Topic	Top Five Highlights Of Antigua
Read Time	5 Minutes
Author	Laura Radford, Travel Writer

The laid-back island of Antigua is part of a group of three islands (Barbuda and Redonda are the other two) sitting in the idyllic Caribbean sea. This oasis is home to an array of beautiful beaches (one for every day of the year in fact), a rich history with British influence, a colourful culture, and an incredible lively food and drinks scene, especially on a Sunday afternoon! Here are just a few of our highlights of the incredible island of Antigua…

SOAK UP THE SUN ON A SANDY BEACH

If you wanted to visit every beach in Antigua you could, but it might take a while to do it one trip, since there is one beach on the island for every day of the year! 365 opportunities to soak up the Caribbean sun, indulge in some water sports, boat trips, or some snorkelling. There are also plenty of beachside eateries, including the famous Turner’s Beach Bar where you can enjoy freshly caught lobster and other seafood, plus of course a Caribbean cocktail or two!

SUNDAYS AT SHIRLEY HEIGHTS

No holiday to Antigua is complete without visiting Shirley Heights! The viewpoint has some of the best vistas of the island including English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard, you can even spot the island of Montserrat if the weather is clear. If you want to soak in some local culture, a popular tradition is to visit Shirley Heights at sunset on a Sunday. You’ll get to enjoy barbecue and rum punch with the locals, all whilst listening to the iconic sounds of a steel band, whilst you enjoy the sunset views over the dockyard – pure bliss!

DAY TRIP TO BARBUDA

If you’re spending a good amount of time in Antigua, its well worth taking the 90-minute boat trip over to its sister island Barbuda. Much smaller than its neighbour and far less inhabitants, it offers up great snorkelling and birdwatching opportunities. There are many shipwrecks on the reefs just offshore, which are great for diving and snorkelling alike and you can pop into the Frigate Bird Sanctuary which has over 5,000 of these birds and many more species in the nearby lagoon, all easily spotted from a boat.

EXPLORE NELSON’S DOCKYARD

Named after Admiral Nelson who served in Antigua for three years, Nelson’s Dockyard is the only Georgian Dockyard in the world and is a great place to soak up some of the island’s history. It used to be a British Naval base, but after being left to the elements, it’s been lovingly restored and now houses a museum, bars & restaurants, and a hotel. It sits in English Harbour, which is great for a stroll, and to spy on the many incredibly swanky yachts that are docked here.

VISIT A SUGAR CANE PLANTATION

Slavery and life on a sugar plantation also forms part of Antigua’s fascinating history, and whilst on your holiday to Antigua it’s a great idea to understand more about the island’s darker past. There are many sugar mills across the island, which highlight the significance of the sugar trade to those who colonised the island. One of the more famous is Betty’s Hope, named after the daughter of the owner of the plantation which thrived in the 17^th century. Here you can understand more about its history, and learn about the process of sugar production, whilst soaking up the views of St. John’s.

Ready to experience the highlights of Antigua on your Marvellous Caribbean Escape? Enquire with us today!