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Home to some 60,000 people (more than a third of the island's total population), St Lucia's capital of CASTRIES , on the northwest coast, is a metaphor for contemporary West Indian urban culture: at times busy and congested, at times somnolent and peaceful, the town feels somewhat stuck between a centuries-old West Indian lifestyle and a desperate push to modernize. Though Castries is easy to navigate on foot, the town is not particularly blessed with museums, theatres or historical sights, and you'll find that it's primarily a place where people go to conduct business or do some shopping rather than take sightseeing trips. Despite its contemporary feel, Castries retains a certain unaffected charm, due more to its setting than anything else. The town is wrapped around the deep harbour of Port Castries , where hundreds of cruise ships dock each year to unload tourists for a day of duty-free shopping at the city's malls. Spreading back from the harbour is downtown Castries, a dozen or so blocks of noisy streets, shops, bus stands and general congestion. North of downtown and across the harbour is Vigie Peninsula , a flat spit of partially reclaimed land that hosts the island's largest duty-free complex, as well as the small George F.L. Charles Airport , several hotels and waterfront restaurants. The country's capital is surrounded by hills to the east and south: the southern Morne Fortune range once provided a natural defence for the island's various occupiers, and the remains of several forts and batteries scattered throughout the area are worth a quick look.
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