Activities in Antigua
It would be easy to just lie back and enjoy Galleon House but if you want to explore the island of Antigua, there is plenty to do to keep you entertained.
Nelson’s Dockyard
Only a 5 minutes drive, or a water taxi away from Galleon House, Nelson’s Dockyard was once the haunt for many famous naval officers like Prince William Henry and Admiral Lord Nelson. It’s the only continuously working Georgian dockyard in the world and is a lovely spot to explore with fascinating buildings – The former Admiral’s House now contains the Dockyard Museum. There are shops selling local wares and several excellent restaurants.
Sunday Night at Shirley Heights
With spectacular view over English Harbor, it’s easy to see why this location was chosen as a military lookout and gun battery. It is a perfect spot to watch the sunset and from 4pm until 10pm every Sunday, party until the sun goes down on another week. With drinks, a barbecue, local bands playing a mixture of Caribbean music and international hits while overlooking one of the most stunning views in the world.
Sailing & Watersports
Antigua offers some fabulous Caribbean sailing and English and Falmouth Harbours are the centre of the sailing scene. From paddle boards and dinghys to superyachts there is something for everybody.
Golf
There are two publicly accessible 18-hole golf courses on Antigua, Cedar Valley and Jolly Harbour. Both are near the capital St Johns.
Scuba Diving
Explore the warm, calm reefs around Antigua. There are a number of dive schools located in Falmouth/English Harbour offering a full range of diving activities for everyone from the beginner to the experienced diver.
www.soulimmersions.ag • www.divecarib.com
Hike to the Pillars of Hercules
The Pillars of Hercules are rock pillars formed from waves over thousands of years. Gorgeous secluded beaches surround the pillars and this is an excellent spot for both snorkeling and diving to see some rare fish. The Pillars of Hercules can be reached from a hiking trail from Galleon Beach. The trail itself is beautiful with cactus and towering agave that must be hundreds of years old. Prepare to scramble over rocks though and bring plenty of water!
Hike to Fort Berkeley
Defended by no less than 25 canons, Fort Berkeley was designed to be a crucial part of Antigua’s defense. The trail to the fort starts at the Superyacht Dock, behind the Copper and Lumber Store Hotel in Nelson’s Dockyard. Some interesting building in the fort include the 200 year old bomb-proof powder magazine which could hold up to 300 barrels of gunpowder.
Visit Stingray City
The highlight of many people’s visit is Stingray City. Get up close with Southern Rays. Nature guides provide aquatic encounters with southern stingrays, including snorkeling & feeding.
Rainforest Zipline Tours
The Antigua Canopy Tour is a unique eco-tour through Antigua’s lush rainforest. Suitable for all ages. Combine with a kayak tour for the full experience.
Helicopter Tours
Take a helicopter tour of Antigua or to the neighbouring island of Montserrat which was devastated by a volcanic eruption in 1997.
Betty’s Hope
The only two surviving structures of the first large sugar plantation on Antigua are the two sugar mills. The British sugar plantation operated continuously for almost 300 years from 1651 to 1944. The two mills were restored under the Antigua Government and OEC/ESDU Eco-Tourism Enhancement Project as an important part of Antigua’s history. The mills serve as an open air museum.
Devil’s Bridge
The waves of the Atlantic Ocean have crashed into Antigua’s east coast for hundreds of thousands of years and formed the natural limestone arch known as Devil’s Bridge. Devil’s Bridges gets its name from stories that slaves leaped to their death from the bridge during Antigua’s period of slavery.