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Antigua is the largest of the English-speaking Leeward islands and is usually the first stop for visitors to Antigua and Barbuda. The island boasts 365 glorious beaches, a near-perfect climate and plenty to occupy the visitor. Antigua is home to St Johns, the island's capital, with the magnificently evocative white Baroque towers of St John's Cathedral dominating the city's skyline. Built in 1845, the church is now in its third incarnation, as earthquakes in 1683 and in 1745 destroyed the previous structures. The towers are the first sight of Antigua for about half of the island's visitors each year, many of whom arrive by boat.
With its recently completed cruise ship dock and many hotels, St John's is a lively hub for shopping and dining. Most tourist activity is confined to the harbourfront complexes of Heritage Quay, a favourite for cruise ship passengers, and the more traditional Redcliffe Quay. For those interested in the early history of the island, there is the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, housed in the colonial Court House (circa 1750). The museum displays artefacts from the colonial period and from the earlier Arawak settlers who lived on the islands between 35 and 1100 AD. On Friday and Saturday mornings, there is a vibrant farmers market on the southern edge of the city, where folk crafts, colourful tropical fruits, and a buzzing crowd make for a lively morning.
Antigua's highest point is Boggy's Peak at 1,319 feet (402m), but the island is mostly flat and covered with sugar cane, tropical fruit trees, palms and exotic flowers. For those tired of lazing on the beach, there is sailing, diving, snorkelling, beachcombing and other leisurely pursuits on offer |
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English Harbour, Antigua's graceful and evocative historic district, is focused on the 15 square miles (39 sq km) of Nelson's Dockyard National Park. Developed as a base for the British Navy in the great age of sail, the harbour served as the headquarters of the fleet of the Leeward Islands during the turbulent years of the late 18th century. Although the dockyard was greatly expanded at that time by Horatio Nelson, it was gradually abandoned in the 19th century and was closed in 1889. Today Nelson's Dockyard has been completely restored, and it is now the only Georgian dockyard in the world. Almost all of the park's other sites of interest overlook the harbour. The closest of these is Clarence House, a residence built for the future King William IV (1765-1837) when he served under Nelson as captain of the HMS Pegasus. Further above the harbour, at Shirley Heights, are the partially restored fortifications of the harbour's colonial observation post; the view from Shirley Heights extends out over the harbour and far across the Caribbean to Montserrat and Guadeloupe. On Sunday afternoons the vista is enhanced by a barbeque and live music at the bar. Shirley Heights can be reached via Lookout Trail, a nature walk that rises from the harbour through a forest of trees. Buses run between St John's and Nelson's Dockyard |
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| The Beaches. Antigua boasts 365 beaches, one for each day of the year, the great majority resting inside the calm, protected waters of the island's Caribbean coast. Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay, located along the island's developed north-western coast, are the places to go for those. see more details in our Beaches section |
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| Sea View Farm Village. It is know that Antiguan folk pottery dates back at least to the early 18th century, when slaves fashioned cooking vessels from local clay. Nowadays, folk pottery is fashioned in a number of places around Antigua, but the centre of this cottage industry is in Sea View Farm Village. Clay is collected from pits located nearby, and the wares are fired in an open fire under layers of green grass, in the yards of the potters' houses. It is possible to purchase Folk pottery at outlets in the village as well as at a number of stores around the island. |
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| Find more attractions on Antigua with this guide : http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Agpnt01.htm |
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