Just Cruises Plus

In response to the question we posed two weeks ago, the island that is known for its 365 beaches is Antigua.  Congratulations to Gina Nichols of Ambler, PA whose name was randomly selected from the 13 correct answers.

Antigua is located in the Southern Caribbean and is part of the Leeward chain of islands.  It is far more low key than the faster paced islands of St. Thomas and St. Martin.  It also has less rainfall than most of its neighbors.  The reason for the low rainfall is that its hills are not as high as those of its neighbors.

Long Bay - one of the many lovely beaches on Antigua

The effect is that it is a great place to enjoy days of sunshine on it’s many beautiful beaches.  Another effect is that, with less rainfall, they are not able to grow very much so much of their food comes form the nearby island of Dominica, where the mountains are higher and the rainfall greater.

Antigua is divided into 6 parishes – all named for saints. The largest is the colorful city of  St. John, which is literally steps from the cruise ship dock.

St. John, Antigua

While in Antigua on our cruise, we arranged for a private tour for four, independent of the cruise line, because it included more places and was less expensive.  During the tour, we passed through local villages on our way to Shirley Heights, where we got spectacular views of English Harbor and Nelson’s Dockyard.

View of English Harbor from Shirley Heights

We also drove through Indian Town to visit Devil’s Bridge, a natural bridge caused by hundreds of years of wave action.

Devil’s Bridge

Tourism is currently the largest contributor to Antigua’s economy.  The “high” season is November through April, when northerners are trying to escape the cold, but it is beautiful year-round.  There are some great resorts in Antigua, including Sandals.

If you visit Antigua, and you are looking for some quality local arts and crafts, you might spend some time in St. John, but the main attractions are the beaches and views from the country side.