Antigua (an-TEE-guh), the largest of the Leeward Islands, is located in the Caribbean Sea about 30 miles south of its sister island, Barbuda.

In recent years, Antigua has grown into one of the most popular tourist spots in the region by marketing perhaps its best natural resource: the beautiful beaches and coral reefs that line the coastline. A vacation in Antigua is a sun worshiper's paradise. The reef protects the island and provides calm swimming holes and a myriad of snorkeling and scuba sites. Other activities that can be enjoyed are deep-sea fishing, parasailing, wind surfing, horseback riding, bird watching, and probably that most popular Caribbean pastime, working on a golden tan.

The waters off of Antigua are mostly calm, clear, and offer excellent visibility for both divers and snorkelers. The reef is so close to shore in some points that visitors can wade in and enjoy the underwater show. One of Antigua's best-known offshore sites, Cades Reef, is now partly contained in a designated underwater park. Another popular destination is the wreck of the Andes, a three mast merchant ship that sank in 1905 and now rests in less than thirty feet of water in Deep Bay.

Birdwatchers will want to take a day trip to Barbuda's Frigate Bird Sanctuary, which is located in the island's northwestern lagoon and is accessible only by boat. The sanctuary contains over 170 species of birds and is home to over 5,000 frigate birds.

If you want to see the remnants of the vast power of the British Navy, visit Nelson's Dockyard National Park, located in English Harbour on the southern tip of the island. Developed as a base for the British fleet, the harbor served as the headquarters for the Leeward Islands during the turbulent years of the late 18th century. Although the dockyard was greatly expanded at that time by Horatio Nelson, it was gradually abandoned in the nineteenth century and was closed in 1889. Today Nelson's Dockyard has been completely restored, and it is now the only Georgian dockyard in the world.

Antigua has reinvented itself and has grown into one of the most popular tourist areas in the Caribbean. The island is both historically rich and magnificently beautiful. Stroll along one of the many beaches and imagine the time when the British fleet sailed in and out of the harbor. Listen to some Calypso music while you sample the local cuisine. Put on some snorkeling gear and visit with the tropical fish that reside nearby. Take a horseback ride and watch the sunset.

Some useful Antigua links:
www.antiguanice.com
www.southpointfalmouth.com
www.redsunvilla.com
www.wilddogvilla.com
www.bigbanana-antigua.com
www.indiancreekbooks.com
www.antigua-barbuda.org
www.antigua-barbuda.com
www.foreignaffairs.gov.ag
www.ab.gov.ag
www.antiguahotels.org
www.antiguaandbarbudayp.com
www.absta.org
www.adventureantigua.com
www.tropicalad.com
www.antiguagaming.ag
www.pwc.com
www.globablbank.ag
www.actol.net
www.cwantigua.com