The Mini Rough Guide to Antigua & Barbuda (Travel Guide eBook)

Rough Guides

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781839058103
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Travel

This pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do, what to see and how to get around Antigua & Barbuda. It covers top attractions like the Cathedral of St John the Divine, Radcliffe Quay and Nelson's Dockyard, as well as hidden gems, including a trip to Betty's Hope, Antigua's first sugar plantation and a valuable heritage site, a relaxing day at Half Moon Bay, considered to be one of the best in the world, and a boat ride to Great Bird Island, where birdwatching, picnics on the pristine beach and snorkeling in crystal clear waters is par for the course. This will save you time, and enhance your exploration of this fascinating islands. This title has been fully updated post-COVID-19. This Mini Rough Guide to Antigua & Barbuda covers: St John's; The north coast; East of the island; English Harbour area; West of the island; BarbudaIn this travel guide you will find: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Antigua & Barbuda, from cultural explorations to family activities in child-friendly places or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas. TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS
Covers the destination's top ten attractions not to miss, including Redcliffe quay, Great brid island, Half Moon bay, Betty's hope and a Perfect Day/Tour itinerary suggestions. COMPACT FORMAT
Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, with a sharp design and colour-coded sections, this is the perfect on-the-move companion when you're exploring  Antigua & Barbuda. HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture. WHAT TO DO
Detailed description of entertainment, shopping, nightlife, festivals and events, and children's activities. PRACTICAL MAPS
Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around. PRACTICAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Practical information on eating out, including a handy glossary and detailed restaurant listings, as well as a comprehensive A-Z of travel tips on everything from getting around to health and tourist information. STRIKING PICTURES
Inspirational colour photography throughout.

Out and About

Antigua’s scalloped, irregular coastline is one of its chief delights, so it is no surprise that most of the action takes place on or near the water. Fine natural harbours have welcomed sailors to the island for generations, and sailing is big news.

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View over English Harbour from Shirley Heights

History buffs should make for Nelson’s Dockyard, the world’s only working Georgian dockyard, and visit Shirley Heights to enjoy panoramic views. St John’s is well worth a visit for its colourful waterfront and fine cathedral, while the stunning inland scenery of the rainforest is matched by coastal wonders such as Devil’s Bridge. Just a short ferry ride from Antigua, Barbuda bakes quietly in the sun. Top attractions here are the mind-blowing, pinkish sand beaches, and ornithologists will delight at the frigate bird nesting grounds.

The best way to explore is by taking one of the many organized tours, or by taxi on a fun ‘round the island’ tour escorted by a local, very informative driver.

St John’s

Charmingly time-worn, St John’s 1 [map] is an appealing West Indian town sloping gently back from the waterfront. A jigsaw of candy-coloured architecture lines the orderly pattern of streets and narrow alleys. Clapboard buildings with fretwork balconies cluster on the hill below the cathedral, which is the best place to start exploring – unless, of course, you are coming straight off a cruise ship docked in the quay.

Cathedral of St John the Divine

The skyline of St John’s is dominated by the 70ft (21m) twin towers of the Cathedral of St John the Divine A [map] (www.thestjohnscathedral.com). The great parish church, with its walled, shady churchyard, covers a wide block between Newgate and Long streets. The towers, topped with shiny grey cupolas, are impressive, especially for those arriving by sea, and have earned St John’s the reputation as ‘the most imposing of all the cathedrals in the West Indies’.

It is also called ‘a church within a church’, because after the first wooden structure built on this site in 1683–84 was destroyed by fire, and a second stone building severely damaged by the great earthquake in 1834, it was decided that radical measures were needed. Consequently, the present building, completed in 1847 and consecrated on 25 July the following year, was given a pitch pine interior and a stone exterior, as a defence against both fire and earthquake. Subsequent minor tremors and the earthquake of 1974 have taken their toll, however. A great deal of renovation was completed in time for the 150th anniversary in 1998, but improvement works fight an ongoing battle against the ravages of time.

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St John’s waterfront

The iron gates on the south face of the church are flanked by pillars displaying lead figures of St John the Divine and St John the Baptist. They were taken by HMS Temple in 1756, from a French ship destined for Martinique, during the Seven Years’ War between England and France. The cathedral can be entered through these gates, through those on Newgate Street, or via small gates on either side.

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Cathedral of St John the Divine

The cruciform interior of the church includes an octagonal high altar, made of mahogany, which was presented in 1926 in memory of Robert McDonald, a former chancellor of the diocese. The beautiful stained-glass windows that allow light to flood over the altar portray the Crucifixion of the Lord with the Virgin Mary and St John the Divine. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is located to the left of the high altar and the War Memorial Chapel is on the right. The inside of the cathedral is currently closed due to ongoing restoration works.

Around Independence Avenue

Nearby, east of the cathedral off Independence Avenue, is Government House, the office of the Governor General, the British Crown’s representative on the island. Originally called Parsonage House, due to its proximity to the cathedral, it was owned by a wealthy local man, Thomas Nasbury Kerby. When a suitable official residence was sought for the new governor, Lord Lavington, in 1800, the house was rented by the government because it was ‘detached and pretty’. The following year it was acquired as a permanent home for the island’s governors and additions were made to enlarge and embellish it. The house was extended again in 1860 in preparation for a royal visit by Prince Alfred, who was travelling on HMS St George. Government House fell into disrepair over the years, until renovations were begun in 1996 and continue to this day to stem the progressing decay.

The Cenotaph stands at the top of High Street, which runs into Independence Avenue. It is a monument to the Antiguans who died in World War I, and was unveiled in August 1919, almost a year after the war ended. Special services are held here each Remembrance Day to honour those who lost their lives during both the 20th-century world wars.

The Antigua Recreation Ground B [map] on Factory Road, known locally simply as ‘ARG’, was once the prime stadium for all beloved Test matches. Now not much more than a shrine to West Indian Cricketer and local hero Sir Vivian Richards, record breaking moments have enshrined the ARG in Antiguan history. You can still see the roll of honour boards that proudly display who scored a 100 or more runs and those who took five wickets or more in a match. Today, the run-down venue may have been overshadowed by the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (for more information, click here), but to the elation of Antiguans, the occasional event is still held at the ARG, helped along by joyous music and entertainment. The annual Carnival celebrations are centred on the Recreation Ground and it is also used for big parades, including the Independence Day Parade on 1 November, celebrating Antigua’s independence.

On the other side of Factory Road is the Rappaport Centre, an angular white building set in landscaped grounds that houses the National Archives. The centre borders the Botanical Gardens C [map] , established in 1893 with the aim of providing a green and open space in the bustling capital and promoting an awareness of the natural environment.

At one point the gardens, which span several acres, were a popular spot but in the 1950s they deteriorated and for some time they were rarely used. Some restoration work was carried out in 1987 by the Botanical Gardens Society, but the society itself declined over the years, and two major hurricanes took their toll on the grounds during the 1990s. Today, the botanical gardens, while partially restored, remain rather neglected – a far cry from their former glory.

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Inside Government House

Despite their slightly lacklustre state, the grounds can provide a wonderful shady spot in which to cool off in the middle of a hot day’s sightseeing or shopping, and there are still some plants worthy of note if you care to explore – look for the majestic zulu tree (Ficus nekbuda), which is nearly 90 years old. There are also specimens of Cuban royal palm (Roystonia regia) and the so-called sausage tree (Kigelia africana), as well as bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris schr.). The lignum vitae tree (Guiacum officinale) can also be found here. It is known locally as ‘iron wood’ because...

Table of contents

• 10 Things Not To Miss
• A Perfect Day On Antigua
• Overview
• History and Culture
• Out and About
• Things To Do
• Food and Drink
• Where To Eat
• A–Z Travel Tips
• Where To Stay