Castries
Castries concentrates institutional functions like a colonial organism's head: it hosts regional court and OECS secretariats while cruise arrivals fell 11% in early 2025.
Castries demonstrates how Caribbean capitals concentrate institutional functions even as tourism distributes elsewhere. This district houses approximately 70,000 residents across 80 square kilometers, much of it reclaimed land, and serves as the seat of government, headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and secretariat of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. The institutional concentration makes Castries the administrative core for organizations extending well beyond Saint Lucia's borders.
The cruise port remains the district's primary tourism asset. Port Castries welcomes over 400 cruise vessels per season at two terminals: Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage. Global Ports Holding signed a 30-year concession in August 2023 to manage all cruise operations, with plans to expand Berth 1 to accommodate Oasis-class vessels, the largest cruise ships operating. The 2025 redevelopment project began with demolition of the Customs building, signaling significant infrastructure investment despite challenging market conditions.
Those conditions present real concerns. Total visitor arrivals for January-April 2025 dropped 9% year-over-year, with cruise passengers down 11%. Virgin Atlantic announced withdrawal from Saint Lucia in October 2025, while TUI cut its direct Gatwick flights. Canadian stay-over arrivals plunged 19%, UK arrivals fell 15%, including a 25% April decline. The island's economy has diversified into offshore banking and manufacturing beyond tourism and agriculture, but cruise infrastructure investment proceeds on assumptions of recovery that market data does not yet support.