Highlights

The capital, St John’s: dominated by the cathedral’s striking Baroque towers which are one of the first sights to welcome visitors arriving on the island by boat. St John’s offers a lovely mix West Indian gingerbread style houses, British colonial buildings, excellent harbourside restaurants and a bustling farmer’s market.

Nelson’s Dockyard National Park: a beautifully restored Georgian naval base that serves as Antigua’s historic heart. Soak up the atmosphere with lunch on the terrace at Admiral’s Inn and watch yachts docking in the pretty harbour.

Incredible beaches: enjoy romantic strolls along a deserted beach, leaving a trail of footprints behind you; relax on velvety sands before slipping into sparkling azure waters to explore colourful marine life; take the kids swimming in calm, clear waters. With little or no current in Antigua’s shallow water areas, the visibility is excellent which makes it ideal for snorkelling and diving.

Stunning scenery: venture beyond the beach to discover a number of fabulous look-out points. Follow the nature trail from English Harbour through forest up to Shirley Heights. Parts of the trail are quite steep but you will be rewarded at the top by incredible panoramic views over English Harbour.

Activities

Swimming and snorkelling: water temperatures average around 28°C year round

Walking and hiking for superb views, particularly Shirley Heights. This climb is steep in parts but well worth doing for the views from the top

Sailing: hire a yacht and skipper for the day to experience Caribbean life from the water

Exploring St John’s and Nelson’s Dockyard

Treat yourself to a traditional afternoon tea

Visit Barbuda: just a 90-minute ferry ride north of the island. Antigua’s sister island is blessed with an impossibly romantic and deserted eight-mile pink sand beach which gets its unique rose petal hue from the crushed coral in the sand. Nature-lovers will adore the frigate bird sanctuary which is only accessible by boat and is a haven to 170 species of bird and over 5,000 frigate birds.