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Information on Antigua
The safe harbours are protected by the coral reefs on the holiday island of Antigua, with sun kissed white beaches and warm breezes the beauty of the island is what inspired Admiral Nelson to choose Antigua as the base for Great Britain's Caribbean Fleet in 1784, now make it one of the Caribbean's most sought-after tourist destinations.
Antigua is home to Sailing Week, one of the world's most renowned maritime events that is fuelled by the trade winds, which once guided the British battleships into the safety of the English Harbour. The expansive, winding coastline that made Antigua difficult for outsiders to navigate is where today's hikers can discover a miles of secluded, powdery-soft beaches. The coral reefs that were once the bane of marauding enemy ships now attract snorkellers and scuba divers from all over the world. And the fascinating, small neighbouring island of Barbuda - once a scavenger's paradise because so many ships wrecked on its reefs - is now home to one of the Caribbean's best-known bird sanctuaries.
Situated in the centre of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, Antigua is about 14 miles (23km) long and 11 miles (18km) wide, almost twice the size of Barbuda, the flat coral island 30 miles (48km) due north. The nation also includes the tiny uninhabited island of Redonda, now a nature preserve.
