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Antigua Holiday Information

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The memories of a holiday in Antigua will last a long time! Antugua is the perfect Caribbean holiday destination. It has great beaches and plenty to see. Antigua is a romantic Caribbean island with lush vegetation and stunning scenery. Antigua is perfect for a luxury honeymoon destination but also a perfect holiday destination for couples and families too.

The beach is just one of many reasons why you should go on a holiday to Antigua.

Antigua has an amazing 365 stretches of beach, giving visitors a different choice for every day of the year!

Most of the beaches on Antigua are inside the calm, protected waters of the island's Caribbean side. All are open to the public. Beaches are important when it comes to holidays to Antigua so here is our rundown of the best beaches on Antigua.

Northwest Coast:
Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay, located along the island's northwestern coast, are the place to go for those who want the full-on resort beach experience. The beaches nearest to St. John's are Fort James, a locally-popular public beach, and Deep Bay. Galley Bay is good for surfers during the winter months and popular with joggers during the evening. The series of four crescent beaches at Hawksbill are also popular, one of which is nudist.

Southwest and South Coast:
The beaches of the hilly southwest corner of Antigua are generally less developed than those around St. John's further north. On the road that winds along this coast are Fryes Bay, Darkwood Beach, and the beaches around Johnsons Point. Rendezvous Bay and especially Doigs Beach, both located on the central southern coast at Rendezvous Bay, are very quiet beaches worth the rough journey necessary to reach them. Pigeon Point, near English Harbour Town, is a convenient place to rest and sunbathe after a day at Nelson's Dockyard.

East Coast:
On the southeast corner of the island is Half Moon Bay, a National Park and a good choice for a family day trip. Long Bay, on the easternmost point of the island, is another good choice for families, and it is completely protected by its reef.

Barbuda:
Barbuda's smooth coastline is edged with long golden and white sand beaches protected by barrier reefs.The pristine golden beaches of the southwestern shore stretch as far as ten miles without interruption. The beaches of the island's eastern shore, facing the Atlantic, are rougher, although they are great for exploring.

Antigua holiday sightseeing

Begin your Antigua holiday sightseeing at Nelson’s Dockyard. Part of a national park, it’s the only existing Georgian naval dockyard in the world, built in 1725 and once England’s most important naval outpost in the Caribbean.

Along the waterfront, buildings are signposted with their dates of origin and former uses, from the Sawpit Shed to the Copper and Lumber Store. In the erstwhile Naval Officer’s House, a museum gives the history of the area.

The dockyard comes alive in April with Antigua’s annual Sailing Week. More than 1,500 sailors compete in this high-speed competition that makes a roundtrip from Dockyard to Dickenson Bay and back. April also features the Classic Yacht Regatta: traditional craft built of wood and steel make this a show that’s more about beauty than speed. American Sailing Week is a June event filled with instructional clinics, races and day sails.

St. John’s, the island’s animated main town, rises from the harbor, backed by a twin-spired cathedral. Visit the Antigua and Barbuda Museum and view artifacts like ancient stone pendants and flint knives, displays on cassava, and for sports lovers the cricket bat of Sir Vivian Richards, a beloved island athlete. Stop in Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for a moment’s respite.

At Redcliffe Quay, a series of historic buildings have been transformed into a little retail village. Originally a slave-trading yard, the buildings were used by merchants and innkeepers after emancipation. In the countryside, almost a hundred towers that are the remnants of Antigua’s sugar mills dot the countryside where over 150 sugar-producing plantations once stood. At Betty’s Hope, founded in the 1650s, twin mills have been restored to working condition.

If it’s utter peace and quiet you’re after, then head to drowsy Barbuda, the lesser-known of the two islands. It feels untouched by progress, with the principal inhabitants being the graceful frigate birds. Take a boat ride through the Frigate Bird Sanctuary in Codrington Lagoon and see these unique birds, which spend most of their time in the air because they can’t walk or swim. On Barbuda, you’re unlikely to see more than a dozen other human beings during your stay.

WHERE YOU CAN FLY FROM FOR YOUR ANTIGUA HOLIDAY
Airport: V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU) to English Harbour - approx. 14 miles. St Johns downtown - approx. 5 miles. St Johns shopping area - approx. 5 miles. Gateways/Flying Times: Baltimore: 4 hours. Frankfurt: 9 1/4 hours. London: 8 hours. Miami: 3 hours. New York: 4 hours. Newark: 4 hours. Paris: 8 hours. Puerto Rico: 1 hour. Toronto: 4 hours.

VC Bird International Airport (ANU) has become something of a hub in terms of flying. British Airways and Virgin fly direct from Gatwick, and bmi from Manchester. There are also charter flights from Gatwick with several charter flight companies. Alternatively American Airlines fly from London Heathrow via the USA.

ANTIGUA HOLIDAY WEATHER:
Average temperatures High/Low: Summer 85/77 degrees. Winter 82/75 degrees. Average annual rainfall - 45 inches.

DINING:
Usual practice for tipping is 10% if no service charge has been added. Restaurants ranging in wide variety of prices, locations and dishes.

LANGUAGE:
English.

NIGHTLIFE:
Nightclubs and casinos. Ongoing island activities and events also offer nightly entertainment.

SIGHTSEEING:
Holidays to Antigua are not complete without discovering what the island has to offer. Antigua has:

Museum, art galleries, Harmony Hall (art gallery with restaurant and nearby beach), glass bottom boat trips, visit to the fruit, vegetable and newly opened craft market, a visit to the Antigua Black Pineapple fields, Parham village and visits to renovated forts and sites, such as Nelson’s Dockyard and Shirley’s Heights. Tours: (Day) tours to nature island Barbuda, accessible via airplane and high-speed catamaran. Barbuda attractions include: the Frigate Bird Colony, Martello Tower, Castle Hill, Highland Hill, Bryant Cave and many other caves. Snorkeling, scuba diving, turtle watching, bone fishing, horseback riding, hiking, cycling and herbal tours are some of the many other activities to do. Tours to other neighboring islands, such as ‘volcano’ island Montserrat and Dominica (the island of rivers and waterfalls). Eco-Kayak, swim with the dolphins.

CALL US ON 0845 2990410 TO ENQUIRE ABOUT A HOLIDAY TO ANTUGUA. WHETHER IT'S AN ALL INCLUSIVE HOLIDAY ON ANTIGUA OR A LUXURY HOLIDAY ON ANTIGUA. WE HAVE LAST MINUTE HOLIDAYS, LATE HOLIDAY BARGAIN DEALS AND SPECIAL OFFERS.. AND PERMANENT LOW PRICES !

All prices displayed are per person and are subject to availability.
The prices displayed are "prices from" and are available at certain off peak times of the year or available on some late deals, cancellations and special offers. The lowest price may not always be available especially at peak holiday times such as Christmas, Easter or other public holidays. Our job as independent travel agents is to use our knowledge and experience to find you the best holiday at the best price we can. Please bear in mind that special Caribbean holiday deals can sometimes be available for a short time so when its gone its gone ! Please call us and we will check availability and prices for the date you wish to depart. The total cost of your holiday or flight will be confirmed to you before booking.

The air holidays and flights shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Tour Operators names and ATOL numbers for any offer can be supplied without obligation.

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