Antigua and Barbuda in a Day
Dear lilioftheworld.com reader, here is Lili, your co-editor. This is the first article from the series dedicated to the islands we visited during our two-weeks cruise in the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda was not the first stop, but for sure one of the favorite ones. It seemed as if Fate had something to tell us, as it was the 14th of February when we visited this island. Without any doubt, the island offers romantic experience, but also a lot more.
We went on a cruise exploring the Eastern part of Caribbean in the course of two weeks. Certainly, exploring places when on a cruise is slightly different in comparison to going there for longer. For the route we have chosen though, going on a cruise for sure is a good option in order to get a feeling of the islands and decide which one you would wish to visit for longer. Antigua and Barbuda is definitely among the destinations which we would love to explore more in detail.
We will create a series of posts presenting the islands we visited and giving you tips on what to see and do “in a day”. The other islands we visited were:
- Barbados
- British Virgin Islands
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Martinique
- St Kitts & Nevis
- St Maarten
- Saint Lucia
- St Vincent & The Grenadines
- Trinidad & Tobago
In order to read our recommendations for each island, just follow the links. We also shared our overall cruise experience and tips when going on a cruise for the first time. Now back to Antigua and Barbuda.
History
Antigua and Barbuda is an independent Commonwealth country comprised of two namesake islands and several smaller ones. Like the other islands from the group of the Lesser Antilles, these two are located on the border between the Atlantic ocean and the Caribbean sea. The main town of Antigua is St John’s. It has a population of a bit more than 20 000 people. Although the town is small, the traffic is a bit heavy. This is something you should have in mind when moving around the island.
Antigua is the Spanish word for “ancient” and Barbuda is Spanish for “bearded”. Like many of the islands in the region, Antigua was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. He originally gave it the name Santa Maria la Antigua, after an icon in the Spanish Seville Cathedral. Although Christopher gave the name of Antigua, he never landed on the island. The “bearded” of Barbuda is thought to refer either to the male inhabitants of the island, or the bearded fig trees present there.
Interesting facts about Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua is referred to as “the island of 365 beaches” – a beach for each day of the year 🙂 Both islands are made of coral and limestone which contribute to the turquoise-colored water surrounding them.
Another interesting fact is that in 2017 there was a devastating hurricane which destroyed almost 95% of Barbuda. Antigua was barely touched. When being in the Caribbean and especially on these small islands, you can really feel the power of nature. The recovery of Barbuda is going slowly and there has been significant migration to Antigua.
The local language is English. However, most Antiguans are of African lineage, descendants of slaves brought to the island centuries ago to labor in the sugarcane fields. In order to communicate between themselves and not being understood by their masters, they created a local slang, known as Creole. It is a mixture of English and the various languages spoken by the slaves.
“The nation is one of the few countries where same-sex acts are punishable by as much as 15 years in prison. LGBT people are not allowed to serve in the military, gay couples are not allowed surrogacy, while lesbian couples are not given access to in-vitro fertilization.” (source: https://factsking.com/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/)
What to see in Antigua and Barbuda in a day:
It is true that in a single day you would not be able to explore all the 365 beaches. That is why you have to prioritize. Upon getting off the ship, you see a huge crowd of taxi drivers who offer you different day trips. Do not stop by the first crowd, but rather walk further where the “unofficial” drivers are. This is where you can bargain a better price for your ride.
Based on the recommendation of one of the taxi drivers, we chose for our first stop Long bay. Our initial intention was to go to Runway beach due to its proximity to the ship pier. However, he convinced us the other one is better.
It is Located about five minutes from the village of Willikies on the east coast. Long Bay Beach offers fine white sand and crystal blue waters, making it a great place for snorkeling or just relaxing in the sun. You need around 25 minutes from the cruise ship port to get there. We negotiated a price of around $35 to get to Long Bay and to the next point of interest- the Stingray City.
The Long Bay beach was one of the most beautiful beaches we saw during the whole cruise. Part of it is occupied by an all-inclusive hotel (Pineapple Beach Club) and also there is another one just round the corner (Verandah Resort). Unfortunately there aren’t many bars or restaurants, to be more precise there was only one small booth where you can buy drinks (no coffee). You can get free wi-fi from the all-inclusive hotel (remember that we were coming from a cruise ship with no wi-fi on board :-). There are also some booths where locals are selling their wares. The vivid colors of the kiosks add to the amazing landscape of the bay.
You can do snorkeling on Long Bay beach directly from the shore. We did not see anything extraordinary there, but there were squids, crabs and some smaller fish.
After three hours on the beach, we headed to the next stop:
Stingray City is a natural reserve where you have the chance to experience something which we consider among the highlights of our trip. They claim that the Southern Rays are the brightest rays in the Caribbean, very friendly and gentle. You get to the the land base and a speedboat whisks you to a shallow natural pool where you can feed the stingrays and interact with them. The pool is amid a magnificent coral reef with colorful tropical fish. Unfortunately we did not do the snorkeling as after spending 40 minutes in the water with the stingrays we were already freezing.
Before going there though, you have to reserve your slot. And this is quite important. On the day we were in Antigua, there was only one cruise ship, which means not so many tourists at the same time. The people who book the trip via the cruise reserve their slots in Stingray city. It can happen that they occupy all the available slots. Each group consisted of about 50-60 people and there were only four groups for the day- at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00. The last one we could not join as we would not be on time for our ship. Therefore, upon landing at the port, you better ask one of the taxi drivers to book you a slot in the Stingray City. Ideally, you can make an online reservation a couple of days in advance.
Not another tourist trap
Although Stingray city visit is something most tourists do, the experience was not bad at all. We did not feel like hundreds of people going there at once and bothering the stingrays. Prior to the tour, they gave us instructions on what we need to do when going into water. The pool is shallow, so you may stand up or swim with the Rays. This also makes it suitable for kids. These creatures are very friendly and cuddling. The company also offers you the possibility to take photos for you which you can buy at the end of the tour. We had brought our own equipment, so we took pictures ourselves. The experience is costly- $50, but definitely worth the price. Once you return to the land base, they serve free juice and the famous local rum punch.
Altogether the whole experience takes around 1.5 hours. Thus, shortly before 15:00 we were ready to head to our next stop. We were lucky as it started raining only after we got into the car. It rained until we got to the southern part of the island.
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Shirley Heights
Shirley Heights is part of the Antigua’s Nelson’s Dockyard park. The admission fee for the Shirley Heights together with the Nelson’s Docks costs $8. It is located in the Southern part of the island and it is an old viewpoint location.
By the time we visited it it was quite cloudy and windy. Even the unfavorable weather conditions could not ruin the amazing view towards the Atlantic ocean. You can read about the history of this place in the next part as it has connection to the Nelson’s dockyard.
Shirley Heights and the view to the Atlantic Ocean
The place is located just five minutes drive from Shirley Heights. It was built in the 18th century and restored overtime. The name comes from the British Hero of Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson, who was sent to Antigua to enforce British laws in the colonies. During the restoration of the dockyard in the 1950s, it was renamed Nelson’s Dockyard in honor of the years he spent in Antigua.
In the early eighteenth century, the British Royal Navy recognized the strategic importance of this English Harbor in protecting ships from hurricanes. If you get from the entrance of the complex to the end and climb a few meters, you can see how the marina is surrounded by land. This is how it served as protection from hurricanes. Its position at the south of the island made it suitable for monitoring French naval activity.
Especially from Shirley Heights where you can see far in the ocean. Throughout the eighteenth century, the dockyard grew in importance, as it was the only harbor in the Eastern Caribbean large enough for safe naval ship repairs.
Nelson’s Dockyard is the largest of Antigua’s National Parks and is still used today as a working dockyard for numerous yachts and ships. The Dockyard complex houses modern amenities such as shops, hotels, and marina businesses. Outside the dockyard, historic forts dot the landscape of the park accessible by hiking trails which allow visitors to enjoy the park’s scenic and natural beauty.
Nelsons Dockyard Complex
The main points of interest are (for which you can read on their website or the information brochure they give you with the admission fee):
- The Dockyard Museum, located in the former Admiral’s House. It hosts exhibits of the Dockyard’s history and current archaeological research on the island.
- Fort Berkeley
- The Capstan House
- The Copper and Lumber Store Hotel offers five-star accommodations and is a magnificent venue for special occasions (by the time we were there they were organizing a wedding ceremony)
- Businesses including gift shops, art galleries, and restaurants
- Do not miss to taste the coconut cake from the bakery located right behind the museum
After the Nelson’s Dockyard tour we headed back to the ship. The transportation took longer than expected due to the heavy traffic.
Other interesting places in Antigua
Although we did not have the time to visit them all, here are some other places which you might want to consider when in Antigua and Barbuda:
– the town of St. John’s – main town on the island
– Fort James – historic fort and ruins which are located literally opposite the ship pier
– Valley Church Beach – located about 15 minutes from the pier
– Dickenson Bay- this is one of the most instagrammable beaches on the island. The most popular photo from this beach is the one with a phone boot on the beach, like the ones you still see all over London city
– Runaway Bay
– Galleon Beach
– Pigeon Point
– Rendezvous Bay
– Millers Beach
– Turners Beach
– Darkwood Beach
The national dish is called Fungi (pronounced Foun-gee) and Saltfish, so in case you are a cuisine lover, you can try them.
This was our one day in Antigua, full of new experiences and impressions. We hope you enjoyed travelling with us.
Stay tuned for the next Caribbean cruise stopovers.
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