Antigua and Barbuda

They claim 365 beaches. Nobody has ever disproved it

Antigua markets itself as having 365 beaches, one for every day of the year, which is the sort of claim nobody has seriously audited and which nonetheless feels about right when you drive around. The coastline is deeply indented with coves, most of them white sand, and public access to all beaches is protected by law.

Nelson Dockyard is the historical centrepiece and a UNESCO site: a Georgian naval base built in the 18th century, still operating as a working marina, where Nelson himself was stationed. It is the only continuously used dockyard of its era anywhere, and the surrounding English Harbour is the yachting centre of the eastern Caribbean.

Barbuda, the smaller sister island thirty miles north, is a different experience entirely. It has a frigate bird colony of thousands, pink sand beaches that are genuinely pink, and a population under two thousand. It was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and recovery has been slow and contested, so check current conditions before planning.

Annual events and festivals

• Antigua Carnival (Jul-Aug) — ten days marking emancipation, ending with J’ouvert and the parade of the bands.
• Antigua Sailing Week (Apr-May) — one of the top regattas in the world, drawing serious international fleets.
• Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (Apr) — immediately before Sailing Week, with vintage and traditional boats.
• Independence Day (1 Nov) — marks the 1981 end of British rule.
• Barbuda Caribana (May-Jun) — Barbuda own carnival, much smaller and more local.
• Nelson Dockyard events (year round) — concerts and heritage evenings in the Georgian courtyards.
• Emancipation Day (first Mon Aug) — falls within carnival and is the reason for its timing.
• Antigua Charter Yacht Show (Dec) — a major industry event filling English Harbour with superyachts.
• Wadadli Day (varies) — celebrating the indigenous name for the island and local culture.
• Christmas festivities (Dec) — including a long tradition of Highland and masquerade troupes.