Island adventures in Antigua & Barbuda

• Antigua hosts the annual Sailing Week at Nelson’s Dockyard which attracts hundreds of international racing boats, recreational yachts and sailboats.
• Diving and snorkeling are wonderful ways to explore Antigua and Barbuda’s hundreds of reefs and wrecks. Cades Reef on the southern tip of Antigua is the hot spot for such activities. Barbuda also offers many wrecks from different periods of the island’s history. However, the wrecks are often found in rough waters, so it is important to ask the locals’ advice before venturing out on your own.
• If you get hungry, you can challenge a lobster one-on-one with your bare hands or use a specially crafted fish pot. Either way, catching lobster is relatively easy on Antigua as there is an abundance making them a specialty of the island. Many fishermen also bring home barracuda, shark, tuna and other local fish.
• Although the hiking trails on Antigua are not well developed, you can still find your way to the top of many hilltop forts, such as Fort George, which sits atop Monk’s Hill and Fort Barrington on the peninsula of Deep Bay. At Two Foot Bay on Barbuda, a huge cave displays ancient drawings. The caves can lead you underground and eventually underwater, but these require the advice of an expert. A few miles from Highland there is the Darby Cave Sinkhole, which can be reached by an easy 40-minute trek through the bush. Suddenly, you will come across treetops at eye level. It is an amazing natural sinkhole and not to be missed, but it’s better to enlist a guide just in case you get lost.
• Antigua’s historical buildings also attract many visitors each year. St. John’s Cathedral, which dominates the capital, was originally built in 1681. The Old Courthouse, built in 1750, now houses The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, a museum dedicated to the islands’ history and culture.
• Looking for a change of pace Fig Tree Drive is one of the most beautiful drives in Antigua. Its winding roads are landscaped with lush vegetation and rain forests.
• Also, in just a 40-minute boat ride, you can see a rare view of an endangered bird. The Frigate Bird Sanctuary on Barbuda is the largest bird sanctuary in the Caribbean and contains over 170 species. During their mating season from September to April, this extraordinary bird presents a huge red breast to attract its female mate. These birds cannot walk or swim, so they soar high up into the clouds and feed off of fish stolen from other birds.
• Cricket is Antigua’s national sport. Antigua Recreation Ground often hosts several international cricket events. Other sports include golf and tennis.