Antigua Hotels

Numerous tourists like to visit the island of Antigua so they can see the culture the history, the tourist attractions beaches and scenery of the island. Some may want a hotel on the island that has good views and good access to transport and to tourist attractions. Some may want a hotel that has a good reputation. Some may prefer a hotel that has good prices. Some may want a luxury hotel or a cheap hotel. Some tourists may want a hotel that is large or small.

Geography
Rocky shoreline near St. John's.

Capital: St. John's
Land area: 208 sq. mi. (280 km²)
Capital and largest city: St. John's
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation.
Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas.
Elevation extremes: 402 m (Boggy Peak), sea level.
Time: 1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time

The high rocky coast is indented by many bays and arms of the sea, several of which form excellent harbours. The surface is comparatively flat, and there is no central range of mountains as in most other Caribbean islands, but among the hills in the southwest an elevation of 1,319 feet feet is attained on Boggy Peak.

St John's is the capital and largest city of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is the commercial centre of the nation and the chief port of the island of Antigua.

The settlement of St John's has been the administrative centre of Antigua and Barbuda since the islands were first colonised in 1632, and it became the seat of government when the nation achieved independence in 1981.

Several museums, including the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda and the Museum of Marine Art, a small facility containing fossilized bedrock, volcanic stones, petrified wood, a collection of more than 10,000 shells, and artifacts from several English shipwrecks.

The city's skyline is dominated by the white baroque towers of St. John's Cathedral.

The Botanical Garden is near the intersection of Factory Road and Independence Avenue. This small park's shaded benches and gazebo provide a quiet refuge from the bustle of activity of St.John's.

St. John's Antigua Light is a lighthouse located in the city's harbour.

Fort James stands at the entrance to St. John's harbour. Other nearby forts include Fort George, Fort Charles, Fort Shirley, Fort Berkeley and Fort Barrington.

St John's Cricket Ground

Just east of St. John's is the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, a multi-use stadium in North Sound, that was created mostly for cricket matches, and has hosted the matches during the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The Antigua Recreation Ground, Antigua and Barbuda's national stadium, is located in St. John's.

V.C. Bird International Airport is located on the island of Antigua, eight kilometres northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda. The airport was built as an American military air base during World War II and named Coolidge Airfield after Capt. Hamilton Coolidge (1895-1918), a US Army Air Service pilot killed in World War I. A few years after the war, the airfield was turned over to the government of Antigua to become a civil airport. It was known as Coolidge International Airport until 1985, when it was named in honor of Sir Vere Cornwall Bird (1910-1999), the first prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.

The history of Antigua and Barbuda can be separated into three distinct eras. In the first, the islands were inhabited by three successive Amerindian societies. The islands were neglected by the first wave of European colonisation, but were settled by England in 1632. Under British control, the islands witnessed an influx of both Britons and African slaves. In 1981, the islands were granted independence as the modern state of Antigua and Barbuda.

Christopher Columbus landed on the islands in 1493, naming the larger one Santa Maria de la Antigua. However, early attempts by Europeans to settle the islands failed due to the Caribs' excellent defenses.[citation needed] England succeeded in colonising the islands in 1632, with Thomas Warner as the first governor. Settlers raised tobacco, indigo, ginger, and sugarcane as cash crops. Sir Christopher Codrington established the first large sugar estate in Antigua in 1674, and leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. Barbuda's only town is named after him. In the fifty years after Codrington established his initial plantation, the sugar industry became so profitable that many farmers replaced other crops with sugar, making it the economic backbone of the islands. Codrington and others brought slaves from Africa's west coast to work the plantations under brutal conditions.

By 1736, so many slaves had been brought in from Africa that their conditions were crowded and open to unrest. A slave called Prince Klaas (whose real name was Count) planned an uprising in which the whites would be massacred, but the plot was discovered and put down.

During the 18th century, Antigua was used as the headquarters of the British Royal Navy Caribbean fleet. English Dockyard, as it came to be called, a sheltered and well-protected deepwater port, was the main base and facilities there were greatly expanded during the later 18th century. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson commanded the British fleet for much of this time, and made himself unpopular with local merchants by enforcing the Navigation Act, a British ruling that only British-registered ships could trade with British colonies. As the United States were no longer British colonies, the act posed a problem for merchants, who depended on trade with the fledgling country.

With all others in the British Empire, Antiguan slaves were emancipated in 1834, but remained economically dependent upon the plantation owners. Economic opportunities for the new freedmen were limited by a lack of surplus farming land, no access to credit, and an economy built on agriculture rather than manufacturing. Poor labour conditions persisted until 1939 when a member of a royal commission urged the formation of a trade union movement.

The official language of Antigua and Barbuda is English, but many of the locals speak Antiguan Creole. The Barbudan accent is slightly different from the Antiguan one. Spanish is also widely spoken in certain communities in Antigua where immigrants from the Dominican Republic make up large numbers.

In the years before Antigua and Barbuda's independence, Standard English was widely spoken in preference to Antiguan Creole, but afterwards Antiguans began treating Antiguan Creole as a respectable aspect of their culture. Generally, the upper and middle classes shun Antiguan Creole. The educational system dissuades use of Antiguan Creole and instruction is done in Standard (British) English. The higher up one goes on the socio economic ladder, the less prevalent Antiguan Creole becomes, to the extent that some Antiguans will even deny that they speak or understand Antiguan Creole.

The culture of Antigua and Barbuda is predominantly British, and this is evident throughout many aspects of the society. For example, the national sport is cricket, and Antigua has produced several famous cricket players including Sir Vivian Richards, Anderson "Andy" Roberts, and Richard "Richy" Richardson. Following cricket, the next most popular sport is soccer, which is called football in Antigua.

American popular culture and fashion also have a heavy influence. The majority of the media in the country are major United States networks. Antiguans pay close attention to American fashion trends, and major designer items are available at boutiques in St. John's and elsewhere, although many Antiguans prefer to make a special trip to North America, or San Juan, Puerto Rico, for shopping.

Willoughby Bay is a large indentation in the southeastern coast of Antigua.

All Saints is the third-largest town in Antigua and Barbuda. It's located in the middle of Antigua, at Just 5 miles SE of here is the capital, St. John's.

Within the vicinity of the town is Betty's Hope, the first large-scale sugarcane plantation in Antigua. Betty's Hope was built in 1674 by Sir Christopher Codrington, the namesake of Codrington, and was named for his daughter, Elizabeth Codrington. The only remaining structures are two stone sugar mills and the remains of the stillhouse, though its important role in Antigua's history has inspired its government to turn it into an open-air museum. The area around All Saints is known for its traditional pottery. Potter's Village, a nearby settlement, is named after it.

Bethesda is a township in Antigua. It is located in the southeast of the island, to the northeast of English Harbour, at the head of Willoughby Bay.

Liberta is the third-largest town in Antigua. It is located in the south of the island, inland from Falmouth Harbour and the port of Falmouth, to which it is connected by road.

Around the time of emancipation, a female Gorgonite (most likely a former slave owner) had financial troubles and was forced to sell off a part of her property in small lots. The ex slaves in the neighbourhood eagerly bought up all the little freeholds, as they desired to own land in perpetuity. They immediately settled on the lots they had purchased, framed their houses and cultivated their gardens. Besides working on nearby plantations, income was also earned working as mechanics at the dockyard. Later on, their descedents also worked in trade as tailors and shop keepers. “Liberta” (meaning liberty) sprang up from proud, noble and forward thinking freed people in 1835. By 1842, a painted signboard near its border proudly read: “The Village of Liberta”.

Cities, towns and villages in Antigua and Barbuda

All Saints, Antigua and Barbuda

Bethesda, Antigua and Barbuda
Bolans

Cedar Grove, Antigua and Barbuda
Codrington, Barbuda

English Harbour

Falmouth, Antigua and Barbuda

Freemans, Antigua and Barbuda
Freetown, Antigua and Barbuda

Jennings, Antigua and Barbuda
Jolly Harbour

Liberta, Antigua

Old Road

Pares, Antigua and Barbuda
Parham, Antigua and Barbuda
Piggotts

Potters Village