The best things to do in Antigua, including snorkelling, zip-wiring and boat trips to Barbuda
Antigua is pretty faultless as a paradise island: a verdant tropical interior fringed with pristine beaches, warm friendly people and year-round sunshine. It would be incredibly easy to flop on a beach and do nothing more than order the next cocktail and take the occasional swim in the turquoise waters. But those who get off the lounger will be rewarded with rich experiences, from adrenaline-pumping sports, well-preserved heritage sites and challenging hikes, to colourful shopping, wildlife encounters and, of course, cricket. Here is our pick of the best things to see and do in Antigua.
Confront the past
We must not forget that these beautiful islands were not always about pleasure-seeking, and a visit to Betty Hope’s Sugar Plantation will give you a good perspective on the past. This was the island’s first large-scale sugar plantation, built in about 1650. It ran for nearly 300 years, first with slave labour and later run by locals.
Insider tip: One of the sugar mills has been restored, complete with sails, and a small interpretation centre tells the history of sugar production on the island (with a map of the 112 remaining mills). However, you will get more out of a visit if you come with a local guide who will be able to bring the history to life.
Contact: Pares Village, St. John’s; 00 1 268 462 1469
Opening times: Daily, 10am-4pm
Price: ￡
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Act like an admiral
Enjoy the cobbled lanes and historic buildings of Nelson’s Dockyard, the focal point of English Harbour. It’s the world’s last working Georgian Dockyard and was once home to Admiral Horatio Nelson. Now it’s a hub for yachties who come to shop, eat and drink in the characterful alleys.
Insider tip: It’s tempting just to wander the cobbled streets soaking up the atmosphere, but a stop in the Dockyard Museum will furnish you with facts and figures. Set in the Naval Officer’s House the displays take you from about 900 AD with a model of an Arawak canoe, through a European settlement to the dockyard’s preservation and formation of a national park.
Contact: 00 1 268 481 5021; nationalparksantigua.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-6pm
Price: ￡
Swim with stingrays
Take a 10-min speedboat ride to a coral reef on the east of the island where you’ll encounter dozens of friendly rays congregating to suck fresh squid from you as you stand in the shallow blue water. Don a snorkel and swim among them.
Insider tip: The rays often like to lie in the sand so be careful where you put your feet while walking in the shallows. It is best to shuffle along rather than lifting your feet and putting them down again. Or take to the water and swim.
Contact: 00 1 268 562 7297; stingraycityantigua.com
Opening times: Daily, 10am to 6pm
Price: ￡￡
Get a good buy
The island’s best shopping is in the capital St John’s, where you can get duty-free deals in the jewellery shops and clothing stores of Heritage Quay (remember to bring your return ticket). The adjacent Redcliffe Quay is the place for souvenirs from several art and gift shops. Alternatively, shop from the local vendors on St Mary’s Street, who’ll sell you handmade jewellery, clothing and musical instruments.
Insider tip: To furnish your fridge at home with the taste of Antigua ask a taxi driver to take you to Epicurean Fine Foods where you can buy pepper sauce, salt fish, herbal tea and bottles of rum to take home at local prices.
Contact: 00 1 268 484 5400; epicureanantigua.com
Opening times: Daily, 7am-9pm
Price: ￡
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Walk on the wild side
From gentle, fragrant coastal walks to the steep hike up Mount Obama, Antigua’s highest point, there are some fabulous paths that take you into the depths of Antigua’s natural beauty. Around English Harbour you have Middle Ground Trail, an easy amble that begins at Fort Berkeley and ends at Pigeon Point Beach, or the more vigorous Lookout Trail, which climbs 500ft to Shirley Heights.
Insider tip: For a lush walk through rainforest, head to Wallings Nature Reserve in St Mary’s. A variety of paths provide you with walks of different lengths, including the climb to Signal Hill for a panoramic view of the island. The verdant paths are lined with silk cotton trees, while hermitage crabs scrabble at your feet.
Contact: 00 1 268 727 0218; wallingsnaturereserve.org
Opening times: Daily, 8am-5pm
Price: ￡
Capture the creativity of the island
Antiguans are a creative bunch, from the amazing Kennah-Mason family of musicians (one of the elder sons performed the cello at Prince Harry and Megan Markle's wedding), to the local ladies who make jewellery from the seeds of tamarind trees. On most trips to the beach you will pass a stall or two selling local handicraft, including bright painted maracas made out of calabash.
Insider tip: If you are serious about taking home a unique piece of Caribbean artwork, then try Fig Tree Studio in the heart of the rainforest. Here you will find a colourful array of paintings and sculptures and some craftwork, too.
Contact: 00 1 268 460 1234; figtreestudioart.com
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 9.30am-5.30pm
Price: ￡￡
Boat to Barbuda
Beautiful Barbuda, Antigua’s little sister, is a low-lying island just 27 miles north of Antigua. It’s easy enough to visit as a day trip by catching the Barbuda Express ferry from the bottom of Long Street in St John’s. Depart at 8.30am and you’ll be back around 6pm. Explore the Codrington Lagoon National Park, snorkel in the clear waters or dive shipwrecks.
Insider’s tip: Watch out for dolphins or even humpback whales on the ferry across, particularly between February and May. And on the island try to spot a frigate bird – Barbuda has one of the largest colonies in the world.
Contact: 00 1 268 560 7989; barbudaexpress.com
Departure times: Thurs-Tues, depart Antigua 8.30am, depart Barbuda 4.30pm; Weds, depart Antigua 6am and 2.30pm, depart Barbuda 7.30am and 4.30pm
Price: ￡￡
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Spot a superyacht
Sailing Week in Antigua is one of the oldest and most well-known regattas in the world. Taking place annually at the end of April/beginning of May, it originally marked the end of the charter season. Many hundreds of yachts from all over the world come to take part in the races with parties every night in English Harbour.
Insider tip: If you want to ogle at super yachts and aren’t around for Sailing Week, then come for the Yacht Charter show at the beginning of December or the Superyacht Challenge at the end of January.
Further info: antiguamarineguide.com/regattas.php
Zip through a forest
First there’s the heart-pumping, fist-clenching thrill of the speed, and then there’s the breathtaking, eye-opening beauty of the rainforest. Put them together and the Antigua Rainforest Zipline Tour is one of those unforgettable experiences. If you’re nervous about your first zip just remember that their youngest client was aged four and their eldest was 99, so if they can do it, you can.
Insider tip: The attraction can get uncomfortably busy when a cruise ship is in so it’s best to check when you book that it’s not a cruise ship day, or you can check the schedule here.
Contact: 00 1 268 562 6363; antiguarainforest.com
Departure times: Mon-Sat, 9am-2pm
Price: ￡￡
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Catch a match
Antiguans are crazy for cricket. So much so they built a 10,000-seat stadium to honour homeboy Sir Viv Richards, who led the West Indies to victory in the 1975 finals of the inaugural Cricket World Cup. Antigua boasts an impressive number of knighted cricketers. Alongside Richards are Sir Curtly Ambrose, Sir Andy Roberts and Sir Richie Richardson.
Insider tip: The buzz is palpable when international cricket is in town and it’s a great insight into Antiguan culture. Buy your tickets online well in advance and you can pick them up for as little as $10 (￡7).
Contact: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, St John; windiescricket.com
Opening times: Check online for match days.
Price: ￡-￡￡
