Things To Do in Lucea

You’re likely to be one of the only tourists at this event in Lucea Bus Park. And while it sounds like a food festival, really the Jerk Festival is a musical extravaganza. Past editions have seen dancehall artists like Ninja Man take the stage, and there’s also a Rising Star contest where the new crop get a chance to shine.

Proof that good things come in small packages, the Hanover Museum is a compact treasure trove. Housed in an old police barracks on Lucea’s northwest seafront, the oddball collection of artefacts – from paintings and pottery to a pair of stocks – chronicles the town’s past. Stop in at the gift shop to pick up a crafty souvenir for the folks back home.

One of Lucea’s most distinctive landmarks is this Georgian courthouse in the town’s main square. On its roof is a 19^th-century clock tower that wasn’t part of the original design – it was actually intended for St Lucia but a postal mix-up saw it sent to Lucea instead. The locals liked it so much they raised the money to buy it outright – it’s easy to see why.

Jamaican barrow boys hiding behind giant piles of papayas, and primly dressed mammies doing their weekly shop are just some of the sights at this laid-back Saturday market. It’s a good place to pick up souvenirs like djembe drums, woodcarvings, and rasta beads. You can also find jerk spices and pimento wood chips – the secret ingredients for a Jamaican barbecue. More upmarket gifts like premium rums and silver jewellery can be found in the shopping centre in Grand Palladium Hotel.

During the week, there’s a handful of bars in town serving Red Stripe to a lilting reggae soundtrack. And at weekends Club 300, the only club in town, fills up with youngsters doing the latest Jamaican dancehall moves – it’s best to go accompanied as it can get quite lively. On the whole, though, visitors to Lucea settle for the hotel entertainment, which lines up steel bands, calypso dancers and a slightly more sedate disco.

Eating out in Lucea is all about filling up on fresh local ingredients. For a low-key meal, drop into one of the fuelling stations around the main square for steamed snapper, jerk chicken and coconut milk ice-creams. Or if you can’t decide what to eat, head for the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton – it’s got 10 restaurants, with menus that cover barbecue to à la carte.

Lucea has a handful of restaurants where the fare is as authentically Jamaican as it gets. Look out for the family-run places around the bay where you can tuck in to grilled fish with rice and peas or festival dumplings. There’s also an Ital restaurant serving up a Rastafarian diet of organic soups, salads and juices. And keep your eyes peeled for barrel grills smoking away at the side of the road – generally these have the best jerk chicken and pork in town.

This upscale hotel has more bars than you can shake a bottle of Red Stripe at – 13 to be precise. You can watch the sun set over a rum punch at the Infinity Bar then pop into the Vegas Bar to try your luck at the casino and slot machines. And for late-night dancing, the Boogie Woogie Disco Bar stays open ’til 2am.

True to its chilled ways, Lucea’s nightlife is a distinctly low-key affair. Pop into one of the simple bars dotted around town and you’ll find a good-natured mix of rum and reggae. Alternatively, keep an eye out for one of the bay’s ad hoc beach barbecues that can sizzle into the small hours.

This restaurant may look like a glorified shack, but inside its colourful wooden walls, owner Ray serves up steaming plates of Jamaican dishes like tofu with greens and peas. And the food goes does well with a cool sorrel and ginger tonic. You’ll find this place overlooking the harbour to the east of town.

You’ve got a wind-sheltered bay here. The cove’s shallow, family-friendly waters are perfect for little swimmers and snorkellers who don’t like to get out of their depth. If all you want to do is laze, though, the shady, grass-roofed bars mean you’re never far from a cold mango juice.

Sarducces is a contemporary restaurant and bar where you’ll find plenty of Lucea residents happy to chin-wag about local life. Red Stripe is what most people are drinking, though there’s also a collection of top-end rums like Appleton Estate and Coruba.

Lucea’s trio of quiet beaches are all huddled on the northeast edge of the bay. You can begin your day with a morning swim on the main beach – a 300-metre strip of white sand that’s dotted with sunloungers. After lunch, head over to the public beach where you can have an ice-cold Red Strip and mingle with the locals. And in the late afternoon, make your way to Sunset Cove where you can snorkel around the rocks before surfacing in time to watch the horizon swallow up the sun.