Castries

There’s plenty to see and do in St Lucia’s impressive capital city of Castries. Most of the cruise ships visiting St Lucia will dock in Castries and holidaymakers can enjoy a fabulous duty-free shopping experience here. Vigie Beach is a wonderful sandy stretch near Castries which has an appealing laid-back ambiance to it with swaying palms and calm turquoise waters for cooling down after a relaxing sunbathing session. This is a great spot for a picnic, a meal and drink at the restaurant or snack shacks there, or watching a magnificent sunset. An impressive backdrop to Castries is Morne Fortuné, an 852ft hill overlooking the harbour which was formerly a location of British and French forts and still features enthralling old military structures. Castries market is worth a visit and features a myriad of delightful handicraft, souvenir and food stalls. Popular attractions in the port town include Castries Cathedral which is the largest church in the Caribbean and Derek Walcott Square with its enchanting colonial buildings and magnificent 400-year-old monkey pod tree.