Castries population 10,634, aggl. 37,963 (2001-05-12), is the
capital cityCapital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of
Saint LuciaSaint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, a country in the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. The district with the same name had a population of 61,341 in 2001-05-22, and stretches over an area of 30.5 square miles (79 km²).
Castries is located in a flood gut and is actually built on reclaimed land. It houses the seat of government and the head offices of many of the businesses both foreign and local. The city's design is in a grid pattern similar to a metropolitan city like
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
but on a much smaller scale. It has a sheltered harbour which receives cargo vessels and ferry boats as well as cruise ships. It contains duty free shopping facilities such as Point Seraphine and La Place Carinage; many restaurants which offer varied menus from local to Chinese; supermarkets and many other shopping facilities. The city is well serviced by a bus system and taxi service.
St Lucia's main post office is located in Castries. Because most parts of the country do not use standard street addresses, mail is largely sent to P.O. boxes. Any mail sent without a town name ends up in the Castries post office.
History
Castries was founded by the
FrenchThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1650 as "Carenage" (meaning safe anchorage), then renamed in 1756 after
Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de CastriesCharles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix de Castries, marquis de Castries, baron des États de Languedoc, comte de Charlus, baron de Castelnau et de Montjouvent, seigneur de Puylaurens et de Lézignan was a French marshal...
, commander of a French expeditionary force to Corsica that year.
The earlier settlement across the harbor at Vigie, started in 1651, was abandoned after a devastating hurricane in 1780.
From 1803 to 1844 the British made the town a major naval port and built fortifications on
Morne FortuneMorne Fortune is a hill and residential area located south of Castries, Saint Lucia in the West Indies. Originally it was a fort constructed by the French, it was captured by the British on 24th May 1796. A memorial to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers still stands commemorating the battle...
, the mountain which overlooks this important harbor. By 1844, Castries had a population of 4,000. By the end of the century it had become a major coaling station, because it was the only port in the Caribbean capable of accommodating the Royal Navy.
During WWII, a German U-boat sailed into Castries harbor and sank two allied ships. Castries has been rebuilt many times, following major fires in 1796 and 1813, and most notably on June 19, 1948.
Tourism
One of the major tourist areas in St. Lucia, Castries is a port of call for cruise ships. Cruise ships dock at Pointe Seraphine, to the north of the harbour which is also a duty free shopping centre. A taxi service is readily available to take visitors on tours of the rest of the country or the city. There is also a water taxi available to take passengers from there to the city as well. The greatest concentration of hotels, resorts, and restaurants are near Castries and the island's other main towns,
Gros IsletGros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country....
,
Soufrière-Towns and villages:*Soufrière, Dominica, a village on the southwest coast of Dominica in the Caribbean.*Petit Soufrière, Dominica, a village on the east coast of Dominica.*Soufrière, a town in Saint Lucia in the Caribbean.-Landforms:...
, and
Rodney BayRodney Bay is a bay on Saint Lucia; it is along the northwestern coast of the island to the north of Choc Bay. It is named after British naval officer George Brydges Rodney. At Rodney Bay you can climb aboard the brig Unicorn, used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean and see the west side of the...
. The city maintains three tourist offices, and one in the airport. There are also many duty free shops within the town itself and several restaurants and other eating establishments including Burger King, Dominoes and KFC.
Castries has a few landmarks such as the
Cathedral of the Immaculate ConceptionThe Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, located in Derek Walcott Square, Castries, Saint Lucia, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Castries, currently Robert Rivas...
, Derek Walcott Square (named after the island's Nobel Prize-winning poet,
Derek WalcottDerek Alton Walcott, OBE OCC is a Saint Lucian poet, playwright, writer and visual artist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992 and the T. S. Eliot Prize in 2011 for White Egrets. His works include the Homeric epic Omeros...
; before that it was named Columbus Square), the City Library, the Government House, and Fort Charlotte, at the top of Morne Fortune (an 845-foot hill) to name a few.
One of the major draws for tourists to St. Lucia is its beaches, and there are several in or very near Castries.
Vigie BeachVigie Beach is located 2 km north of Castries, Saint Lucia, running parallel and immediately adjacent to the George F. L. Charles Airport.It is a protected white sand beach. Immediately opposite the airport departure lounge are a few small food kiosks....
, Malabar Beach, Choc Beach, and La Toc Beach are all within easy reach.
Transport
Castries is served by
George F. L. Charles Airport- Charter :-Cargo Services:* Federal Express* DHL* Ameriflight* Corporate Air...
, also known as Vigie Airport. Passengers on longer flights arrive at
Hewanorra International AirportHewanorra International Airport , near Vieux Fort Quarter, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean, is the larger of the country's two airports and is managed by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority ....
, near Vieux-Fort. However, the drive between Hewanorra and Castries can take an hour and a half. Helicopter service between the two airports shortens travel time.
Ferries run between Castries and
Fort-de-FranceFort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:...
,
MartiniqueMartinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. Yachts may also dock in Castries, though they must clear customs first. When the customs area is full, yachts must anchor at the quarantine dock to wait. Those who don't comply are fined. Afterward, yachts may anchor in front of Castries Town or Vigie Creek.
Standard bus routes run from Castries to all the outlying districts on the island. These buses can be identified by their green license plates with the numbers starting with an M example M456. There are designated areas where you can see these buses lined up awaiting passengers to take them to their destinations. On the front of these buses is what is called a "Route Band". It is luminescent and contains the words Route 1A or 1B.To get to other areas of the island, one can use these buses or the taxi service which have blue plates. The private minivan buses offer transportation from bus stops, or simply by being flagged down on the roadside.
Political institutions
As well as being the capital city of Saint Lucia, Castries hosts the secretariat of the
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean StatesThe Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , created in 1981, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance between countries and dependencies in the Eastern Caribbean...
. Castries also hosts the headquarters of the
Eastern Caribbean Supreme CourtThe Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is a superior Court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , including six independent states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and three British...
.
In October 2008, the American Chamber of Commerce, Saint Lucia, was established. The establishment of a chamber was encouraged by the U.S. Embassy, Barbados. Hugh W. Jones was elected and installed as its first President.
A number of international embassies and consulates keep their headquarters in Castries. They include the
Organization of American StatesThe Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
, British High Commission, Mexican Embassy, Embassy of The
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan) (in
Rodney BayRodney Bay is a bay on Saint Lucia; it is along the northwestern coast of the island to the north of Choc Bay. It is named after British naval officer George Brydges Rodney. At Rodney Bay you can climb aboard the brig Unicorn, used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean and see the west side of the...
), Dominican Republic Consulate, French Embassy, Italian Vice Consulate, Jamaican Consulate, Netherlands Consulate, Norwegian Consulate, and Venezuelan Embassy.
External links