Antigua and Barbuda

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Saint John's

Population

67,000

Government

Constitutional Monarchy

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic)

Languages

English

Calling Code

+1268

Time Zone

UTC -4

Nationality

Antiguan, Barbudan

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Introduction

Turner Beach Antigua

© All Rights Reserved BobDoreen

Two little dots of paradise in the Caribbean, the charms of Antigua and Barbuda are immediately obvious. Antigua is a place where you go to enjoy the beach, the water and the reef. Simple but very sweet. This is every cliché associated with a tropical island, but clichéd or not, the recipe works.

On Barbuda, an island slighly smaller than Antigua and boasting a population of around 1100, the attractions are a little less clichéd: Barbuda is best known for its bird sanctuary, renowned among bird watchers everywhere. Others may simply be drawn to the opportunity to enjoy solitude amongst nature's beauty - Barbuda is not nearly as popular as Antigua.

Brief History

Geography

Regions/Islands

• Antigua is the more populous of the two islands and home to the capital Saint John's
• Barbuda

There is also an uninhabited island to the south-west of Antigua called Redonda

Cities/Towns

• Saint John's, the capital
• Codrington, the main town on Barbuda.

Sights and Activities

Stingrays

Although there are many places on earth where you can come up close with stingrays, there are options of very enjoyable trips from Antigua as well. You will feed them when possible and even go swimming with them. Although they can sting, usually they are not agressive at all if not threatened and should always be approached with respect and care. For more information try the Stingray City Antigua website.

Betty's Hope

Betty's Hope!

© All Rights Reserved Contessa

Betty's Hope was the first sugar plantation in Antigua. It was built by Christopher Codrington in 1674, and named in after his daughter Betty. Ruins of the two stone windmills and a distillery can still be seen on the site and there is a small visitors centre. One of the windmills has been restored. There are informative tours with historical insights about this the sugar plantations in Antigua and Barbuda.

Antigua Carnival

Competitors

© All Rights Reserved Isadora

Go and celebrate one of the best Carnivals in the Caribbean at the island of Antigua. It is probably the biggest event that takes place on both islands and although it is not as impressive as a Rio Carnival, the people here sure know how to get dressed up, party, drink and have fun. And all without the problems of Rio.
It should be noted, Carnival on Antigua is a 10 day event which ends the first Tuesday in August. Unlike most carnival celebrations which usher in Lent, Antigua's carnival celebrates the people's emancipation from slavery which took place August 1, 1834. Participants in the festivities hail from almost every Caribbean island, including Jamaica, St. Vincent, Trinidad/Tobago, St. Kitts and Anguilla, among others.
More information on Antigua Carnival.

Other sights and activities

• Museum of Antigua and Barbuda - Saint John's, see Antigua Museums
• Mangrove boat rides - Barbuda

Events and Festivals

Weather

Antigua and Barbuda have a pleasantly warm and tropical climate with generally hot and humid weather. From June to October is both the hot and wet season with temperatures around or above 30 degrees Celcius during the day and still above 25 degrees at night. The cooler but drier period of December to May averages around 27 degrees during the day and just above 20 degrees at night. Most rain falls from July onwards, but even in the dry season showers are possible. Hurricanes can strike from August onwards.

Getting there

Plane

Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) is the national airlines of Antigua and Barbuda based in Saint John's. It serves many islands in the Caribbean from the V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU). Destinations include Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Other airlines are Carib Aviation to and from Barbuda, Montserrat and Dominica, and several airlines fly directly from Toronto, New York, London and Frankfurt.

By Boat

From December 2008 until at least March 2009 there is supposed to be another ferry service operating between Antigua and Montserrat. They leave daily in the morning from Antigua, leaving Montserrat in the afternoon again.

Getting around

By Plane

Carib Aviation flies daily between Antigua and Barbuda.

By Car

There are numerous car rental agencies, both international and local, on the island of Antigua. Most of them can be found at the airport and some in smaller resort areas or in St. John's. Driving is on the left side of the road and you need to buy a temporary driving permit, valid for 90 days which you can buy for 20 USD at the rental agencies or nearest police station.
On Barbuda, there are no larger official rental agencies, most cars that can be rented are from individuals or resorts.

By Bus

The bus system is not really extensive and most services are erratic. Still, buses from St John's to Falmouth and English Harbour are plentiful, cheap, and take about 30 minutes. There are no buses to and from Dickenson Bay and the northern coastline but taxis are plentiful, albeit much more expensive of course. Still, prices are fixed by law and tips are not expected.
On Barbuda, there are no public buses or taxis whatsoever, but you can do day trips to Barbuda from Antigua, including air tickets and transport as part of a day tour.

By Boat

The Antigua to Barbuda Ferry takes 1hr 30mins and the ferry departs at 8.30am on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from Saint John's, arriving at River Dock, Barbuda. The return service from Barbuda departs at 3.15pm on the same days. On Tuesdays and Fridays the service departs Antigua at 4.45pm and returns the following day from Barbuda at 6.30pm. Reservations can be made by phone (001 268 464 9453). Or check the Antigua Ferries website.

Red Tape

Money

See also Money Matters

The currency of Antigua and Barbuda is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, or EC$. It has existed since 1965 and is used by 7 other states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States as well. Only the British Virgin Islands (the nineth member) doesn't use it, but uses the US$ instead. The EC$ is subdivided into 100 cents and has been pegged to the United States dollar at US$1 = EC$2.7 since 1976. The EC$ comes in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 cents and a coins of 1 dollar. There are notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar.

Work

Study

Language

English is the official language of the islands.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Antigua & Barbuda is: 1268
To make an international call from , the code is: 011

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