodation options and one may easily enjoy 5 star to backpacker accommodation. Numerous restaurants litter the main road (Mckenzie Street) and the majority of accommodations are within walking distance to town. Please do be on the lookout for Hippos at night, please. Keep your distance and enjoy it.
St Lucia Tourist Attractions
Birding, Hippo Boat Trips, Big 5 Safaris, Zulu Culture, Deep Sea Fishing, Turtle Tours, Whale Watching, Guided Walks, Night Drives, Horse Back Riding and the list go's on and on. St Lucia really does have it all and we will gladly assist you with any information that you may require should you like to join in on any of the above excursions during your stay At Heritage House.
Also, have a look at our impressive Over Night Safari Packages.
St Lucia Nearby Attractions
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Africa's oldest proclaimed game reserve. Home to the Big 5 and many other interesting animals. A mere 54km from St Lucia lies the world acclaimed Hluhluwe Park with its impressive 96000 hectares of wildlife and magnificent scenery. Daily excursions are available in house from At Heritage House so make sure you get to see this amazing destination.
St Lucia Town Information
Restaurants
- Ocean Basket Seafood
- Reef and Dune Pizza
- Alfredos Italian food
- Fishermans Seafood
- Brazza Portuguese food
- Ocean Sizzler Pizza
Contact Numbers
- Alpha Pharmacy 035 590 1612
- Alpha Security 086 112 5742
- Dr Irene Coutsoudis 035 590 1095
- Heritage Tours & Safaris 035 590 1555
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park 035 590 1633
- Cape Vidal contact number 035 590 9012
