Antigua and Barbuda
North America · St. John's · AG
Antigua and Barbuda is the two-island nation of the eastern Caribbean, a country of the white-sand beaches, the blue sails and the proud maritime history that spreads across the warm seas between the Atlantic and the Caribbean. The main island of the Antigua, larger and drier, holds the capital of the Saint John, the famous harbours of the English and the Nelson dockyard, and the hundreds of beaches of its deeply indented coast, while the sister island of the Barbuda, quieter and more remote, protects the frigate birds of its lagoon and the long pink sands of its wild shore. The country lives on the tourism, the sailing and the offshore finance of the modern economy, and its music, its food and its famous carnival give it a warm, outgoing character. Compact, historic and genuinely beautiful, the twin islands reward the visitor with the relaxed pace and the endless summer of the low Caribbean.
Overview
Antigua and Barbuda is a country in North America. Its capital is St. John's and the international dialling code is +1268. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include English. Local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD). We also list 1 city in Antigua and Barbuda: St. John's.
The Beaches and the Sailing of the Island Coast
The coast of the main island is famous for its three hundred and sixty-five beaches, a different cove for every day of the year, and the low, dry bays of the south and the long strands of the north give the country its classic image of the white sand and the turquoise water. The sun, the constant trade winds and the shallow protected waters keep the island one of the great sailing grounds of the Caribbean, and the regattas and the charter fleets of the year fill the harbours with the masts of the ocean-going boats. The diving and the snorkelling of the reefs, the wreck dives of the coast and the day trips to the sandbars complete the attractions of the water, and the simple beach bars and the restaurants of the shore hold the relaxed life of the island.
The Dockyard of the Nelson and the Historic Harbour
The historic dockyard of the English Harbour, built by the British navy in the eighteenth century as the winter base of the fleet of the Caribbean, is the great heritage site of the country and the best-preserved Georgian dockyard of the world. The restored buildings of the yard, the sail loft, the mast house and the officers quarters, now hold the museums, the galleries and the restaurants of the modern visitor, and the anchors and the cannon of the collection tell the story of the age of the sail. The town and the anchorage around the harbour, lined with the yachts of the world cruising the oceans, carry on the maritime life in a setting of the perfect calm, and the pillared gates of the original yard remain the emblem of the island.
The Island of the Barbuda and the Frigate Birds
The sister island of the Barbuda, the low, flat and wonderfully remote companion of the north, offers the rarest and the most unspoiled experience of the country, with its long pink beaches, its wild horses and its enormous lagoon on the western shore. The lagoon of the Codrington protects one of the largest colonies of the frigate birds of the world, the great black birds with the red breast pouches that nest in the mangroves and the scrub of the shallow water, and the boat visits of the colony in the nesting season are the unmissable wildlife spectacle of the twin nation. The small town of the Codrington, the sandy tracks and the empty beaches of the island give the complete escape of the Caribbean, still off the main tourist circuit of the region.
The Capital of the Saint John and the Markets of the Island
The capital of the Saint John, built around the deep harbour of the western coast of the main island, is the working heart of the country, a small, friendly town of the colonial-era buildings, the churches, the museum and the busy markets. The heritage quarter of the town, the cathedral with its towers, the court building and the old houses of the painted wood, anchors the historic character, and the museum of the island tells the story of the land from the plantations and the slavery to the independence. The market of the public with its stalls of the produce, the crafts and the spices, runs the colourful commerce of the everyday, and the shops, the cruise pier and the restaurants of the waterfront hold the modern life of the capital.
The Carnival and the Steel Drums of the Summer
The carnival of the summer, the great festival of the island that runs through the final week of each July and the first days of the August, is the colourful, musical highlight of the social year, with the parades of the costumes, the calypso and the soca competitions and the street parties of the night. The music of the country, the steel pan bands of the past and the modern soca and calypso of the present, is the living soundtrack of the island, and the food of the carnival, the peppered meat, the fungi and the saltfish, the Johnny cakes and the rum punch, anchors the celebrations. The festival, with its bands, its queens and its thousands of visitors, captures the warm, proud, hospitable character of the whole nation.
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- Capital
- St. John's
- Currency
- East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +1268
- Internet TLD
- ag
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Antigua and Barbuda.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda?
St. John's is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, and the country sits in North America.
What currency is used in Antigua and Barbuda?
You pay with East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) in Antigua and Barbuda. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Antigua and Barbuda?
The languages we list for Antigua and Barbuda are English. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Antigua and Barbuda?
The dialling code for Antigua and Barbuda is +1268 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Antigua and Barbuda do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Antigua and Barbuda: St. John's (capital).