“The beach is just the beginning…”
Never has there been a truer phrase spoken.
During the month of March 2010, I was kindly invited by the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Board to visit their lovely islands and to experience everything they have to offer.
I was soon able to discover that there is so much more to Antigua & Barbuda than those 365 magnificent beaches for which the islands are famous during our one week stay.
Antigua has a significant range of stunning hotels to suit individual requirements and budgets. We visited some 14 hotels during our stay. From my own experience, the one piece of advice I would offer is that one should not place to great an emphasis upon an individual hotel’s “star rating”. These ratings can be rather ambiguous. There are 3* hotels in Antigua which will rival 4* hotels (or higher) elsewhere in the Caribbean. Take a look at our reviews of the respective hotels or feel free to call me, I will be only too willing to answer your questions and offer you my best advice as to which hotel will suit your requirements.
So, what is there to do in Antigua, other than living as the proverbial “beach-bum” for the length of your stay ? Well, in a nutshell, there is something for everyone. From Adventure, to Culture, to History, Antigua has it all. It is very easy to navigate the island of Antigua as it is no more than 14 miles long and they drive on the correct (left) side of the road !
Here are a few of the places I visited. Needless to say, there are many more in Antigua !
The Stingray City Antigua Snorkel Adventure will be one of the highlights of your vacation, and an experience that will live with you forever. The Southern Rays are very friendly and very gentle. Here, we enjoyed the unique experience of touching and feeding a Stingray, together with snorkeling amongst magnificent coral reefs and colorful tropical fish.
The Southern ray is known as the puppy dog of the sea, always looking for attention and a snack. The Rays sting is a boney spine in the tail that can not be used in an offensive manner.
It is strictly used as a defensive tool to protect itself from predators while sleeping or relaxing. The guides briefed us on how to handle the Rays and at no time were we at any risk. In fact quite the opposite, in no time at all, we were spellbound by their gracefulness and beauty without any fear at all.
The Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour is a unique eco-tour through Antigua’s lush rainforest where you embark on an unforgettable 21-element journey through the verdant forest, high above the trees. Something I had never dared think of doing but something which will now live with me as one of my lasting memories. Definitely worth doing, if you are able to pluck up the courage to do so. Travel in a group if you can, it makes it more difficult to back-out !
The highlight of my Antigua experience was the visit to Shirley Heights Lookout which is, without question, the most famous view in the Caribbean. Overlooking English & Falmouth harbours, this panoramic view, on a clear day, takes in Guadaloupe & Montserrat.
Shirley Heights is home to the biggest and best party on the island and has been every Sunday, for the last 25 years. The Steel Band and barbeque strike-up around 4pm, leaving a couple of hours before the sun sets over the harbours, creating a spectacular photo opportunity for budding photographers. And then, the reggae band takes to the stage and the party begins in earnest. A fantastic evening and not to be missed. view, on clear days takes in Guadeloupe to the south and Montserrat with it’s still active volcano to south west. Shirley Heights Lookout is home to the ‘biggest and best’ party on the island ery Sunday for the last 25 years. But there is much more. Take a brose through our web site to read about the history, see the superb views, the surrounding nature trails, and last but not least find out more out the legendary eating, drinking and partying.
Barbuda is Antigua’s sister island and is well worth a visit. It is one of those very few islands in the Caribbean that remains and probably will remain for some time, undeveloped as to seem positively deserted at times. The 90 minutes ferry ride is not the smoothest but the first view of Barbuda’s famous pink, sandy beaches makes the journey totally worthwhile. A full seventeen miles of untouched powdery sand, merging into clear, turquoise waters makes for a breathtaking landscape, a photographer’s paradise. While on the island, make sure to take in a visit to the island’s Frigate Bird Sanctuary.
The sanctuary contains over 170 species of birds and is home to over 5,000 frigate birds. Fregata magnificens, the most aerial of waterbirds, possesses the largest wingspan (four to five feet) in proportion to its body size of any bird in the world. It is also known as the man o’ war bird, and the comparison to warships is a particularly apt one–with its superior size and flight capabilities, the frigate bird harasses less agile flyers like pelicans, egrets, and cormorants until they drop their catch. The male frigate is marked by its red throat pouch, which it can inflates as part of its courtship behaviour and as a defensive display. Courting takes place in the fall, and chicks hatch late in the year.
Antigua has many historical links with the UK. English Harbour, Antigua’s graceful and evocative historic district, is focused on the fifteen square miles 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 nineteenth 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. The tour of the Dockyard is very well presented and the guides are very knowledgeable
But back to what Antigua is famous for, those magnificent beaches. Dotted all the way around this relatively small island, the white (and some times pink) sand, merging into the clear, turquoise-coloured waters of the Caribbean Sea, lends to a true Caribbean destination. The Antiguan people are extremely friendly and are incredibly proud of their country, a country which, as said before, has something for everyone.
My thanks again to everyone at the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism authority for the opportunity they afforded to us. The experience was made even more special by the group of fellow Agents who joined me, a very special group of people who became and will remain. dear friends of mine.
I truly enjoyed my visit to Antigua and I know you will also.
If you require any further information about Antigua & Barbuda and it’s hotels, please feel free to call me on my direct telephone number 08444 999 336. I will be only too willing to discuss with you your holiday requirements to ensure you stay at the hotel which will suit you.
