Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua's corrugated coasts cradle hundreds of perfect little coves lapped by beguiling enamel-blue water, while the sheltered bays have provided refuge for everyone from Admiral Nelson to buccaneers and yachties. If you can tear yourself away from that towel, you'll discover that there’s a distinct English accent to this island. You'll find it in the bustling capital of St John's, in salty-glamorous English Harbour, and in the historical forts and other vestiges of the colonial past. Yet, Antigua is also quintessential Caribbean, full of candy-colored villages, a rum-infused mellowness and engaging locals who'll greet you with wide smiles.
Antigua's smaller sister island Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017 and is still busy rebuilding, though its extraordinary beaches were unaffected, meaning that travelers wanting to lounge on white sand, snorkel around pristine reefs and watch the famous frigate birds nesting should not hesitate to make the journey here.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Antigua & Barbuda.
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Rendezvous Bay
After a 90-minute walk through the rainforest (or by a far shorter stony path from Springhill Riding Stables in Falmouth) you'll arrive at one of Antigua's loveliest beaches. Because of its remoteness, you'll usually be alone here, or sharing with a couple of other adventurous romantics. The rainforest path starts near the Wallings Reservoir off Fig Tree Dr but is not signposted, so ask for directions locally. From Falmouth, follow the road past the stables uphill and just keep going. Follow the signs to the stables and either park here or continue to the end of the road and park just outside a gated compound, then follow the dirt road on your left down to the beach.
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Nelson’s Dockyard National Park
Continuously in operation since 1745, this extensively restored Georgian-era marina is Antigua's top sightseeing draw and was made a Unesco World Heritage site in 2016. Today its restored buildings house restaurants, hotels and businesses, the most important of which is the Dockyard Museum, which features information on Antigua's history, the dockyard and life at the forts. Among the many trinkets on display is a telescope once used by Nelson himself. Admission to the Dockyard area is also good for Shirley Heights and the Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre.
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Half Moon Bay
Water the color of blue curaçao laps this white crescent in the remote southeast. Bodysurfers head to the south end, snorkelers to the calm waters north, and everyone meets at the two beach bars for grilled-fish lunches and rum cocktails. A new resort being built on the hillside above the south end of the beach may change it forever, though. Scrambling over the bluff at the far end takes you to another beach backed by an exclusive villa resort with views of uninhabited offshore Smith Island.
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Princess Diana Beach
This sublime southwest-facing beach is home to several ultra-exclusive resorts and housing developments under construction, but anyone is free to enjoy the often footprint-free sands lapped by the crystal-clear sea. Previously known as Coco Point Beach, it was renamed in honor of Princess Diana, who loved vacationing here, to mark what would have been her 50th birthday in 2011.
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Shirley Heights
This restored military lookout and gun battery was named after Sir Thomas Shirley (1727–1800), who became the first Governor of the Leeward Islands in 1781. Get some historical background at the small interpretive center, then head uphill to explore the grounds for crumbling ruins and enjoy sweeping views. Admission includes entry to Nelson's Dockyard and the Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre. As you drive uphill, the road forks with the left lane leading to the Blockhouse, where you can see the vestiges of officers' quarters and a powder magazine as well as enjoy superb views southwest, including Eric Clapton's vast Crossroads drug rehab center. If you turn right at the fork, the road dead ends at the Shirley Heights Lookout. The former guardhouse is now home to a restaurant-bar that hosts a famous Sunday-afternoon barbecue party with live bands. Views take in English Harbour and, on clear days, Montserrat and Guadeloupe. The moderate 1.5-mile Carpenters Trail runs from Galleon Beach up to Shirley Heights.
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Mt Obama
Antigua's 'Everest' rises a modest 1319ft in the island's southwestern corner as part of the Shekerley mountain range. Known as Boggy Peak until 2009 (Mt Obama is definitely an improvement), the mountain is crowned by dense trees and locked up telecommunications towers. This makes views only so-so unless you can get inside the compound. During the colonial area, escaped African slaves, called 'maroons,' hid out in the surrounding hills. The entire area is now a national park and a growing number of trails are being developed from the northern side via Christian Valley. For now, the easiest access is from Cades Bay in the south. The turnoff for partly paved Mt Obama Rd (best with a 4WD) is from Old Rd, just east of the village of Urlings. Drive as far as you can, then walk the rest to the top. A bus can drop you at the turnoff.
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Wallings Dam & Reservoir
Built by the British around 1900, this Victorian-style dam originally created a reservoir holding 13 million gallons of water and supplied it to surrounding villages. In 1912, after three years of drought, it was drained and the area was reforested; it's now teeming with mahoe, ironwood, locust, mango, white cedar and other tree species. Birdwatchers might be able to spot banana quits, broadwinged hawks and redstars, among others. The reservoir is also the starting point for hikes up Signal Hill and to secluded Rendezvous Bay.
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Betty's Hope
Ponder Antigua's colonial past while poking around a restored stone windmill, as well as remnants of the Great House, the distillery and other buildings of the island's first sugar plantation, established in 1674 by Christopher Codrington and named for his daughter. An interpretive center demystifies the sugar-making process and provides glimpses into the hardship of daily life on the plantation, which had around 400 slaves at its peak. The site straddles a quiet hill at the end of a 0.6-mile dirt track south of Pares, off the road to Long Bay.
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Valley Church Beach
This pretty palm-lined beach has calm, shallow aquamarine waters and powdery white sand. It's a popular excursion for cruise-ship guests, for whom water sports are laid on and loungers serviced by fleets of bar staff. Most cruisers gather around popular beach restaurant the Nest, so if you're looking for a quiet spot, head to the south end of the beach. The gate to the beach is open from dawn to sunset. If it's closed, park on the street and walk in.
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