Castries, Capital city with deep-water harbor in Saint Lucia.
Castries stretches along the western coast of Saint Lucia, occupying a flood plain with a grid pattern layout near a natural harbor in the Caribbean Sea. The city offers a mix of low-rise buildings, market halls, and government structures grouped around the harbor basin.
The French established the settlement in 1650 as Carenage, later renaming it Castries in 1785 after Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, French Navy Minister. The city changed hands multiple times between French and British rule before Saint Lucia gained independence in 1979.
The Derek Walcott Square features bronze busts of two Nobel Prize winners from Saint Lucia: economist Arthur Lewis and poet Derek Walcott. Locals use this central square as a meeting point and a place to rest under old trees, while nearby market stalls offer fresh produce and spices.
Travelers can access the city through George F. L. Charles Airport, located eight minutes from downtown, or via cruise ships at the modern harbor terminal. The grid pattern streets make orientation straightforward, and most points of interest lie within walking distance from the market area.
The Great Fire of 1948 destroyed 40 blocks of the city, leading to a complete reconstruction that transformed the urban landscape with modern infrastructure. Many older wooden buildings were replaced with concrete structures, giving the present downtown its characteristic appearance.
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