St Lucia: Castries
Castries is the capital of St Lucia, located in the northwest side of the island. Lots of panoramic views as the town sits in a valley below mountains, lots of colorful Caribbean architecture, lot of traffic jams, lots of typical Caribbean-style marketplaces. The old town is a fairly compact grid of just a few one-way streets around the Derek Walcott Square – the park in the middle has some massive centuries-old trees and all the building around are old-school mansions, plus the beautiful cathedral (next post). Castries was established in the 17th century around the harbor hosting the French naval vessels, it saw some military actions when the British and the French fought for the control of St Lucia. In 1979, the St Lucia became fully independent, Castries became the capital of the new country.
