If you are planning a trip to an island in the Caribbean, make your way over to Antigua & Barbuda. The small island is surrounded by beauty everywhere, and it isn’t overrun by tourists. I moved here almost 2 years ago when I got married, and no that doesn’t make me a local on the island, (although I did marry one) I’m still going to give you my top sightseeing views that you can not miss.
This small island is perfect for honeymooners, family trips, and even a solo trip. It is extremely safe (I haven’t heard of any crimes while living here), and the population is only 100,000.
All the viewpoints I’m going to list are a must experience, because picture’s don’t do them justice. There is something so serene and tranquil about being surrounded by nature.
If you are currently considering booking that plane ticket to Antigua & Barbuda, here are some great articles for you to collect more information:
Top Restaurants In Antigua & Barbuda
Best Beaches in Antigua & Barbuda
Shirley Heights:
If you type in Antigua & Barbuda on the google search page, the first image you will see will be the viewpoint from Shirley Heights. Absolutely breathtaking view and one you can not miss. I promise you it will be one of the many highlights of your trip.
When arriving at Shirley Heights you will have to pay an admission fee. However I have gone several times and it didn’t cost me anything (so hopefully you will get lucky).
Shirley Heights offers two magnificent view points that are both great for watching the sunset. When driving up you will see a fork in the road and you can either go left or right. GO TO BOTH. Both offer spectacular views, and sometimes one side will be really crowded so it’s nice to check out both.
If you go to the right viewpoint (the one photographed below) they have a wonderfully cosy restaurant with a live band (usually live music is Friday night). Not feeling for food, order the local drink called Coconut Crush (non alcoholic). Sit back and view the deep blue ocean with a delicious drink in your hand.
Also located near the restaurant is a souvenir shop, so you can take a trinket back home to always remind you of this beauty.
Fort James:
Fort James was built in the 1800’s and was originally constructed to guard St. John’s harbour, from the French. Now not so much guarding goes on there, it’s more tipsy teenagers hanging around. They still have many cannons, and a very broken down fort which is in need of some desperate care.
However it offers a beautiful view overlooking the ocean. If for some reason you want to see a cannon up close Fort James should be on your list.
Fort James beach is only 5 minutes away from the viewpoint, so I advise checking out both. They are both no charge. It is a stunning beach and both locations are an easy drive. If you don’t feel comfortable venturing out on your own many tours offer Fort James as part of their itinerary.
Even though Fort James is run down you can sense the history in the air, and it offers a spectacular ocean view.
English Harbour:
English Harbour is a city in Antigua. Generally this is where you will find most of the tourists, and more of a night life. I’m adding it to my list, because it is a beautiful city to explore. There are many restaurants around English Harbour, (many of the best ones I list in my post here) and you can easily bar hop around the city.
There are many options for tours that are offered around English Harbour. You can even venture out and set sail on the Catamaran tour, enjoying the stunning coastlines and make pit stops around the Harbour.
If setting sail on a boat isn’t up your alley, just go check out a restaurant in the Harbour and venture out and become lost in the spectacular city.
Nelsons Dockyard:
Nelsons Dockyard is a wonderful place to walk around and explore. They have pillars on one side of the dock that reminds me of the pillars in the Disney movie Hercules.
Before you reach the dockyard there are a few places to shop for some souvenirs if you are looking to bring something back other than your sun-kissed tan. Most of the souvenirs they sell are shirts. If that doesn’t interest you I would shop around at the airport souvenir shop, because they have the most variety.
Fig Tree Drive:
Antigua is not one of the green islands around the Caribbean. We don’t get constant rain so there is not much greenery. Fig Tree drive is the exception.
Fig Tree drive is 4.5 miles through Antigua’s rainforest. One of the most picturesque drives Antigua has to offer. Greenery all around you and so many different types of trees. If you want to try local fruit there are always stands selling pineapples, bananas, guava, starfruit, fresh made jams, and more.
Make sure you try the local bananas and pineapples. They are very small, but extremely sweet.
If you are craving a more thrilling adventure, other than driving through the rainforest. We have a zip-line company that offers tours throughout Fig Tree. All ages may participate and it is a great group activity! The Antigua Canopy Tour (Linked) has 6 ziplines and the total price is $69.00 for one. Embark on a suspension bridge, trek through Antigua’s lush rainforest, pitstop in a treehouse (fulfilling my childhood dream to own one), and see Antigua from above.
Devil’s Bridge:
This is one of the most popular viewpoints in Antigua. The history of Devil’s Bridge is distressing. This is where in the 1800’s slaves would jump off the bridge to commit suicide. The bridge is dangerous to cross when the waters are rough, so it is advised to view it from afar.
Many people do cross the bridge. The local tale is when you cross from one side to the other you will forgo a sex change.
Betty’s Hope:
Betty’s Hope is a historical site where you can see the most preserved sugar mills in the country. The sugar mills on Betty’s Hope can be traced back to the 1600’s. Sugar mills surround the island, but most of them damaged and not in the best condition. Betty’s Hope is a historical site with two sugar mills. They allow visitors to enter inside and view it up close and personal. Sugar mills have a dark history. In the early days hundreds of Africans lived out the majority of their lives on the sugar mills as slaves. If you care to dwell more into the history of Antigua’s sugar mills this is an excellent website that explains the history and preservation.
This visit is quite brief, and you most likely won’t spend longer than 20 minutes here. Though it is a short visit it is valuable if you enjoy history and architecture.
Locations: I’m going to share a google pin point location for each location I have listed, because the roads here are confusing and don’t have street signs.