Explora Journeys in Castries

Castries is St. Lucia's working capital on a deep natural harbor, a Caribbean island defined less by its town than by the volcanic Pitons and rainforest interior to the south. The dock puts you in the middle of a real, busy West Indian port city, but the day's reward is the drive or sail down the west coast to Soufriere.

What to do on a day in Castries

• Castries Central Market, a covered market a few minutes' walk from either pier, split between produce and spices on one side and crafts, wood carvings, and hot sauces on the other
• Derek Walcott Square, the shaded downtown green named for the island's Nobel laureate, ringed by colorful colonial buildings
• Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the square, plain outside and densely painted inside
• The Pitons and Sulphur Springs at Soufriere, the island's signature drive-in volcano and twin peaks, reached by full-day land tour or catamaran (roughly a 1.5 hour mini-coach run or a coastal sail each way)
• Pigeon Island National Landmark to the north, a fort-topped headland with harbor views, about a 30 minute taxi ride
• Marigot Bay, a sheltered yacht cove about 10 miles south, a common stop on combined land-and-sea tours

Getting ashore

Ships use one of two adjacent piers: Pointe Seraphine on the north side, about a 20 minute waterfront walk from downtown, and La Place Carenage, which opens straight onto the main street in town. One day handles the town and a nearby beach easily, but the Pitons and Soufriere are a committed 7 to 8 hour excursion, so pick one focus.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• December to early January. Typically warm, highs around 84 to 88F, with moderate passing showers averaging a few inches of rain for the month; sea around 80F.
• February to March. Typically the driest, sunniest stretch, highs in the mid to high 80s, brief downpours that clear quickly, sea around 80F.
• November. Tail of the wetter season, hottest month with highs near 83 to 88F and the highest rainfall of the cruise window, often short heavy showers.