The picturesque capital, located near the seaboard of the west coast, retains the flavour of both French and British occupation, and there are many Georgian buildings surrounding Independence Square. Meaning 'low land' in French, Basseterre has a population of around 15,000.

Places worth a visit are the Treasury Building (or Custom's House) on the waterfront, serving as a reminder of the sugar trading on the islands; St George's Anglican Church; Independence Square, from where the slave market used to operate; and The Circus, the centrepiece of which is a diminutive roundabout modelled on Piccadilly.  In the middle of the Circus stands the bright green bronze of the Berkeley Memorial Clock, an ornate, cast iron tower with four clock faces and more than a little architectural decoration.