Each time I visit Antigua, I see that
the island is changing, becoming a more sophisticated cruise port.
The area directly in front of the cruise piers in St. John's, the
island's largest city, has evolved into a first tier cruise port with
boutique shops and bars and restaurants that cater to the cruise
visitors. The shore excursion and independent taxi tours have become
more polished. The atmosphere has become more welcoming.
Still, Antigua has not become as
commercially developed as some of the Caribbean cruise ports. Walk
beyond the pedestrian mall that is the center of the cruise port area
and you are in a different city, one that is still developing.
The real attractions of Antigua lie
beyond St. John's. Locals like to boast that the island has 365
beaches - - one for each day of the year. And indeed, there are
quite a few beaches. However, what is impressive about Antigua's
beaches is not their number but that so many of them are beautiful -
- white sand, palm trees and a unique shade of pale blue water. In
addition, they range from developed venues with big resorts to
secluded undeveloped beaches with few or no other people in sight.
Beyond the beaches, Antigua's biggest
attraction is the Nelson's Dockyard National Park. In the 18th
century, the British built a naval base at English Harbour on the
southern coast of the island. This included a dockyard where
warships that were assigned to the Caribbean could be repaired and
maintained.
In 1784, Horatio Nelson took command
of this squadron of ships. This was long before his spectacular
naval victories and he was made a lord. In fact, his biggest
struggle during the period that he was in Antigua was with the local
merchants and planters who objected to his rigorous enforcement of
the laws that prohibited trade with the former British colonies in
America. The merchants and planters had been carrying on a lucrative
trade with the Americans. However, Nelson believed it was his duty
to enforce the laws that Parliament made, not second guess them. His
position was in fact completely valid as it is contrary to the
tenants of democratic government for military officials to decide
whether to enforce laws enacted by elected representatives. In any
event, Nelson was quite unpopular with the locals in Antigua and the
British government thanked him for his vigilance with an extended
period at home on reduced pay without an assignment.
Thus, Nelson did have a real
connection to Antigua and to the dockyard in particular. He did not
build the dockyard nor did he alter it. But he was there and so this
place has a much stronger claim to be named after him than many of
the places that are named after the legendary naval hero throughout
the former British Empire.
The museum in the dockyard has an
interesting exhibit about Nelson. However, what interests most
visitors is the beauty and charm of this area. It has been restored
and put to modern day use servicing and maintaining the many sailing
yachts that visit Antigua. The old Georgian buildings contain
restaurants, an inn, an art gallery, and shops. Its grounds have
been nicely landscaped and are well-maintained.
The national park is not limited to
the dockyard itself but includes the fortifications perched on the
hills that tower above English Harbour. Most of the fortifications
are in ruins but the views from Shirley Heights, Dow's Hill and the
Block House are spectacular.
There is more to Antigua beyond the
attractions described above. Our profile of Antigua with numerous
photos, information and links to other relevant websites begins at
http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-antigua.html
Inasmuch as quite a few Caribbean
cruise destinations have been profiled on Beyondships, I have created
an index page listing all of the Caribbean profiles and articles
about the Caribbean in order to make it easier for readers to find
these resources. It is at
http://www.beyondships2.com/caribbean-cruise-destinations.html
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