March 22 Thursday 9:00-6:00
The Top 10 Things to Do in Castries, St. Lucia
Located on the west coast of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Castries is an important tourist destination, partly thanks to the cruise ship port at Pointe Seraphine. As the capital city, it’s where much of St. Lucia’s business takes place, but it is also served by the George F.L. Charles Airport, its runway parallel to Vigie Beach, and connects St. Lucia via frequent flights to Martinique and Guadeloupe. The harbor is also served by high-speed catamarans to Guadeloupe, Martinique and Dominica, making Castries an ideal base for island hopping.
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Duty-Free Shopping
Set in an air-conditioned mall on the seaport in downtown Castries, La Place
Carenage Shopping Plaza opens six days a week and provides duty-free shopping
for local fashion and crafts as well as brand name electronics and tobacco. Show
your passport and airline ticket for discount rates.
Catamaran Sailing
Departing from the harbor at Castries, spending a day on a catamaran sailing the
west coast gives you time to relax between visits to the island's iconic Pitons,
two jungle-clad lava outcrops, located 40 minutes south of the capital at
Soufriere. The trip also allows time for a dip in the cobalt waters of
Castries’s Marigot Bay.
Castries Market
Just steps from the cruise ship terminal, the Castries Market offers a local
shopping experience where farmers sell fresh produce and a selection of
Caribbean spices six days a week. An adjacent craft market is a good place to
pick up souvenirs.
Derek Walcott Square
Named after one of St. Lucia’s two Nobel Laureates, Derek Walcott Square is
surrounded by handsome colonial buildings, including the Castries Public
Library. On one side sits a 400-year-old monkey pod tree that offers shade from
the tropical sun.
Helicopter Tours
Departing from George F.L. Charles Airport, a helicopter tour provides
breathtaking views of the city and island. The tour uncovers secret coves, soars
above the Pitons and skims across the surface of the Caribbean Sea before
returning to Castries.
Our Planet
Located in La Place Carenage, Our Planet is an interactive visitor center that,
through immersion tunnels, snow machines, wind machines and life-size holograms,
makes an adventure of learning about environmental concerns.
Carnival
Held every July, Carnival on St. Lucia is a riot of color, costumes and calypso
that includes a procession through the streets of Castries on Carnival Monday
and a competition to declare a Carnival Queen.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Built during the 19th century, the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate
Conception is one of the most significant religious buildings built by the
French in the Caribbean. Somewhat sober on the outside, it is full of colorful
West Indian iconography and murals inside.
Morne Fortune
Just south of the city center, Morne Fortune is the site of a military cemetery
and small museum that tells of raging battles between the French and the British
for control of the region. It also boasts what many consider the best scenic
viewpoint in the Caribbean.
Marigot Bay
You can hardly visit the Caribbean without some time at the beach. If Vigie
Beach is too close to the airport for comfort, 15 minutes south lies Marigot
Bay, a sheltered cove draped with palm trees and dotted with cocktail bars; it
has been used as a movie backdrop.
