GO...UP & AWAY - JAXFAX Travel Marketing Magazine

um and Trappas, overlooking English
Harbour, serves international fare with
flair. On the Dickenson Bay resort strip,
the Beach specializes in Caribbean
recipes prepared with an Asian twist.
Testing the Waters
A local favorite, Pigeon Beach is a quarter-mile
of white sand within view of the
volcano on Montserrat. Dickenson Bay
and Runaway Bay, on the northwestern
coast, front the busy resort strip. Galley
Bay attracts surfers during the winter, joggers
at night, and for those who prefer
their birthday suit over a swimsuit, the
crescent beach at Hawksbill is all about
privacy. On the hilly southwest corner,
Fryes Bay and Darkwood Beach are
worth the effort necessary to find them.
Long Bay is protected by a reef and recommended
for family swimming and the
secluded Half Moon Bay has been
deserted since Hurricane Luis destroyed
the beach resort in 1995. On Deck
Ocean Racing offers sailing courses
aboard a 40-foot racing yacht. Visit
www.ondeckoceanracing.com. Kokomo
Cats sells sailing tours on the fastest
catamaran in the Caribbean. Visit
www.kokomocats.com. Antigua Paddles
offers a snorkel and hike package
to Bird Island with its white beaches
and rare wildlife. www.antiguapaddles.com.
Here at the epicenter of
Caribbean sailing, yachties flock year
round to the islands many sailing
events and spirited pubs, and divers
covet the two-hundred shipwrecks
including that of the Andes circa 1905 .
Let’s Get Physical
Islanders are devoted to cricket with
the Antigua Recreation Ground one of
the finest in the Caribbean. The Historical
and Archaeological Society arrange hikes
to Fort George atop Monk’s Hill and Fort
Barrington near Deep Bay. For independent
trekkers, the trail from English Harbor
to Shirley Heights reaches a summit of
492 feet with breathtaking views of sheltered
bays and the craggy south coast.
The scenic Fig Tree Drive dotted with
sugar mills, banana groves and little
churches is a popular day trip. Cedar Valley
Golf Club and Jolly Harbor Golf
Club offer 18 holes and The K-Club on
Barbuda has its own nine-hole course.
A Storied Past
East of St. Johns, Betty’s Hope is a
plantation, restored sugar mill and small
museum. The only existing Georgian
naval dockyard in the world, Nelson’s
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA NTO
Make a Date: April - Sailing Week island-wide
July 24- August 3 – Carnival 2010
Dockyard was built in 1725 as England’s
most important outpost in the Caribbean.
History aside, it is also a big tourist draw
with shops and cafes. Inside the Antigua
and Barbuda Museum, fans will appreciate
the cricket bat of Sir Vivian Richards,
the best player in the Caribbean.
Get your Groove On
The Sunday night party at Shirley
Heights Lookout above English Harbour
gets going at 4 pm when revelers
toast the sunset and enjoy a lobster
dinner from one of many grills. With no
shortage of Wadadli beer, the party
gets going after dark with steel bands
and reggae performers. Entry is 20
local dollars. Visit www.shirleyheightslookout.com.
Crowds at the restaurants
and bars on Dockyard Drive spill
into the streets after dark. The hot spot
is Abracadabra where expert bartenders
pour knock-out rum punches.
Shop to It
Antigua is the center for duty-free
shopping in St. John’s. A few blocks
away, haggling with vendors lends charm
to the Heritage Craft Market. Near the
cruise ship pier, Heritage Quays has
dozens of stores and cafes and for a less
frenetic scene vendors sell Antiguan souvenirs
at Nelson’s Dockyard.
Barbuda
Thirty miles north of Antigua, Barbuda’s
coastline is rimmed with pink and white
sand beaches protected by barrier reefs.
Rocky and flat, much of the island is covered
in bush with the beaches of the
southwestern shore stretching as far as
ten miles without interruption. The Frigate
Bird Sanctuary is the largest in the
Caribbean while Long Island and Great
Bird Island offer outstanding opportunities
for birdwatchers. There are two hotels on
the island; Coco Point Lodge
(www.cocopoint.com) and the chi-chi
Lighthouse Bay Resort (www.lighthousebaybarbuda.com)
with helicopter
transfers included in the rates. A few
guest houses are in the village along with
sheep and goats that roam during the day
and return to their pens at night. The Barbuda
Express ferry (www.antiguaferries.com)
makes the trip from Antigua in
ninety minutes and Winair
(www.winair.com) offers the 15-minute
flight twice daily.
Getting There
From New York City, Continental flies
daily during high season from Newark.
Delta flies nonstop from JFK on Thursdays
and Sundays with connections in
Miami and San Juan. For island-hoppers,
Fly Montserrat Airlines offers twice
daily service between Montserrat and
Antigua. Ferry service is also available
between the two islands. Visit www.flymontserrat.com.
Navigating the 108
square-mile island is easiest with a rental
car, $35.00 daily not including the $20.00
license and taxes. Taxis are plentiful but
pricey with fares about $30.00 from the
airport to English Harbour.
For information call the Antigua
and Barbuda U.S. Tourist Office, 888-
268-4227 or visit www.antigua-barbuda.org
and www.barbudaful.net
THE CATAMARAN HOTEL
Intimacy in idyllic Antigua
Weddings, Honeymoons, Romantic Getwaways
WINTER RATES from $170 per night through May
15; include AC beachfront rooms, suites and Captain's
Cabins offer all the comforts of home, kitchenette,
phone, cable and two restaurants on-site,
serving local, international and Italian cuisine.
SUMMER RATES, from $145 per night for beachfront
rooms and $210 per night for the Presidential
Suite, May 16 through the end of November.
Visit www.catamaran-antigua.com
Call 268- 460-1036 | Fax: 268-460-1339
or E-mail us at catclub@candw.ag
WWW.JAXFAX.COM FEBRUARY 2010 13