Morne Fortune
“Luck” is the French name of this hill and military heritage site south of Castries in northwest Saint Lucia. Visitors will find the historic ruins of a former French military outpost overlooking the bay and the harbor below it. They will also find French and British burial sites and memorials for soldiers who met their unlucky ends in battles during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The hill is a common stop on many St. Lucia tours, from island highlight tours to hiking outings and mineral and mud bath adventures—these typically stop for the panoramic views over Castries and its harbor. In addition to the views, there are old colonial buildings, military buildings, battlement guns, and English and French cemeteries to explore. Admission is free, though online donations or digital self-guided explorer tour purchases are encouraged.
The site is open to the public and unstaffed.
The area was officially renamed Fort Charlotte but is still called “Morne Fortune.”
Visitors should take nothing and leave nothing behind, as per the site's official policy.
Look out for the graves of the island’s two Nobel Laureates, Sir Arthur Lewis and Sir Derek Walcott.
Morne Fortune sits south of Castries, a harbor town in northwest Saint Lucia. From the center of town, it's about an 8-minute drive to the end of Pavee Road and then a short hike to the top of the hill.
The military heritage site is open Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Generally, the best time to visit Saint Lucia and catch clear views from the top of Morne Fortune is the dry season—also the high travel season—from December to April.
While many of the renovated military buildings on Morne Fortune are now part of a community college, there's plenty to see at the top. The 19th-century guns called the Apostles Battery that once protected Castries Harbor had a range of 6 miles (10 kilometers). French and British cemeteries house remains of soldiers and civilians, while the Powder Magazine and Guard Cells are the oldest buildings on the hill. Also of note are a memorial to a British regiment credited with recapturing Saint Lucia from the French and the Provost Redoubt, another military fortification.
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