What is the capital of Saint Lucia?

The capital of Saint Lucia is Castries.

Castries is Saint Lucia's largest city and the country's main administrative and commercial hub. It occupies a sheltered harbor on the island's northwest coast, where cargo ships, ferries, yachts, and cruise vessels can call. Much of the city was built on reclaimed land and arranged in a grid, making its harbor both an economic asset and a defining feature.

The French established the settlement in 1650 and originally called it Carénage, a name associated with a safe anchorage. It was renamed Castries in the 18th century after Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, the Marquis de Castries, who served as France's minister of the navy and colonies. Fires repeatedly damaged the town, with the most destructive modern fire occurring in 1948.

Castries is sometimes confused with Vieux Fort, Gros Islet, or Soufrière, all notable Saint Lucian communities but not the capital. The city also hosts the secretariat of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and is associated with Nobel laureates Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott.