Antigua Cruise Port Profile

• Antigua is known for shopping, beaches and historic attractions.
  
• Historical attractions at Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour are especially well known.
  
• Taxis closest to the docks tend to charge the most. Negotiate price.

The Antigua cruise port was hectic and filled with people on the day we arrived. It was no surprise because it is a popular stop for eastern Caribbean cruises.

One reason why is the size and quality of the shopping district right by the docks at St. John’s, the island capital.

The other reason is the fact that the island claims to have 365 beaches or one for every day of the year. That may be true, but many of them are small, so plan your beach visit.

We found the shopping to be good and the beaches to be average. But we enjoyed both anyway.

Attractions

English Harbour was considered the most important British Caribbean naval base from its beginning in the 1700s until its closure in 1889. The base is now part of the 15 square miles of Nelson's Dockyard National Park.

Points of interest include Clarence House, a home built for the future King William IV (1765-1837) when he served under the legendary British admiral Horatio Nelson as captain of the H.M.S. Pegasus.

Other attractions include:

• Shirley Heights, a fortification overlooking English Harbour
  
• St. John’s Cathedral, with imposing twin towers and a history dating back to the 1600s
  
• Half Moon Bay, located on the western tip of the island, a popular destination for walking, riding and the pink sand beach.

Shopping and Restaurants

Like most cruise ports, shopping is right there by the dock. The main shopping area is Heritage Quay, with numerous stalls filled with colorful things to buy, some local and some not.

Redcliffe Quay is next to Heritage and provides many additional shopping and dining opportunities. Walk a little farther and you will find yourself on well-maintained streets with more traditional shopping.

Shopping near the docks tends to have less expensive and more authentic arts and crafts sold in stalls, while shops on the main streets had higher quality goods that were more commercialized and expensive.

Restaurants near the dock include:

• The Admiral's Inn, International/West Indian, located at Nelson’s Dockyard
  
• Big Banana 17°61°, Italian, at Redcliffe Quay
  
• Colombo's, Italian, English Harbour
  
• Crazy Horse Saloon, bar and grill, lower Redcliffe Quay
  
• Chicken Hut, restaurant and bar, St. John’s
  
• The Inn at English Harbour. International/West Indian, English Harbour
  
• Shirley Heights Lookout, West Indian/Seafood, Nelson’s Dockyard

Beaches

Fort Bay Beach, which is about a 10-minute taxi ride from St. Johns, also is known as Miller's Beach because of the restaurant Miller's by the Sea which is located there.

The beach is nice enough for an afternoon visit with white sand and a small number of nearby recreational activities, especially jet skis.
Deep Bay also is located near St. Johns.

Other major beaches with easy access from St. Johns include the resort-dominated Runaway Bay and Dickenson Bay to the north of the city.

To the south lie less-developed beaches that are somewhat more difficult to reach. They are Hermitage Bay, Galley Bay and Hawksbill Bay. Note that one of the four sections at Hawksbill is nudist.

The beach known as probably the best on the island is Half Moon Bay, but it is on the west side and farthest from St. Johns. It is part of a national park and a good family choice because it is protected by a reef.

Car Rentals / Transportation

Car rental agencies are mainly concentrated at V.C. Bird International Airport and in St. John's. But most agencies deliver cars to your location.

Check prices and availability for all of the agencies, call to see if the car will be delivered to your location and also call in advance to reserve a car.

Taxis are plentiful, and drivers will negotiate prices. When we negotiated a price to go from the cruise dock to Miller’s Beach, our driver remained by the beach for more than two hours until we were ready to return.

Public transportation in the form of buses was not available.

Weather / Best and Worst Months to Go

Antigua climate consists of warm temperatures year round that average in the mid 80s Fahrenheit.

The monthly high temperatures average about 83 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and 87 degrees in the summer through mid-fall.

Rainfall is low from January through April, moderate in the late spring to mid-summer and reaches a high point from September through November during the annual Caribbean hurricane season.

• U.S. currency and most major credit cards are accepted everywhere. We never had a problem paying with U.S. currency during any shopping.
  
• The suggested tipping amount is 10-15 percent, including taxi drivers.
  
• Cruise ship passengers who are "in-transit" and stay less than 24 hours are not required to present a visa.