Antigua Travel Guide

The twin-island nation of Antigua & Barbuda, the largest and most developed tourist destination in the Leeward Islands chain, has much to offer visitors of many stripes.

Home to most of the nation's better-known hotels, Antigua is the larger of the two islands at about 108 square miles. From its upscale resorts for the very rich to comfy hideaways favored by sailors, Antigua's hotel choices are varied, although they lack the presence of a U.S.-based chain.

Islanders claim their home boasts 365 beaches, and while the count is questionable, the beaches are beautiful. Topography is varied as well, with rugged mountain peaks ideal for island overviews, undulating fields of grass once used to grow sugar cane, winding roads lined by pineapple fields, with desert-like conditions rounding out the scenery.

The long reach of the British Empire is still evident in both the formal demeanor of the local population and in the fascinating, must-see historical site called Nelson's Dockyard. Another place that's popular with visitors is Shirley Heights. Once used by the British Navy as a lookout post, the site offers panoramic views, and is the home of a twice-weekly party and barbecue for sunset-watchers. Although it's mobbed with tourists and the food is overpriced, the atmosphere is pure fun and local bands play infectious dance music.

Barbuda, the smaller sister island, is wild, woolly and barely inhabited. Most visitors arrive by propeller plane from Antigua at tiny Codrington Airstrip, which consists of one tiny cement block structure - the alleged terminal building - and a short runway.

About 1,000 inhabitants reside in Codrington, and beyond town are beautiful stretches of uninhabited beach accessed by rutted roads surrounded by scrub brush and cacti.

The most popular attraction here is actually offshore - the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. Bereft of visitor-friendly signs and amenities, this mangrove swamp is accessed by boat and is aflutter with majestic frigate birds.

Among but a handful of hotels, the island's best-known resort is the tony K-Club, a very private redoubt that serves the rich and famous. Most visitors, though, are day-trippers, who can arrange a one-day tour with lunch while staying on Antigua.