St John's

The islands of the Caribbean are famed for stunning stretches of coastline, but Antigua really raises the bar – with mile upon mile of golden sand being one of the major draws for overseas visitors.

Despite dating back to colonial times, the capital city is popular with overseas visitors, including those who dock at the nearby port on a cruise break as well as those who are holidaying on the island.

A major attraction when it comes to St John’s is the shopping, with the city being home to a number of shopping malls and boutiques where you can look for designer gear as well as more traditional, independent stores where locals sell their handmade goods.

A busy daily market is also popular and well worth a visit to get an insight into local life - whilst also providing the chance to sample a raft of traditional Antiguan delicacies.

St John’s is home to range of restaurants and eateries where you can also sample the very best in Caribbean cuisine, whilst Antigua Distillery – the only rum distillery on the island - is also located within the city.

Landmarks that might be worth a visit include the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, the Botanical Gardens and St John’s Cathedral, which originally dates back as far as the 1640s.

The current building however was only built in 1845, with two previous incarnations of the cathedral having been destroyed by earthquakes.

As with the vast majority of islands within the Caribbean, there are impressive stretches of coast within easy access of St John’s where you can enjoy the sun - such as Galley Bay - whilst a trip in land means you’ll be able to explore stunning landscapes that include verdant rain forests where you can zipline through the trees.