Districts · Castries
Castries by district
Castries proper is small: the town centre around Derek Walcott Square, the market and harbour front, and the Vigie peninsula (beach, airport and marina) all sit within about 2 km of each other, with Morne Fortune rising steeply just south. Rodney Bay, the island's main resort strip, is a separate town about 10 km north and is where most visitors who want a beach actually sleep.Castries proper is small: the town centre around Derek Walcott Square, the market and harbour front, and the Vigie peninsula (beach, airport and marina) all sit within about 1.2 mi of each other, with Morne Fortune rising steeply just south. Rodney Bay, the island's main resort strip, is a separate town about 6.2 mi north and is where most visitors who want a beach actually sleep.
About these names
- Derek Walcott Square and town centresleepseeeatSuits: A night or two before a flight, market mornings, historyEverything downtown is walkable; quiet and a little empty after dark and on Sunday.2 sights · 1 eats · 1 sleep areaDistrict guide →
- Market and harbour frontseeeatSuits: A market morning, cruise-day people-watchingBusy and loud when ships are in; thin and sleepy when they are not.2 sights · 1 eatsDistrict guide →
- VigieseeeatsleepSuits: A beach afternoon, marina dinners, a bed close to the airportBeach, marina restaurants and the small in-town airport share the same short peninsula; planes pass low overhead.2 sights · 2 eatsDistrict guide →
- Morne FortuneseeSuits: One taxi trip for the fort and the viewSteep, narrow, no pavement in places: a taxi stop, not a place to walk to or stay.1 sights · 1 eatsDistrict guide →
- Marchand, Conway, Ciceron (residential hills)skip as a baseSuits: Not a visitor baseOrdinary Castries neighbourhoods on the hills around the centre; interesting to pass through by taxi, not a place to plan a stop.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
- Rodney BaysleepeatSuits: Beach holidays, families, longer staysThe main resort strip, about a 25–50 minute taxi from Castries; pick it for the sea, not for walking to the capital's sights.1 sleep areaDistrict guide →
- Gros IsletseeSuits: The Friday-night street partyNorth of Rodney Bay; loud and crowded on Friday evenings, quiet the rest of the week.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
Hover, tap or tab to an area to see what it is like. Pins are sleep areas; arrows at the edge point to the airport.
Off the map: George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU) (12–25 min by the usual route); Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) (80–115 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Marchand, Conway, Ciceron (residential hills), Gros Islet. See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Derek Walcott Square and town centre: Everything downtown is walkable; quiet and a little empty after dark and on Sunday. Suits: A night or two before a flight, market mornings, history. Price band $.
- Market and harbour front: Busy and loud when ships are in; thin and sleepy when they are not. Suits: A market morning, cruise-day people-watching.
- Vigie: Beach, marina restaurants and the small in-town airport share the same short peninsula; planes pass low overhead. Suits: A beach afternoon, marina dinners, a bed close to the airport.
- Morne Fortune: Steep, narrow, no pavement in places: a taxi stop, not a place to walk to or stay. Suits: One taxi trip for the fort and the view.
- Marchand, Conway, Ciceron (residential hills): Ordinary Castries neighbourhoods on the hills around the centre; interesting to pass through by taxi, not a place to plan a stop. Suits: Not a visitor base.
- Rodney Bay: The main resort strip, about a 25–50 minute taxi from Castries; pick it for the sea, not for walking to the capital's sights. Suits: Beach holidays, families, longer stays. Price band $$$.
- Gros Islet: North of Rodney Bay; loud and crowded on Friday evenings, quiet the rest of the week. Suits: The Friday-night street party.
- Sleep area Castries centre (harbour and Derek Walcott Square): suits A night or two before a flight, market mornings, history, price band $.
- Sleep area Rodney Bay (beach and marina): suits Beach holidays, families, longer stays, price band $$$.
- George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU), 12–25 min by the usual route.
- Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), 80–115 min by the usual route.