All the Caribbean treats of the Castries Quarter
Castries Quarter is a huge wedge of St Lucia that's home to the buzzing capital of Castries itself, and a great place to base your adventure in this enticing corner of the Caribbean. For starters, you can choose from a range of Castries Quarter vacation rentals that run the gamut from swish apartments with infinity pools overlooking the jungles to seaside shacks set to the sound of lapping waves. On top of that, there's the beautiful inlet of Marigot Bay, laden with fancy seafood bistros and spas. There's colonial history to get stuck into. And there are jazz fests and dazzling beaches.
Castries Quarter's colonial past
In between snapping shots of volcanos, dining in Francophone bistros and unwinding by the poolside, you should be sure to set aside some time to explore Castries Quarter's colonial past. Clamber up the ridges just south of Castries town itself and the Inniskilling Monument on Morne Hill is a prime place to begin. It honors the hard-fought battle between the French and the British that took place in the 1790s. Down on the coast below it is the La Toc Battery, a great fort-cum-museum with tunnels and cannons and an old gunpowder room.
From seclusion to sea dives in Castries Quarter
Romance and seclusion should be easy to come by in Castries Quarter vacation rentals. Seek out the pads that perch on the volcanic hillsides and you could find your days are filled with sunbathing on panoramic terraces overlooking the Caribbean Sea or splashing in infinity pools while the palms sway to and fro below. In the evening, a jaunt down to beautiful Marigot Bay can reveal swish spas and elegant restaurants between the hibiscus blooms. To get active, scuba sessions or yacht rentals are never too far away.
Winter sun and springtime draws in Castries Quarter
The Castries Quarter remains one of the most-visited parts of St Lucia as a whole. From November to March, its seaside pads and hilltop villas fill to bursting with US travelers looking to escape the North American winter. The weather should be perfect for doing just that, too – it's dry season, when the days are warm and there's rarely a cloud in the sky. May and June are preferred by many for their lower rates and smaller crowds. Summer, from July to September, is when the storms set in right across the Caribbean region.
Charming bays and misty jungles in Castries Quarter
While the Castries Quarter might not have the soaring Pitons of south St Lucia, it's still a looker. Low hills clad in pockets of jungle, palm trees and blooming wild orchids cascade down to meet the sea, here. Along the coast, some Castries Quarter vacation rentals peer out between the coconut trees onto yellow-glinting bays where cerulean Caribbean waters lap to a reggae rhythm. Back inland, the ridges rise and rise until they meet the Edmund Forest Reserve. That's a place of wooded valleys and gushing waterfalls, crossed by the amazing Millet Trail hiking route.
Traveling to and around Castries
The nearest airport is in Hewanorra Intl. Airport (UVF), located 18.4 mi (29.7 km) from the city center. If you can't find a flight that works for your travel itinerary, you might consider flying into George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU), which is 1.4 mi (2.2 km) away.