Rough Guide Directions Antigua and Barbuda Book

Introduction to Antigua Little known just a generation ago, tiny Antigua has established itself as one of the Caribbean?s more popular destinations. The island is dotted with superb stretches of white sand, many of which ? despite the upswing in tourism and development that has given birth to dozens of excellent restaurants and hotels, and a handful of all-inclusives ? remain relatively uncrowded. If you?re looking for a place to crash out on a beach for a week or two, you?ll find this laid-back, welcoming place hard to beat. The best of the beaches can be found at Dickenson Bay in the northwest, Half Moon Bay in the east and Rendezvous Bay in the south. Of these, only Dickenson Bay (along with its neighbour, Runaway Bay) are part of a major tourist strip; the others ? as well as several more just like them ? are much less built up than similarly idyllic spots in the Caribbean. The waters off the north coast are also a prime spot for spray-soaked watersports, with excellent scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities in the fabulous offshore reefs. Before Europeans began colonizing the West Indies, Antigua was populated by Arawak-speaking Amerindians. Sighted by Columbus in 1493, the island was left to its own devices until the early sixteenth century, when British settlers arrived, bringing with them African slaves to clear the native vegetation and plant sugarcane. For centuries, the island was little more than a giant sugar factory, producing sugar and rum to send home to an increasingly sweet-toothed mother country. Around Antigua, the tall brick chimneys of a hundred deserted and decaying sugar mills, as well as the ruins of military forts and signal stations, bear witness to that long colonial era. These relics make for worthy and atmospheric diversions if you can drag yourself away from your patch of sand. The superbly restored naval dockyard and the crumbling forts around English Harbour and Shirley Heights are as impressive as any historic site in the West Indies. There are lots of other little nuggets to explore too, including the capital, St John?s, with its colourful, lively quayside, and the odd old-fashioned settlement like Parham or Old Road that progress seems to have bypassed. And if you?re prepared to do a bit of walking, you?ll find some superb hikes that will take you out to completely isolated parts of the island. As for nightlife, things are generally pretty quiet, though a good crop of restaurants ? look out for those serving fresh West Indian cooking, especially seafood ? do double duty as bars and dance clubs. Meanwhile, Antigua?s sister island Barbuda feels a world apart from its larger, more-developed neighbour, even though it?s just fifteen minutes away by plane. With its spectacular, largely deserted beaches and pristine coral reefs, it may come as some surprise that tourism here is as low-key as it is ? which is all the more reason to visit.Read More