Guide to Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda are two Caribbean islands that form a country that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico.

Antigua, pronounced "an-tee'-gah", is perhaps the island which most typifies the modern day view of a small Caribbean destination. With few other natural resources, tourism dominates the local economy of both islands. Stunning white sand beaches abound, and on Antigua there is no shortage of attendant high-end resorts. Barbuda still has the beaches but little tourism-based infrastructure.

Investment banking and financial services also make up an important part of the economy with many major foreign banks taking advantage of the nation's liberal banking laws.

Cricket is a huge sport here and this tiny nation has produced several genuine all-time world greats of the game. Cricket fans will certainly not be short of locals to chat with.

Antigua and Barbuda are nicknamed "Land of 365 beaches" due to the beaches that surround the two islands.

History

Barbuda was inhabited by hunter-gatherers from 2,900–3,000 BC, sometimes referred to as the Ciboney. Arawaks were present on Barbuda and Antigua from at least 1,000 BC. Their population on Barbuda peaked between 1,500 and 800 years ago. They were probably displaced by the Kalinago by the time Columbus landed on Antigua during his second voyage in 1493.

Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony on Antigua in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834.

The islands became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.

Climate

The climate is tropical marine with little seasonal temperature variation. The islands experience hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October), and periodic droughts.

Electricity

Most electrical sockets outlets are type A or B (the type used in most of North America). Most hotels are 110V, but there are some reports of 230V.

See the electrical systems article for more information.

Tourist information

• Visit Antigua and Barbuda website

Traditionally, the languages spoken in Antigua and Barbuda are English (official) and local dialects; however, as of the 2020s, the Spanish-speaking population has grown significantly—to the point that Spanish has been declared the second official language and is also taught as a core subject in schools.

• Saint John's - capital, on the island of Antigua
• Codrington - a town on the island of Barbuda

• English Harbour
• Falmouth

All EU citizens can enter without a visa.

Citizens of the following countries may also enter without a visa: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nauru, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and citizens of British Overseas Territories.

If you do need a visa, you must have a passport valid at least 6 months after time of visit, a completed application form, and 1 passport size photo. A single entry visa costs 30GBP and multiple entry costs 40GBP.

If you are of a nationality that normally requires a visa and you are entering Antigua and Barbuda as a port for a cruise ship, you do not need a visa provided the ship will be leaving the day it arrives.

By plane

V.C. Bird International, (ANU) located in north eastern Antigua on the outskirts of St John's, is the country's main international airport. The airport serves flights from the United States, Canada, Europe and other Caribbean islands.

The following international airlines serve the airport:

From the US: American Airlines/American Eagle (Charlotte, Miami, and New York-JFK), Delta Air Lines (Atlanta and New York-JFK), JetBlue (New York-JFK), Seaborne Airlines (San Juan), United Airlines (Newark)

From Canada: Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson), Sunwing Airlines (Montreal-Trudeau), WestJet (Toronto-Pearson)

From Europe (UK): British Airways (London-Gatwick) and Virgin Atlantic (London-Heathrow)

From the Caribbean: ABM Air (Barbuda, Montserrat), British Airways (Providenciales, St. Kitts, Tobago), Caribbean Airlines (Barbados, Kingston, and Port of Spain), FlyMontserrat (Barbuda, Montserrat, Nevis), InterCaribbean Airways (Tortola), Seaborne Airlines (San Juan), Sky High Aviation Services (Santo Domingo–Las Americas), St. Barth Commuter (St. Barthelemy), Tradewind Aviation (St. Barthelemy), VI Airlink (Tortola), Winair (Sint Maarten, St. Barthelemy)

By boat

Montserrat Ferry has ferries from Montserrat.

You can also arrive from Guadeloupe on one of Jeans for Freedom's infrequent "discovery days."

Many visitors come in via cruise ships. Yacht charters offer another alternative in and around the islands.

Tourists mainly get around by car rental or tour operators.

There is however a fleet of local buses, usually minibuses with about 12-14 seats, which run set routes (you can tell from the number on a circular badge on the upper right corner of the windscreen as the bus approaches you) and you can wait at a stop or walk along the road and hail a passing one. They're very cost-effective (much cheaper than a private taxi), and will stop wherever you want to on the route, although the network only really covers the main roads. There is also no set timetable but one usually passes every 10-15 minutes. The drivers are speedy and it can be an adventure!

If you stay a week or more, rates for rental cars can become quite reasonable (see below).

By ferry

Barbuda Express runs ferries between Barbuda and Antigua. 2 hours, US$107 as of 2024, book online.

Car rentals

There are various car rental agencies, so they're unlikely to be hard to find. Search online car rental portals, or look at Google Maps for companies that may not be listed on the portals.

• Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour, Antigua's only World Heritage Site since 2016
• The British forts and the views from Monk's Hill in Falmouth
• Frigate birds on Barbuda
• Boggy Peak, the nation's highest point and a national park, which was temporarily named Mount Obama, for U.S. President Barack Obama on his 48th birthday in 2009 until 2016.
• Shirley Heights lookout
• Devil's Bridge National Park
• Pillars of Hercules

The highlight of Antigua are its beaches. Locals will tell you that there are 365 beaches on Antigua alone; enough for every day of the year. While this may be apocryphal, it is true that they are all beautiful. Some are secluded and quiet, while others have beach bars and water sports. Choose your fancy.

Money

The currency of the country is the East Caribbean dollar, denoted by the symbol: "$" or "EC$" (ISO currency code: XCD), which is also used by seven other island nations in the Caribbean. The EC dollar is subdivided into 100 cents. It is pegged to the United States dollar at an exchange rate of US$1 = EC$2.70.

Coins circulate in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 cents and 1 dollar. Banknotes circulate in denominations of 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollars.

Shopping

• Galley Boutique, English Harbour, has great clothes.
• 1000 Flowers, St. John's, has great clothes.

• Antigua State College
• Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology
• Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute
• University of the West Indies (Open Campus)
• University of Health Sciences Antigua
• American University of Antigua

Learn about local heritage and culture. Learn a bit of dialect along the way. Buy a copy of the local newspaper The Observer: they have a nice cartoon in local creole which helps with the interesting Antiguan dialect.

Working longer than three months requires an official working licence, to be filed with the employer, who also has to pay for it. There may be good jobs available in the tourism sector and entertainment industry (particularly gambling).

The national dish is fungie (pronounced foon-gee) and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish very similar to the Italian Polenta being made mainly of cornmeal. Other local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish and lobster (from Barbuda). Local confectionaries include sugarcake, fudge, raspberry and tamarind stew, and peanut brittle. The various restaurants around the island sell both local and international food.

• Lunch might be anything that can be easily bought from a nearby shop, especially a bakery.
• Dinner will typically be rice, macaroni or pasta, vegetables/salad, a main course (fish, chicken, pork, beef, etc.) and a side dish like macaroni pie, scalloped potatoes or plantains.

On Saturdays you will find many drive-by barbecues at important road crossings all over the island. They serve rice and chicken, dumplings, soup, etc. Sometimes they even have a sound system for entertainment.

Sunday is the day when the culture is most reflected in the food. For breakfast one might have saltfish, eggplant, eggs, bacon, sausages, or lettuce. Dinner may include pork, baked chicken, stewed lamb, or turkey, alongside rice (prepared in a variety of ways) and salads.

• Harmony Hall, near Freetown. It closes for the summer on May 6. The best restaurant on the island.
• Mama Lolly, Redcliffe Quay, St. John's. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly home cooking.
• Calabash, Redcliffe Quay's "Vendors Mall", St. John's. Vegan cuisine. Owned by a raw chef who used to work in New York.
• The Roti King, corner of St Mary's Street and Corn Alley, St John's. Serves Roti, which is an East Indian dish of rolled Indian flat bread filled with hot and spicy curries and tamarind sauce.

The only American fast food chains operating on Antigua are KFC, Burger King and Subway, each with two locations.

The public markets are a great place to mingle and get inexpensive provisions.

Local drinks are

• Mauby
• Seamoss
• Tamarind juice
• Mango juice
• Coconut water
• Cavalier Rum, local rum
• Wadadli, local beer
• Oasis, Desalinated water

Bars

• Papa Zouk, Bar and fish and chips restaurant 2 min outside of St. John's.

There are many hotels resorts and other kinds in Antigua, however most are over US$200 per night.

Though Antigua is generally a safe place, secure your purses and wallets. Walk only with the necessary money, and decline services offered to you by people on the street. If you rent a car, park in a well-lit area.

Tap water can be discoloured, and cause upset stomachs even after boiling. Bottled water is more reliable.

The locals are very friendly and respectable. Approach them in a courteous manner and it will undoubtedly be returned to you. Approach them with a smile and remember please, thank you, good afternoon.