ST LUCIA - CASTRIES
The Derek Walcott Square is at the heart of the island's capital and is named after the St. Lucian author who won the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature. The square is home to a large Samaan tree, known locally as the Massav tree, said to be over 400 years old.
Between 1796 and 1948 four devastating fires destroyed much of Castries. Many of the buildings along the Square are modern examples of traditional wooden architecture. La Place Carenage, an air-conditioned duty-free shopping complex on the Castries waterfront, is a modern interpretation of old architectural techniques.
The Vigie peninsula forms the northern side of the Castries Harbour. Along the northern shore is Vigie beach, a long, unbroken stretch of white sand. The Vigie Lighthouse offers excellent views of the north and south coastline. Nearby are the ruins of a small ammunitions hold built by the French in 1784.
High on the southern side of Castries lies Morne Fortune, one of the most heavily fought-over sites in the Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries. Several of the military buildings have been restored and converted into Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, named after the St. Lucian scholar who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979. The road that snakes up the mountain's slopes offers spectacular views. On the Morne is the century-old Government House, an outstanding example of Victorian architecture. Le Pavillon Royal is a museum on the Government House grounds, and the Caribelle orchid garden is nearby.
