Antigua and Barbuda Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

• Take an excursion to Great Bird Island from Dickenson Bay. Glass-bottomed boats afford leisurely views of the reef, and a restored pirate ship sails around the island and takes passengers for day or evening trips, with food, drink and entertainment included.

• St John’s Cathedral, originally built in 1683, has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. Today’s building dates from 1845. The figures of St John the Baptist and St John the Divine were supposedly taken from one of Napoleon’s ships.

• Discover Antigua & Barbuda beyond the beaches and resorts: the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda (website: www.antiguamuseums.org) is Antigua’s oldest building. It is housed in the old Court House, built in 1750. Exhibits explore Antigua's geological origins and political and cultural history.

• Take a walk through Indian Town national park, at the remote, wild, northeastern point of the island. Breakers roaring in with the full force of the Atlantic behind them have carved Devil’s Bridge and created blow-holes with foaming surf.

• Wallow in the shallows of Half Moon Bay, a popular national park, renowned as one of Antigua's most beautiful beaches. Nearby Long Bay is protected by a reef shallow enough to walk to, making it ideal for holidaying families.

• Go to Potworks Reservoir. The result of the Potworks Dam, completed in 1970, it is the largest expanse of freshwater in the Eastern Caribbean holding about one billion gallons. The western edge is great for birdwatching.

• Get to grips with the islands' colonial history: partially-restored Betty's Hope was Antigua's pioneer sugar plantation. It was home to many people from the Codringtons, to the French, from African slaves to, following emanciaption in 1834, laborers.

• Visit the less-developed Barbuda for its wild beauty, deserted beaches and heavily wooded interior abounding in wildlife. The main village, Codrington, sits on the edge of a lagoon and its inhabitants rely largely on the sea for their existence. The Frigate Bird Sanctuary, home to over 5,000 frigate birds, is also here.

• For even more desertion and greater eccentricity, stopover at Redonda, an uninhabited rocky islet, about 56km (35 miles) northeast of Antigua. The island is famous for its unusual monarchy and small population of burrowing owls, a bird now extinct on Antigua.

• Visit Shirley Heights and Fort James, examples of British efforts to fortify the colony during the 18th century. Close by is the cemetery, containing an obelisk commemorating the soldiers of the 54th Regiment.

Top Things to Do

• Enjoy the extensive yachting and sailing facilities: Antigua hosts many international yachting events and regattas throughout the year. Those preferring to seek out a secluded cove or sheltered beach and anchor for a day of peace and quiet can do so by hiring a dinghy.

• Enjoy the scenic route of Fig Tree Drive. The 32km (20miles) of winding roads take you through the lush tropical hills and picturesque fishing villages along the southwest coast. There is no point looking out for any figs though - it's the Antiguan name for banana.

• Get stuck into Antigua & Barbuda’s impressive range of watersports: windsurfing, waterskiing, beachcombing, surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving are on offer, and there are over 365 beaches to practice in.

• Crab-race: ideal for the very lazy, this eccentric sport is staged in certain bars once or twice a week. A punter may win enough to pay for the next round of drinks, but the moderate stakes are unlikely to make anyone a millionaire!

• Play Antigua & Barbuda’s national game of Warri - an ancient board (‘count and capture’) game that was traditionally played using shells placed in cups: a National Warri Festival is held every year.

• Dabble in the other (more modern) national game of cricket. The sport is played to the highest international standard as well as by enthusiastic amateurs in villages all over the islands. Antigua produced one of the finest cricketers the game has ever seen, Viv Richards.

• Salivate and haggle over the riot of colorful fruits, vegetables and spices available at one of the best local markets in the Caribbean, situated in the south end of town at the junction of Valley and All Saints Roads.

• Get a bird's eye view of Antigua's rainforest. Boldly stride or nervously creep along a high wire course made up of zip lines, swings, suspension bridges and a controlled parachute jump (website: www.antiguarainforest.com.)

• Explore huge caves at Two Foot Bay, Barbuda: get expert help and go underground and underwater; see ancient cave drawings, stalactites and stalagmites. Then climb 35m (125 ft) to the top of the Highland, the island’s highest point, and enjoy the view.

• Go for a bush safari in Barbuda. Stop for a picnic in the shade and watch for the wildlife amongst the sparkling salt ponds.