Castries St Lucia Island
St Lucia

720 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Azamara Club Cruises (30 Cruises)

Carnival Cruise Line (15 Cruises)

Celebrity Cruises (77 Cruises)

Cruise celebrity ascent ship

Celebrity Ascent

3260 Passengers
141420 tons
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Cruise CEL Celebrity Ship Eclipse

Celebrity Eclipse

2852 Passengers
121878 tons
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Costa Cruises (30 Cruises)

Costa Fascinosa.

Costa Fascinosa

4108 Passengers
114 tons
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Crystal Cruises (17 Cruises)

Cunard (39 Cruises)

Cruise Cunard Queen Mary 2 ship

Queen Mary 2

2691 Passengers
151400 tons
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Explora Journeys (20 Cruises)

Holland America Line (26 Cruises)

MSC Cruises (57 Cruises)

msc meraviglia cruise ship

MSC Meraviglia

4500 Passengers
167600 tons
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MSC World Europa3

MSC World Europa

5400 Passengers
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Norwegian Cruise Line (32 Cruises)

Cruise NCL Norwegian Cruise Line Prima Ship

Norwegian Prima

3099 Passengers
142500 tons
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Oceania Cruises (28 Cruises)

Ponant (22 Cruises)

Le Ponant.

Le Ponant

33 Passengers
1 tons
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Princess Cruises (94 Cruises)

Cruise PCL Princess Crown Ship

Crown Princess

3080 Passengers
113561 tons
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Cruise PCL Princess Emerald ship

Emerald Princess

3080 Passengers
113561 tons
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises (35 Cruises)

Royal Caribbean Cruises (40 Cruises)

Seabourn Cruise Line (64 Cruises)

Seabourn Ovation.

Seabourn Ovation

40350 tons
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Silversea Cruises (36 Cruises)

Cruise SIL Silversea Cruises Silver Spirit ship

Silver Spirit

1019 Passengers
39519 tons
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Viking Ocean Cruises (28 Cruises)

viking sea.

Viking Sea

48000 tons
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Virgin Voyages (18 Cruises)

Long before the city comes into view, you can hear its market. Vendors calling out, crates being stacked, dominoes slapping down on tables: Castries lives out loud. The capital of Saint Lucia sits at the head of one of the finest natural harbours in the Caribbean, and ships have two docks to choose from. Pointe Seraphine, on the north shore, gathers the duty-free shops; La Place Carenage opens directly onto downtown. From either one, the heart of the capital is reached on foot in fifteen minutes at most.

The Central Market, a Century of Abundance

Beneath its orange-red iron market hall, inaugurated in the late 19th century, more than 300 stalls line up: plantains, yams, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, peppers pickled in vinegar, woven baskets, and spices sold by the bag. It's the perfect place to bring home local cocoa or a bottle of Creole sauce, and above all to take the pulse of the island. Vendors happily explain how to prepare breadfruit or christophine, and the conversation quickly slips into French Creole, a legacy of the era when the island changed hands fourteen times between France and England.

Walcott, the Cathedral, and the Murals

A few streets away, a square shaded by great saman trees bears the name of Derek Walcott, winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature and a native son of the neighbourhood. It faces the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, whose interior comes as a surprise: walls and ceilings are covered in boldly coloured murals painted by local artist Dunstan St Omer, in which biblical figures wear Caribbean faces. All around, a few lace-trimmed Creole houses survive, spared by the great fires of 1927 and 1948 that shaped the capital's modern face.

Morne Fortune, a Balcony of Battles

South of the harbour, the hill of Morne Fortune rises to about 260 metres. French and British forces fought over it for a century; what remains are gun batteries, stone barracks, and a monument to the Inniskilling regiment. It's reached by taxi in about fifteen minutes, for the main reward: a sweeping view over the harbour, the ship at dock, and, on a clear day, the north of the island all the way to Pigeon Island.

Extending the Day to the Beaches or the South

Vigie Beach borders the small airport's runway, just minutes from the terminal, for those who simply want to swim. Organized excursions instead head to Rodney Bay and its marina, about twenty minutes to the north, or take on the long winding road to Soufrière and the Pitons, about 75 minutes to the south. This last outing fills nearly the entire stop; it's best booked through the ship or an established local operator.

Notes for This Stop

ItemDetail
DockingPointe Seraphine or La Place Carenage, both in town
Central Market10-15 minute walk from the docks
Morne FortuneAbout 15 minutes by taxi
Currency and LanguageEastern Caribbean dollar, US dollar accepted; English and Creole

Heading Back Up the Gangway

Castries has no ramparts, no grand old quarter; the fires took those from it. What it offers instead can't be bought in the duty-free shops: a working Caribbean capital, a market fragrant with nutmeg, murals found nowhere else in the world, and a lookout steeped in military history. Passengers who give it a few hours of their attention leave with bags of spices in their luggage and, often, a phrase of Creole picked up between two market stalls.

Frequently Asked Questions

At one of the two berths at the head of the harbour: Pointe Seraphine on the north shore, with the duty-free shops, or La Place Carenage, which opens straight onto the town centre. From either one, the heart of the capital is fifteen minutes' walk at most.
The central market, Derek Walcott Square and the cathedral, then up to Morne Fortune for the view. If you are aiming for the Pitons, count about 75 minutes of winding road each way: that is the whole call.
An orange-red iron hall opened in the late nineteenth century, with more than 300 stalls: plantains, yams, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, peppers preserved in vinegar, woven baskets and spices sold by the bag. The vendors are happy to explain how to cook breadfruit or christophine.
Its interior. Walls and ceilings are covered with boldly coloured murals by the local artist Dunstan St Omer, in which the biblical figures have Caribbean faces. It is unique in the Antilles, and you would never guess it from outside.
The 1992 Nobel laureate in literature, and a son of this neighbourhood. A square shaded by great saman trees carries his name, opposite the cathedral. It is a good place to pause between the market and the rest of the walk.
A hill of about 260 metres south of the harbour, fought over by the French and British for a century. Batteries, stone barracks and a monument to the Inniskilling regiment remain. A taxi climbs up in about fifteen minutes for the plunging view over the harbour and, on a clear day, north to Pigeon Island.
Because the island changed hands fourteen times between France and England. English is the official language, but French-based Creole remains the language of daily life, and conversation slips into it quickly at the market.
Vigie beach runs alongside the small airport's runway, a few minutes from the terminal, for anyone who just wants a swim. For something better, aim for Rodney Bay, about twenty minutes north.
If scenery is your priority, yes, but know what you are buying: roughly 75 minutes of winding road to Soufrière each way, and almost the entire call goes into it. Book through the ship or an established operator.
A monumental old quarter. The great fires of 1927 and 1948 took it; only a few Creole houses with wooden fretwork survive. What Castries offers instead is a working Caribbean capital, a market fragrant with nutmeg and murals found nowhere else.