Antigua is the largest of the British Leeward Island with warm, steady winds, an irregular coastline forming beautiful sweeping bays and a protective, nearly unbroken wall of coral reef. Once the bane of marauding enemy ships, now the reefs attract snorkellers and scuba divers from all over the world. Unsurprisingly, Antigua’s way of life is governed by water, and any visitor will find that their stay is too. The ocean is crammed with crustaceans and tropical fish and offers huge scope for watersports, including, sailing, yachting, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing and fishing. Or, you can just come to relax and luxuriate in clear water that sparkles under hot sun.
If nautically-themed activities are not to your taste, the area also abounds with colourful bird and insect life. There are also national parks and blow holes to discover, including the much vaunted Devil’s Bridge, a natural span crafted by the colliding of Atlantic and Caribbean surf.
Antigua and its smaller sister, Barbuda, have certainly adopted the notoriously ‘Caribbean’ way of life: these are islands on which to take the pace down and “kick-back” with a beer or two!