Antigua is renowned for its wealth of historic interest, stunning beaches, the now legendary Antigua Sailing Week and of course its profound love of cricket. Miles of picturesque coves and palmfringed bays surround the island, and with a dry climate, trade winds and plenty of sunshine, this is the perfect destination for sun worshippers, yachtsmen and watersports enthusiasts.

Scenically, Antigua is quite different from islands like Grenada and St Lucia, and has panoramic seascapes, undulating landscapes and cactus dotted hillsides. It has a strong colonial past and displays a visible history in attractions like English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard, an 18th century naval station named after the Lord Admiral who was based there for a number of years. Today the dockyard has been sympathetically restored and is still important to modern day seafarers, especially during Sailing Week when the whole area comes alive. Antigua’s long history is evident throughout the island, and nowhere more so than in the capital, St John’s. Here you will find the cathedral, built on a site dating back to the 17th century, Redcliffe Quay with its carefully restored warehouse, taverns and docks, and the museum of Antigua.

But the attraction of Antigua lies in its sparkling coral sand beaches (they say there are 365 of them), its unspoilt countryside and its unhurried laid-back lifestyle. Explore a little by car; the absence of good road signs makes it more of a challenge, but you won’t get lost as there will always be a smiling local to set you back on track.