Castries Regions Guide - attractions

Derek Walcott Square
The spacious Derek Walcott Square is the central point of Castries, named for the town's famed son who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992. The town's only architectural points of interest are to be found on the square, particularly the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, its interior ablaze with golden light, flowers and candles. Shading the Cathedral is a huge samaan tree, thought to be about 400 years old. South of the square are some French buildings dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, made of wood and featuring old fretwork balconies. Near the square is the feverish Castries central market where vendors sell Indian spices, local crafts, fruit (particularly delicious varieties of bananas) and souvenirs. Colourful countrywomen are dressed in their traditional clothing and cotton headdresses.
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Morne Fortune
On the outskirts to the south of Castries, accessed via Bridge Street, stands the hill of Morne Fortune, 'Hill of Good Luck', where some violent battles were waged between the French and British in the 18th and 19th centuries in their quest to control the island. The view from the lookout on the hilltop is magnificent. The hill is also the site of Government House, the palatial Victorian edifice that is the official residence of the governor general of the island, with its lovely private gardens. Visitors can explore the military cemetery, an old battery and powder museum, and a small museum exhibiting relics from the island's colonial days.
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Website: www.slunatrust.org
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Marquis Estate
St Lucia's economy is based primarily on the cultivation of export crops, particularly bananas and copra. Several estates on the island are open to visitors. The largest, the Marquis Estate, is located just outside Castries and offers tours of the working plantation to illustrate how the crops are grown and processed. The tour includes a scenic drive along St Lucia's northeast coast into the countryside, a visit to an old sugar mill and a boat ride on the Marquis River. After tourism, banana production is Saint Lucia's major industry but it is currently facing severe difficulties due to US protectionism.
Telephone: 452 3762
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