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Where is Antigua located?
What's the name of Antigua's airport?
What currency is used in Antigua?
How big is Antigua?
What are the conditions like in Antigua?
What language is spoken in Antigua?
What are Antiguans like?
What more can you share about the island's history?
Lore on historical sites and other bits of folk culture:
St. John’s City
St. John’s Anglican Cathedral
Museum of Antigua and Barbuda
English Harbour
Nelson’s Dockyard
Shirley Heights
Fig Tree Drive
Wallings
Villages
Food
Where is Antigua located?
(TOP)
What's the name of Antigua's airport?
(TOP)
What currency is used in Antigua?
(TOP) How big is Antigua?
(TOP)
What are the conditions like in Antigua?
(TOP)
What language is spoken in Antigua?
(TOP) What are Antiguans like?
(TOP)
What more can you share about the island's history?
(TOP)
Lore on historical sites and other bits of folk culture
(TOP)
St. John’s City
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– Antigua’s Main City St.
John’s dates back to 1702, though it did not officially become a
city until 1842. Though the cityscape is rapidly changing, there is
still considerable architecture harkening back to these early days.
Of the city’s two main shopping areas, Redcliffe Quay is more retro in nature, with its beautifully restored warehouse buildings transformed into boutiques and restaurants. Even the newer buildings have kept the tone and character of the original architecture making for a distinctly Antiguan shopping and dining experience. Heritage Quay, by comparison, has a more modern look; and product ranging from high-end gems to beaded baubles in the Heritage vendors mall. Both Redcliffe and Heritage Quay open unto piers capable of accommodating mega ships, making them popular haunts of the island’s cruise visitors. Don’t stop at the Quays, however; there is a wonderful range of shopping and dining to be had all over this historic main town.
St. John’s Anglican Cathedral
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– Situated on a rising to the northeast of the city centre, the St. John’s Anglican Cathedral is visible from virtually anywhere in St. John’s. Originally made of wood in 1683, the building went through several transformations. In 1843, after a destructive earthquake, its exterior was re-constructed of stone, with a pitch pine interior. But this isn’t the only interesting feature; they are too numerous to mention here. For more, go to
www.antiguamuseums.org
The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda
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– The former high court building, now home to the national museum, dates back to 1750, and, as such, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. A tax was levied on all slave owners for a period of six years to pay for its construction. The Court of Justice was held on the ground floor, while the upstairs gallery was a meeting room for the Council and Assembly – where laws were made and amended. The Museum is managed by the Historical and Archaeological Society – a non-profit organization. For more, go to
www.antiguamuseums.org
English Harbour
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– This harbour once served as the British Naval Base of the Leeward Islands. The facility was closed in 1889 and abandoned in the 19th century. Today, it has been completely restored and is home to the only working Georgian era dockyard in the region.
Nelson Dockyard
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– The dockyard is named for the famed British admiral, Horatio Nelson. Today, it is the country’s main yachting hub. For more check out
www.antiguamuseums.org/nelsonsdockyard.htm
Shirley Heights
(TOP) – This is worth the drive just for the amazing view of Nelson’s Dockyard and its surroundings; a view made even more spectacular at sunset. No surprise then that it is one of the most photographed spots on the island, and home to the Caribbean best Sunday evening lime. Part of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, Shirley Heights is a large military complex of extensive ruins spread out over the hills on the east coast of English Harbour. Shirley Heights functioned, back in the day, as a holding area for military units destined for the British colonies and as the dockyard’s first line of
defense.
Fig Tree Drive
(TOP) – This is the most scenic route on island, winding through the Shekerley Mountains. ‘Fig’ is the local word for bananas in Antigua, and it is from this crop that the area derives its name. This area is in the southern part of the country, where Wallings Dam and Boggy Peak are also located.
Wallings
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– Wallings is a forest and reservoir area of pristine beauty. There, the land ascends over 1,000 feet for a panoramic view of the southern coastline, and the forest boasts some of the rarest trees and bird life on island. The trail leads up to Signal Hill, once used as a vantage point for spotting approaching enemies; today ideal, on a clear day, for catching glimpses of neighbouring islands such as Montserrat and Guadeloupe. More than a forest though, it is a piece of island history as the dam and spillway remain as supreme examples of Victorian era architecture. Designed to hold 13 million gallons of water, the Wallings Dam was built between 1890 and 1900 and supplied water to 15 villages.
Villages
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– Food
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“Pepper Pot”, the other national dish, is a rich, thick mouthwatering stew with a choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian. It may contain pork, chicken, salt beef, spinach, peas, green paw paw, pumpkin, okras, eggplant, onions, garlic, peppers, and seasoning.
“Pancake” is a mixture of banana or pumpkin blended with flour and spices and fried in hot oil. This meal is usually served with salt fish.
“Salt Fish” is the traditional Antiguan Sunday morning breakfast. It is dried cod, which has been soaked, de-boned, and boiled in a rich onion and tomato sauce. It is usually served with crush egg plant – colloquially, antroba - and bread. If eaten as a midday or dinner meal it is served with “Funjee” or “Pancake”.
“Season Rice” is a delicious blend of pickled meats (salt beef, pig mouth, pig tail), vegetable (spinach, okra, tomato), seasonings (onion, garlic, clove, sweet pepper), peas (pigeon, red bean, or black eye), and rice. This meal can be prepared with chicken instead of pickled meats.
Antigua and its sister islands –
Barbuda and Redonda – are located in the Eastern Caribbean; roughly
1,425 miles southeast of Miami (on the US mainland), and 4,000 miles
southwest of the United Kingdom (UK).
Also an air-travel hub for the Eastern Caribbean and commercial/entertainment hot spot in its own right, Antigua’s airport is called V.C. Bird International; named for the country’s first Prime Minister. It is located in the north and is less than four miles from St. John’s, the capital.
Antigua & Barbuda’s currency is Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC). The exchange rate is approximately US$1 - EC$2.69. Credit cards are widely accepted, and Travellers’ cheques always accepted.
Considerably larger than its 62 square mile sister, Barbuda, and Redonda, which is home only to plant-animal-bird-life, the roughly oval-shaped Antigua is 108 square miles. It is over 90 miles long with an irregular shaped coastline, making for hundreds of coves and bays – as the lore goes, one for every day of the year.
Perpetually sunny with cooling North-East trade winds and occasional showers (roughly 45 inches of rain annually), the weather is almost always perfect for hitting one of Antigua’s incomparable, white sandy beaches. Temperatures range from an average low of 73°F (23°C) in the winter to about 85°F (30°C) in the summer.
The island consists primarily of sedimentary rocks, chiefly limestone, but the southwest does have steep hills of volcanic formation – several over 1,000 feet – with Boggy Peak, the highest, stretching to 1,319 feet.
Another feature of Antigua is its extensive coral reefs, which not only sustain magnificent marine life, but also protect the coast from erosion and provide calm waters in the bays.
St. John’s,
the capital, meanwhile, is a bustling city; great for shopping.
The official language is English, although a local dialect is also widely spoken. This dialect borrows heavily from the country’s African ancestry.
Antiguans are among the warmest in the region. They number about 80,000. As a regional hub, Antigua is often described as a melting pot, due to its blend of people from other Caribbean islands of African, East Indian, and Spanish descent. Added to these are the British, American, Syrian, Lebanese, and other people who’ve long called this country home.
Antigua’s original settlers were Amerindians, but the course of island history was drastically altered with the arrival of the Europeans into the west ‘Indies’ in 1493. The Caribs called it Waladli (now, more commonly, ‘Wadadli’), but Christopher Columbus re-named it after the church of Santa Maria de la Antigua in Spain. It was not settled until 1632, however, when a group of English colonists arrived. In time, sugar came to dominate as the main industry, with enslaved Africans being imported to work the plantations where this product was grown and processed. Slavery was abolished in 1834, and sugar has long been usurped by tourism, offshore banking, and online services as the dominant industry. The last factory closed for good in the 1970s. Antigua and Barbuda achieved political independence from Britain in 1981.
Some of the villages along the various tour routes are John Hughes, Buckley’s, Swetes, and Old Road.
John Hughes Village was named for a retired naval pensioner who came to Antigua from St. Kitts in 1821. A drive through John Hughes could include stops at the Shekerley Mountains, Fig Tree Hill, and Wallings.
Buckleys Village was named for an 18th century estate owner. The village started after emancipation when parts of the land were sold to the sugar workers. Buckleys’ runs along the crest of a ridge for about two miles, segueing into the village of Swetes. Adjoining features like the Body Pond area, the village of Bendals, Boggy Peak, Signal Hill and the McNish Mountains help create a truly scenic environment.
Swetes Village was named for Martin Swete, an area plantation owner during the early 1700s. In the post-emancipation era, Henry Gale held the title to the 180 acre estate, and he set aside a portion for sale to emancipated workers, leading to the birth of Swete’s village.
Old Road Village is said to be the where the first post-Columbian settlers first put down roots. After they resettled at Falmouth, so the lore goes, this first stop came to be known as the “Old Roads”. There are other versions of the origin of this name, but, whatever the etymology of the name, this much is true; Old Road Village offers a nice slice of serene village life, winding roads, and country greenery.
“Funjee”, one of Antigua’s national dishes, is made with cornmeal and okras. It may be served with steamed fish, conch, stewed chicken, or salt fish.
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