Castries

Castries, Saint Lucia

The Castries harbour and town spread below Morne Fortune at sunset, with a stone parapet and wildflowers in the foreground.

Castries is a working Caribbean capital with a busy market, a calm harbour and hill views, worth a day or two before the island's beaches.

The place

Castries sits on a low, flat stretch of reclaimed land at the head of a sheltered harbour on Saint Lucia's north-west coast, only about 2 metres above sea level. It is the island's capital, with an urban population of around 20,000 and a wider district several times that size. Government offices and the head offices of local and foreign firms are here, so weekday mornings are busy with people in office clothes crossing a street grid that is easy to read on foot. The harbour does the heavy lifting. Cargo ships, ferries and cruise liners all use it, and on days when several liners are in, the duty-free shopping areas at Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage fill with day visitors and the town centre turns noticeably livelier. On quiet days the city goes back to its own rhythm of market stalls, minibuses and schoolchildren in uniform. Behind the grid the land rises steeply, and Morne Fortune gives the clearest sense of how the town is squeezed between ridge and sea. The climate is tropical rainforest: warm all year, humid, with heavy showers that tend to pass quickly. Castries is a working capital rather than a resort. Vigie, Malabar, Choc and La Toc beaches lie close by, but many travellers treat the city as a gateway or a single day out, and base themselves elsewhere on the island.

Its story

Castries began in 1650 as a small French fort near the harbour, set up by about 40 men under de Rousselan after the French West India Company sold the island's rights to private buyers. The settlement was first called Carénage, a word for a place where ships are hauled over and repaired, which says plainly what the harbour was for. In 1769 the governor moved the capital to the south side of the harbour, and in 1785 the village took its present name from the marquis de Castries, then France's minister for the navy and colonies. Saint Lucia passed between French and British hands more than once, and the British later developed the port as a coaling station, with the first steamship calling in 1841. Fire has been the town's recurring enemy. Blazes in 1805 and 1813 were followed by the fire of 19 June 1948, the most destructive, and the city was rebuilt each time, which helps explain why the centre has few very old buildings. The Second World War reached the harbour as well. On the night of 9 March 1942, German U-boat U-161 entered the harbour and torpedoed two Allied vessels, one of which was the Canadian ship Lady Nelson. That vessel was raised, towed to Canada and converted into a hospital ship. The same harbour is still the reason the city exists, now handling ferries, cargo and cruise ships.

What to see

Culture

Castries is where Saint Lucia's mix of French, African and British inheritance is easiest to see. English is the official language, but Kwéyòl, a French-based Creole, is what many people speak at home and in the market, and a few words of it are received warmly. The city's cultural weight is larger than its size suggests: Arthur Lewis, the 1979 Nobel laureate in economics, and Derek Walcott, the 1992 laureate in literature, were both born here, and the central square now carries Walcott's name. Catholic faith shapes the calendar and the skyline, with the cathedral at the centre of town life, and Sunday services are still well attended. Cricket is followed with real passion; local matches are played at Mindoo Phillip Park, while top-level games are held at the Daren Sammy Ground in Gros Islet. Music, from soca to calypso, peaks around Carnival in July, and Creole Day in October brings out traditional dress and food across the island. Daily manners are courteous and slightly formal, and conversations tend to open with a proper greeting before any business is done. Greet people with a 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' before asking anything, and ask permission before photographing market vendors or anyone inside a church.

What to wear

Castries has a traditional dress that is brought out for celebrations rather than worn daily. The best known is the wob dwiyèt, a gown with a full, layered skirt made from madras, a lightweight checked cotton, worn with a folded madras head-tie and often gold jewellery. It appears around Creole Day in October and at the flower festivals of La Rose and La Marguerite, and at school and cultural events. Everyday clothing in the capital is practical for heat: cotton shirts, light dresses, shorts, linen trousers and sandals, with smarter, more covered outfits for office work, church and formal occasions. Swimwear is for the beach, and people notice if it is worn in town. Visitors should dress for a humid tropical climate, in breathable cotton or linen, with a hat and sunglasses. Carry a light rain jacket, since showers arrive fast. For the cathedral, cover shoulders and knees, and put a shirt or wrap on over beach clothes before walking through the streets or the market. Comfortable closed shoes or sandals with grip are best for the steep roads of Morne Fortune and the old stone at La Toc Battery. Flip-flops are fine for the beach but poor for hill walks.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. December to April is the drier, sunnier stretch with less humidity, which suits walking and beaches. The climate is tropical rainforest, so showers occur year-round, and the wetter, more humid months run roughly from June to November, which is also the Atlantic hurricane season.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. Fly to Hewanorra International Airport at the island's southern end, or to the smaller George F. L. Charles Airport beside Castries for regional flights, then take a taxi or minibus for the last leg. Cruise ships dock at Pointe Seraphine on the north side of the harbour, and ferries also serve the port.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources