ConCIErgE CloSE uP: CAStrIES, St. luCIA - Silversea Cruises

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St. Lucia
St. Lucia Channel
Marigot Bay
Marigot Beach
Anse-la-Raye
Grande
Caille Pt.
Anse Cochon
Anse Chastanet
Soufrière
Harbour
Anses des Pitons
Caribbean Sea
Canaries
Choiseul
Anse-la-Raye
LaFargue
0 4 miles
0 6 km
Castries
Clarke Ave
Millenium Hwy.
Cap Pt. Cariblue Beach
Pigeon Point Pigeon Island
Gros Anse Lavouette
Rodney Bay Islet
Reduit Beach
Esperance Harbour
Rodney
Bay
Cape
Choc Beach
Marquis
Vigie Beach
Castries
see detailed
map
Roseau
Mt. Parasol
Laborie
Laborie Bay
Vieux Fort
G. F. L. Charles
(Vigie) Airport
Diamond
Botanical
Gardens Mt. Gimie
Fond
Soufrière St. Jacques
Fond
Doux
Estate
The Pitons
Vigie Beach
Lunar Park
Rd.
Petit
Carenage
Pt.
Seraphine
La Toc Rd.
Hospital
Fort Charlotte
Morne Fortune
La Soufrière
Drive-In Volcano
La Sorcière
Barre de l’Isle
Hewanorra
International
Airport
Honeymoon
Beach
Ridge
Trou
Garnier
Port Castries
Rd.
Concierge close up: Castries, St. Lucia
Magnificent St. Lucia—with towering mountains, dense rain forest, fertile green valleys, and acres of banana
plantations—lies in the middle of the Windward Islands. St. Lucia is distinguished from its neighbors by
the Pitons—the twin peaks on the southwest coast that soar nearly ½ mi (1 km) above the ocean floor and
have become a symbol of this island. Nearby, outside the former French colonial capital of Soufrière, is
a “drive-in” volcano, neighboring sulfur springs that have rejuvenated bathers for nearly three centuries,
and one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the Caribbean.
A century and a half of battles between the French and
English resulted in St. Lucia’s changing hands 14 times before
1814, when England established possession. In 1979 the island
became an independent state within the British Commonwealth
of Nations.
Peninsular Rd.
George Charles
Airport
Seraphine Rd.
Belizaire Rd.
Poinse tta Rd.
Manoel St.
Vieux
Fort
Dennery
Mandéle Pt.
Savannes
Bay
Grand
Anse Bay
Grande
Anse
Fond d’Or
Bay
AT L A N T I C O C E A N
Praslin Bay
Vierge Pt
Micoud
Maria
Islands
Anse de Sables
Moule à Chique
Peninsula
John Compton Hwy.
Jermie St.
Bridge St.
0
0
Vendor’s
Arcade
Derek
Walcott
Square
M. Mason Ave.
Mc Vane
Laborie St.
Peynier St.
Brazil St.
L‘Anse Rd.
Desir
Ave.
Crick Rd.
Dr,
Darling Rd.
J. Baptiste
St.
St. Louis St.
High St.
Micoud St.
Mary Ann St.
1/4 mi
1/4 km
Vide
Calvary
Rd.
Chausse Rd.
Boutelle
Castries Market
Cathedral of
the Immaculate
Conception
Sights
Castries Area. Most cruise ships dock at the capital city
of Castries, on the island’s northwest coast. Either of two
docking areas is used: Pointe Seraphine, a port of entry and
duty-free shopping complex, or Port Castries, a commercial
wharf across the harbor. Downtown Castries is within walking
distance of the pier, and the produce market and adjacent
crafts and vendors’ markets are the main attractions.
Castries, a busy commercial city of about 65,000 people,
wraps around a sheltered bay. Morne Fortune rises sharply to
the south of town, creating a dramatic green backdrop. The
charm of Castries lies almost entirely in its liveliness, since
most of the colonial buildings were destroyed by four fires
that occurred between 1796 and 1948.Derek Walcott Square
honors the hometown poet who won the 1992 Nobel Prize
for Literature. Buildings from the 19th century can be seen
on Brazil Street, the square’s southern border. On the Laborie
Street side, a huge, 400-year-old samaan tree shades a good
portion of the square.
Directly across Laborie Street from Derek Walcott Square
is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,
which was built in 1897. The building’s interior walls are
decorated with colorful murals reworked by St. Lucian artist
Dunstan St. Omer in 1985, just prior to the pope’s visit.
Begun in 1764 by the French as the Citadelle du Morne
Fortune, Fort Charlotte was completed after 20 years of battling
and changing hands. In addition to the redoubts, a
guardroom, stables, cells, and the military cemetery, you can
take in the Inniskilling Monument, a tribute to the 1796 battle
in which the 27th Foot Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers wrested
the Morne from the French.
Jutting out from the northwest coast, Pigeon Island ($)
is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Tales are told of
the pirate Jambe de Bois (Wooden Leg), who once hid out on
this 44-acre hilltop islet—a strategic point during the struggles
for control of St. Lucia. Now, it’s a national landmark and a
KEY: $ Admission charged E Physical address s Mailing address

venue for concerts, festivals, and family gatherings. EPigeon
Island, St. Lucia National Trust, Rodney Bay .
Rodney Bay is named for British admiral George Rodney,
who sailed the English Navy out of Gros Islet Bay in 1780 to
attack and ultimately decimate the French fleet. Rodney Bay
Marina is one of the Caribbean’s premier yachting centers.
Soufrière Area. It’s a 1½-hour drive on the winding West
Coast Road (or a 45-minute boat ride) from Castries to
Soufrière, the oldest town in St. Lucia and the former French
colonial capital. The town was founded in 1746 and named
for its proximity to the volcano. The wharf is the center of
activity in this sleepy town (which has a population of about
9,000), particularly when a cruise ship is moored in pretty
Soufrière Bay.
The Soufrière Tourist Information Centre (EBay St., Soufrière)
provides information about area attractions.
The splendid Diamond Botanical Gardens & Waterfall
($) is part of Soufrière Estate, a 2,000-acre land grant made
in 1713 by Louis XIV to three Devaux brothers from Normandy
in recognition of their services to France. The estate
is still owned by their descendants. Water bubbling to the
surface from underground sulfur springs streams downhill
in rivulets to become Diamond Waterfall. ESoufrière Estate,
Soufrière .
Fond Doux Estate ($), one of the earliest French estates
established by land grant (1745 and 1763), encompasses 135
hilly acres that still produce cocoa, citrus, bananas, coconut,
and vegetables; the restored 1864 plantation house is still in
use as well. EChateaubelair, Soufrière .
As you approach La Soufrière Drive-In Volcano ($), your
nose will pick up the strong scent of the sulfur springs. You
drive up within a few hundred feet of the gurgling, steaming
mass, then walk behind your guide around a fault in the
substratum rock. EBay St., Soufrière .
The Pitons. These two unusual mountains have become
the symbol of St. Lucia. Covered with thick tropical vegetation,
the massive outcroppings were formed by lava from a
volcanic eruption 30 to 40 million years ago.
Shopping
The island’s best-known products are artwork and wood
carvings; clothing and household articles made from batik
and silk-screened fabrics, designed and printed in island
workshops; and clay pottery. You can also take home straw
hats and baskets and locally grown cocoa, coffee, and spices.
The only duty-free shopping is at Pointe Seraphine or La Place
Carenage, on opposite sides of the harbor. You must show
your passport and cabin key card to get duty-free prices.
You’ll want to experience the Castries Market and scour the
adjacent Vendor’s Arcade and Craft Market for handicrafts
and souvenirs at bargain prices.
Activities
Beaches. All of St. Lucia’s beaches are open to the public,
but Pigeon Point, Reduit, and Vigie beaches are particularly
accessible to cruise-ship passengers. At Pigeon Point, a small
beach within Pigeon Island National Historic Park, a restaurant
serves snacks and drinks, but this is also a perfect
spot for picnicking. Reduit Beach, a long stretch of golden
sand, is next to Rodney Bay. Many feel that Reduit (pronounced
red-wee) is the island’s finest beach. Vigie Beach,
a 2-mi (3-km) strand in Castries, is not far from the port. It
runs parallel to the George F. L. Charles Airport runway and
continues on to become Malabar Beach, the beachfront for
the Rendezvous resort.
Diving. The coral reefs at Anse Cochon and Anse Chastanet,
on the southwest coast, are popular beach-entry dive sites. In
the north, Pigeon Island is the most convenient site.
Fishing. Among the deep-sea creatures you can find in St.
Lucia’s waters are dolphin (also called dorado or mahimahi),
barracuda, mackerel, wahoo, kingfish, sailfish, and white or
blue marlin. Sportfishing is generally done on a catch-andrelease
basis. Neither spearfishing nor collecting live fish in
coastal waters is permitted. Half- or full-day deep-sea fishing
excursions can be arranged at either Vigie Cove or Rodney
Bay Marina. Beginners are welcome.
Golf. The only public course is at the island’s northern tip and
offers panoramic views of both the Atlantic and Caribbean.
It’s an 18-hole championship course (6,836 yards, par 71).
Depending on the season, greens fees range from $90 for 9
holes to $140 for 18 holes. Reservations are essential. Complimentary
transportation from your cruise ship is provided
for parties of three or more people.
Horseback Riding. Creole horses, an indigenous breed, are
fairly small, fast, sturdy, and even-tempered animals suitable
for beginners. Established stables can accommodate all skill
levels and offer countryside trail rides, beach rides with picnic
lunches, plantation tours, carriage rides, and lengthy treks.
People sometimes appear on beaches with their steeds and
offer 30-minute rides for $10; ride at your own risk.
© 2010 Fodor’s Travel