Castries Car Hire Coupons

Castries Attractions and Things to See

Castries is the capital city of Saint Lucia, that is a country in the Caribbean that has been built in a flood gut, constructed on reclaimed land, in a grid pattern like the metro area of New York City, although on a decidedly smaller scale, with a marvelous sheltered harbor that welcomes cruise ships, ferry boats and cargo vessels. There are duty free shopping areas like the La Place Carinage and Point Seraphine, with many outstanding restaurants offering fare from the local cuisine to Chinese, numerous shopping facilities and supermarkets. It can be traveled with an excellent taxi service and bus system, and naturally, an excellent rental car business that may be just the right type of transportation for visitors that plan to do a little traveling.

The city had been founded by the French in 1650 as Carenage or safe anchorage, although it would be renamed during 1756 after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix, the marquis de Castries, a commander in the French expeditionary force that had been sent to Corsica that year.

Morne Fortune, the hill and residential area south of the city, contains a fort built by the French but captured by the English in 1796, and there is still a memorial located there dedicated to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The original fort is still located on the top of the hill, with old military structures that have been listed as a historical area, run by the Saint Lucia National Trust. The area has the Saint Lucian campus of the University of the West Indies and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College; and the government house is located on the northern area of the hill, that is the official residence of the Governor-General of Saint Lucia. From the hill, you will get beautiful panoramic views of the harbor and city.

The city has grown into a major tourist center since it is a port of call for cruise ships, which come in and dock at Pointe Seraphine, on the northern part of the harbor that has an excellent duty free shopping center. From here, many folks can grab a cab to tour the rest of the city or country. You can try the water taxi that is also located there, that bring visitors to the city by water, where the largest concentration of restaurants, hotels and resorts can be found, along with the country's other main cities. Castries has three tourist offices in it, and one at the airport, with many duty free locations inside the city limits, with numerous restaurants and other eating places like Dominoes Pizza, KFC and Burger King.

But one of the most attractive parts of the nation are its beaches, with a few in the city or near it, like La Toc Beach, Vigie Beach, Malabar Beach and Choco Beach that are in near proximity. Vigie Beach is just a short distance from the city, with lovely white sands and small lapping waves, that is parallel to the George F. L. Charles Airport and next to it. It is a protected beach opposite the airport's departure lounge with a couple of small food kiosks. Many long distance travelers arrive at in the island at the larger Hewanorra International Airport that is closer to Vieus-Fort and an hour and a half drive to Castries, which might behoove you to investigate the rental car services at the airport so you can view the beautiful scenery along the drive and enjoy some freedom with your time and visit.

Castries does have some landmarks like the magnificent Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the City Library and Derek Walcott Square that was named after the island's Nobel prize winning poet, Derek Walcott. The city has some excellent restaurants that specialize in Caribbean and sea foods that will make your mouth water with the local creations.