Castries cruises, St Lucia

What's great about Castries cruises?

St Lucia’s skyline is high rise. But it’s not the hotels that make this island look serrated against the sky, it’s the mountains. The Pitons are 2 of the biggest. Both their summits tower at least 2,000 feet above sea level and their slopes are coiffured with a mane of dense green rainforest. At their feet, meanwhile, banana plantations give way to syrup-coloured beaches and some of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean.

• Pick up a bargain in the Castries market, an amazing swirl of crafts, fruits and the hum of Creole conversation. For a more upmarket, but still good value, shopping experience, try Pointe Seraphine, a duty-free shopping centre next to the harbour.
• Get a bird’s eye view of St Lucia’s rainforests at the Treetop Adventure Park in Dennery. You’ll whiz your way through the canopy using a series of zip lines, and look down on the giant ferns and wild orchids that grow here.

• Go plane spotting at Vigie Beach. It’s right next door to the city’s airport, so you get a front-row view of the local air traffic, and the scenery’s Caribbean through and through.