Antigua Reviews - Things to do in Antigua

• Enjoy the extensive yachting and sailing facilities: Antigua hosts many international yachting events and regattas throughout the year. Those preferring to seek out a secluded cove or sheltered beach and anchor for a day of peace and quiet can do so by hiring a dinghy.

The coasts of Antigua are ideal for yacht cruising and racing, with constant trade winds, and many harbors for exploration. One can easily spend a week cruising around these picturesque islands. English Harbour and Jolly Harbour make ideal yacht headquarters. Two regattas take place towards the end of April - Classic Yacht Regatta and the larger Sailing Week, which has become one of the top three regattas in the world.

• Fig Tree Drive is a 32km (20-mile) scenic route along winding roads through the lush tropical hills and picturesque fishing villages along the southwest coast. There is no point looking out for any figs though; fig is the Antiguan name for banana.

• Get stuck into Antigua & Barbuda’s impressive range of watersports: windsurfing, waterskiing, beachcombing, surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving are on offer, and there are over 365 beaches to practice in – convenient if you just fancy a bit of swimming!

Antigua boasts 365 beaches, one for each day of the year, the great majority resting inside the calm, protected waters of the island's Caribbean coast. Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay, located along the island's developed northwestern coast, are the places to go for those who want the fully-loaded resort beach experience, complete with reggae music and busy bars. The beaches most conveniently situated near St John's are Fort James and Deep Bay, both of which offer good swimming and snorkeling. Galley Bay attracts surfers during the winter months and joggers during the evening, and the series of four crescent beaches at Hawksbill, one of which is nudist, are also highly regarded. The beaches of the hilly southwest corner of Antigua are generally less developed than those around St John's. Rendezvous Bay and Doigs Beach are especially quiet and worth the rough travel necessary to reach them. Pigeon Point, near English Harbour, is a convenient spot after a day's sightseeing at Nelson's Dockyard. On the southeast corner of the island is Half Moon Bay, now a National Park and a good choice for a family outing. Long Bay, on the easternmost point of the island, is another good choice for families, as it is completely protected by its reef.

• Crab-race: ideal for the very lazy, this eccentric sport is staged in certain bars once or twice a week. A punter may win enough to pay for the next round of drinks, but the moderate stakes are unlikely to make anyone a millionaire!

• Play Antigua & Barbuda’s national game, Warri, an ancient board (‘count and capture’) game that was traditionally played using shells placed in cups: a National Warri Festival is held every year.

• Dabble in the other (more modern) national game, cricket. The sport is played to the highest international standard as well as by enthusiastic amateurs in villages all over the islands. Antigua produced one of the finest cricketers the game has ever seen, Viv Richards.

• Salivate and haggle over the riot of colourful fruits, vegetables and spices available at one of the best local markets in the Caribbean, situated in the south end of town at the junction of Valley and All Saints Roads.

• Get a bird's eye view of Antigua's rainforest. Boldly stride or nervously creep along a high wire course made up of zip lines, swings, suspension bridges and a controlled parachute jump