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Castries
Castries is the capital of Saint Lucia, an island in the Caribbean Sea. Big ships come to its harbor, and green hills rise all around.
Castries is the capital of Saint Lucia, an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It lies on the island's northwest coast, around a deep, sheltered harbor that Universalis calls the island's most important port. Saint Lucia's 2022 census counted 12,818 people in the households of Castries City.
Castries, capital of Saint Lucia, lies on the northwest coast about 65 km south of Fort-de-France in Martinique (Universalis). Its deep, sheltered port is the island's most important. Provisional 2022 census: 12,818 people in Castries City households, out of 171,834 in households across Saint Lucia.
Photo: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Castries
Castries is a city by the sea. It is the capital of Saint Lucia, a green island in the Caribbean.
Ships come into its harbor from far away.
Castries is the capital of Saint Lucia, an island country in the Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean. The city lies on the island's northwest coast, about 65 kilometers south of Fort-de-France, the main town of Martinique.
Universalis describes Castries's harbor as deep and well sheltered, the most important port on the island. Saint Lucia's 2022 census (provisional results) counted 12,818 people living in the households of Castries City.
Universalis: capital and largest town of Saint Lucia, an island state of the Lesser Antilles, on the island's northwest coast only 65 km south of Fort-de-France (Martinique); its deep-water, well-sheltered port is the island's most important; the town has a lively tourism sector, especially cruise passengers.
Saint Lucia 2022 Population and Housing Census, provisional results (Central Statistics Office), Table A.9: Castries City 5,038 private households, 12,818 people (6,258 male, 6,560 female); Saint Lucia 65,951 households, 171,834 people. The report's text gives a different Castries City count (6,926, or 4.03%), so the table figure is used here.
- Country
- Saint Lucia (its capital)
- People in Castries City households (2022 census, provisional)
- 12,818
- Where
- on the northwest coast of Saint Lucia, about 65 km south of Fort-de-France in Martinique (Universalis)
- Port
- deep and well sheltered, the island's most important (Universalis)
A harbor below green hills
In this picture a huge white ship waits in the harbor. Next to it are piles of boxes for carrying goods. Green hills rise behind the town.
This photo of the port of Castries was taken on 9 January 2008. A big white cruise ship is tied up at the quay on the left. Beside it, colorful shipping containers are stacked near long, low buildings, and the town spreads toward green hills dotted with more buildings.
Universalis says a fort stands 260 meters above sea level on Morne Fortune, a hill that overlooks the town.
Commons: 'Port of Castries, Saint Lucia, West Indies', own work by Matt H. Wade (user UpstateNYer), CC BY-SA 3.0, dated 9 January 2008; moved from the English Wikipedia by a bot in 2009; categories include Castries, cruise ships in Saint Lucia and Princess Cruises ships.
Universalis: the fort on Morne Fortune, at 260 m, overlooks the town. Wikidata describes Morne Fortune as a hill and residential area south of Castries.
- Photo
- the port of Castries, 9 January 2008 (photographer's date)
- Morne Fortune
- a hill with a fort, at 260 m above sea level, that overlooks the town (Universalis)
- Castries Market
- a market in the city center (Wikidata)
A town named for a navy minister
Castries got its name from a man from France. He was in charge of France's ships long ago.
Later, farmers on the island grew lots of bananas.
Universalis says the town takes its name from the Marshal de Castries, who was in charge of the navy for King Louis XVI of France.
Its port is the island's most important, Universalis says. In the 1960s bananas took the place of sugar cane as Saint Lucia's main crop, Universalis says, but banana production fell from 70,000 tonnes a year in 2000 to 38,000 tonnes a year in 2008.
Universalis (Castries): the name comes from the Marshal de Castries, navy minister of Louis XVI. Universalis (Sainte-Lucie): after replacing sugar cane in the 1960s, the banana became the island's first crop; production fell from 70,000 tonnes a year in 2000 to 38,000 tonnes a year in 2008 in the face of growing international competition.
Central Statistics Office (2022 census, provisional): Saint Lucia's resident population rose from 166,526 in 2010 to 172,948 in 2022; Castries remains the most populated district even though its count fell by 7.7% since 2010; successive counts show substantial migration from Castries to Gros Islet district.
- Name
- from the Marshal de Castries, navy minister of King Louis XVI of France (Universalis)
- Main crop since the 1960s
- bananas, which took the place of sugar cane (Universalis)
- Saint Lucia's people (census)
- 166,526 (2010); 172,948 (2022, provisional)
Ships, a small airport and a big one
Big ships sail into Castries's harbor. Small planes land at an airport near the town. Bigger planes land at the other end of the island.
Universalis says the ports of Castries and Vieux-Fort are on the routes of international shipping lines. Universalis links Castries's tourism especially to cruise passengers.
A smaller airport at Vigie, near Castries, serves local and regional flights. The island's international airport was built at Vieux-Fort, on Saint Lucia's southern tip.
Universalis (Sainte-Lucie): an international airport was built at Vieux-Fort, at the southern tip of Saint Lucia, while a more modest airport at Vigie serves local and regional lines; the ports of Castries and Vieux-Fort are on the routes of international shipping lines. Universalis (Castries): the deep-water, well-sheltered port is the island's most important.
Wikidata (from the city point Q41699): Vigie Beach (Q7928894) 1.62 km NNE.
- Ports on international shipping routes
- Castries and Vieux-Fort (Universalis)
- Airport at Vigie
- a smaller airport serving local and regional routes (Universalis)
- International airport
- at Vieux-Fort, on the island's southern tip (Universalis)
Warm all year, with a dry season and a rainy one
Saint Lucia is warm all year. Some months are dry, and some months are rainy.
Universalis says Saint Lucia has a tropical maritime climate, shaped by the northeast trade wind. The average temperature stays steady at around 25 °C.
Rain and temperature change with height: the coast gets on average 1,500 to 1,750 millimeters of rain a year, and the interior of the island 4,000 millimeters. The dry season usually lasts from February to May, and the rainy season from June to September.
Universalis (Sainte-Lucie): under the influence of the northeast trade wind, Saint Lucia has a tropical maritime climate; rainfall, like temperature, varies with altitude, averaging 1,500 to 1,750 mm a year on the coast and 4,000 mm in the interior; the dry season generally lasts from February to May and the rainy season from June to September; the mean temperature stays stable at around 25 °C.
The World Meteorological Organization's page for Castries (WWIS city 1222) has no monthly averages, so no climate table is shown.
- Climate
- tropical maritime, under the northeast trade wind (Universalis)
- Average temperature
- steady at around 25 °C (Universalis)
- Rain in a year
- on average 1,500 to 1,750 mm on the coast and 4,000 mm in the interior (Universalis)
Cruise visitors and a busy market
Many visitors come to Castries on cruise ships. Boats also carry bananas, coconuts and fruit away from the island.
Universalis says Castries has a lively tourism business, linked especially to cruise passengers. In 2005 Saint Lucia counted more than 700,000 visitor arrivals, 395,000 of them cruise passengers.
The port also handles the island's trade. Universalis lists bananas, cocoa, coconuts, copra (dried coconut), molasses, essential oils and tropical fruit and vegetables among the goods shipped from Castries. Castries Market is only about 110 meters from the city's center point on Wikidata.
Universalis (Castries): the town has a dynamic tourism sector, notably linked to cruise passengers; its port handles exports including bananas, cocoa, coconuts, copra, molasses, essential oils and various tropical fruits and vegetables. Universalis (Sainte-Lucie): more than 700,000 tourist arrivals in 2005, of which 395,000 were cruise passengers; tourism made up 31% of GDP in 2008.
Wikidata: Castries Market (Q16890112, 'market in Castries, Saint Lucia') 0.11 km N of the city point.
- Tourism
- more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005, including 395,000 cruise passengers (Universalis)
- Goods from the port
- Universalis lists bananas, cocoa, coconuts, copra, molasses, essential oils and tropical fruit and vegetables
- Castries Market
- about 110 m from the city's Wikidata point
Castries on the map
Find the Caribbean Sea on the globe. Saint Lucia is a small island there, and Castries is on its northwest coast.
Castries lies at about 14.0° north and 61.0° west, on the northwest coast of Saint Lucia. Universalis puts it about 65 kilometers south of Fort-de-France in Martinique.
Measured from the city's center point on Wikidata, Castries Market is about 110 meters north, Vigie Beach about 1.6 kilometers north-northeast and Morne Fortune about 2.5 kilometers south.
Castries lies at about 14.01° N and 60.99° W (Wikidata point Q41699; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 1.50 km SW of it). From the Wikidata point: Castries Market (Q16890112) 0.11 km N; Vigie Beach (Q7928894) 1.62 km NNE; Morne Fortune (Q6912736) 2.45 km S. Universalis: about 65 km south of Fort-de-France (Martinique).
- Latitude
- about 14.0° north
- Longitude
- about 61.0° west
- Nearest big neighbor
- Martinique, with Fort-de-France about 65 km to the north (Universalis)
Amazing facts
-
Castries is named after a man from France who was in charge of France's ships.
Universalis says Castries takes its name from the Marshal de Castries, navy minister of King Louis XVI of France.
Universalis: the town's name comes from the Marshal de Castries, minister of the navy under Louis XVI.
-
On a hill above Castries there is an old fort.
A fort stands on Morne Fortune, 260 meters above sea level, and looks down over Castries, Universalis says.
Universalis: the fort on Morne Fortune, at 260 m, overlooks the town.
-
Another island, Martinique, is not far from Castries.
Castries is only about 65 kilometers south of Fort-de-France, the main town of Martinique, Universalis says.
Universalis: Castries lies only 65 km south of Fort-de-France, Martinique.
-
In 2005, hundreds of thousands of people came to Saint Lucia on cruise ships.
Universalis says Saint Lucia counted 395,000 cruise passengers in 2005, out of more than 700,000 visitor arrivals.
Universalis: more than 700,000 tourist arrivals in 2005, including 395,000 cruise passengers.
Words to know
- harbor
- a sheltered stretch of water where ships can stay safely
- port
- a town or harbor where ships load and unload goods and passengers
- cruise ship
- a large passenger ship that takes people on vacation trips
- trade wind
- a steady wind that blows toward the equator from the east
- copra
- the dried flesh of coconuts, used to make coconut oil
- census
- an official count of all the people in a country
Discovery challenge
-
Castries is the capital of which island country?
Castries is the capital of which island country?
Castries is the capital of which island state of the Lesser Antilles?
- Saint Lucia
- Jamaica
- Cuba
Show the answer
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia!
Saint Lucia.
Saint Lucia.
-
What is the name of the hill with a fort above Castries?
Which hill with a fort overlooks Castries?
Universalis says a fort at 260 m overlooks Castries; on which hill does it stand?
- Morne Fortune
- Mount Everest
- Table Mountain
Show the answer
Morne Fortune
Morne Fortune!
Morne Fortune.
Morne Fortune.
-
Which fruit became the main crop on Saint Lucia?
Which crop became Saint Lucia's main crop in the 1960s?
According to Universalis, which crop replaced sugar cane as Saint Lucia's first crop in the 1960s?
- Bananas
- Apples
- Grapes
Show the answer
Bananas
Bananas!
Bananas.
Bananas.
-
Which island is close to Castries?
Fort-de-France, about 65 kilometers north of Castries, is on which island?
Universalis puts Castries 65 km south of Fort-de-France; on which island is Fort-de-France?
- Martinique
- Iceland
- Madagascar
Show the answer
Martinique
Martinique!
Martinique.
Martinique.
-
When is the dry time on Saint Lucia?
When does Saint Lucia's dry season usually last?
According to Universalis, which months usually make up Saint Lucia's dry season?
- February to May
- June to September
- October to January
Show the answer
February to May
February to May!
February to May.
February to May (the rainy season runs from June to September).
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Castries on the northwest coast of Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles.
- Explain why a deep, sheltered harbor helps a town become a busy port.
- Describe how cruise tourism and farm exports connect an island to the wider world.
- Compare rainfall on a coast with rainfall in the mountains of the same island.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why do you think ships like a harbor that is deep and sheltered?
- How might a town change when many cruise ships visit it?
- Universalis says the interior of Saint Lucia gets more rain than its coast. What might cause that?
Try at home or in class
- Map hop: find Saint Lucia and Martinique on a map and measure about 65 km between Castries and Fort-de-France with the scale bar.
- Rain jars: mark 1,750 mm and 4,000 mm on two paper strips to compare coastal and inland rain on Saint Lucia.
- Port list: draw the goods Universalis lists for the port (bananas, cocoa, coconuts) and sort them into fruits and other goods.
Key vocabulary: harbor, port, cruise ship, trade wind, copra, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Castries , Encyclopædia Universalis
- Sainte-Lucie , Encyclopædia Universalis
- 2022 Population and Housing Census: Provisional Results, Release 1 , Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia
- File:CastriesStLucia.JPG (Matt H. Wade, January 2008) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.