Saint John's Things to Do

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Close to East Bus Station, there are three smaller sights worth to mention. First, a cross which is the monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the two world wars. Close to that, you’ll see a church which caught my eye with its rotten spire. Further down on Independence Avenue, there’s a small lighthouse. It looks like it has been removed from another place and put down in this spot of the city center. If someone could provide me with more information about those places, please send me a VTMail.

The market hall is located in the south of St. John’s, close to the West Bus Station. Here, you’ll mostly find fresh fruits and vegetables with rarely other items for sale. I have never seen the hall full, with only a couple of stands open. But that does not mean that there is no life in the market. Maybe for the rental prices in the market hall, the area around the market is full of stands. Especially at the rear side of the market, you’ll find stands selling more fruits and vegetables, but also clothes. The busy area expands up to the bus station, where many stands are set up, including some directly on the street. Directly at the bus staop, you’ll find two smaller market halls: For hygienic reasons, the places where you buy fish and meat are separated from the rest.

The best-known monument to V.C. Bird is located in front of the market hall, close to the west bus station. This colourful sculpture shows young V.C. Bird as the father of the nation. Bird is still considered a national hero, as he led Antigua and Barbuda into independence in 1981. However, he is a controversial figure, not loved by everybody in the country. His government was marked by corruption, nepotism and mismanagement. Supporters justify his acts as necessary to eliminate the old british colonial power structures. But this just led to a takeover of this power by the Bird clan. In 1994, 83-year-old Bird resigned as prime minister after health problems. His son Lester “inherited” this title and served as prime minister until 2004, when he was defeated by candidate of the United Progressive Party, Baldwin Spencer. V.C. Bird passed away in 1999 in St. John’s at the age of 88.

Bird’s full name is Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, but he ist mostly referred to as “Vee Cee Bird”. The island’s airport was renamed in honour to him in 1985.

Prince Klaas is one of the best-known figures in the history of Antigua and Barbuda. But that does not mean that much is known about his life. For example, his real name is unknown, some say that he was called “count”. He has something of an Antiguan Guy Fawkes, but that description would be too little to describe the impact on the nation’s self-consciousness by him. In 1736, at the peak of slavery in the colonies, he was the mastermind behind an uprising plan. The plan saw bringing some gunpowder barrels to explosion during a ball and killing the fleeing europeans. Other groups of slaves had the task to prevent armed forces to come to help, with the long-term goal of taking control over the island. Unfortunately for the slaves, the ball was postponed to the birthday of King George III, so that it was held to this honour. Klaas and his men just decided to postpone their plot too, but in the meantime it was discovered. Klaas was tortured and killed by the breaking wheel, but his plan was the first of many steps to the abolition of slavery on the island. Klaas is seen now as one of Antigua’s national heroes.

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The main church of St.John’s is one of the few remaining buildings from earlier centuries. The first (wooden) church on this place was built in 1681, but quickly deteriorated and became too small. It was replaced in 1720 by a brick building. The elements were not too friendly to this european-built structure and after all, it was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1843. In the same year, the construction of a new building began which was finished in 1848 and is still in use. Dark wood is the mostly used material in the interior. The church is half-open to keep air flow and temepreature at an acceptable level, but making a wooden structure for hurricane protection necessary (sometimes named a building withing a building). An interesting fact is the source of the two big statues of St. John The Baptist and St. John the Divine: They were captured from a French ship bound for Martinique. The stone façade and its two imposant towers make the church one of the most beautiful buildings in the East Caribbean. It is still one of the largest buildings in St. John’s and its position on a height makes it visible from distance.

In the North of St. John’s, close to Citiview Hotel. If you ask for the way, just say you want to go to the “big church”, which is the common name for it.

Shirley Heights is the highest point on Antigua which overlooks Nelson Dockyard. On sunday nights there is a great barbecue and reggea band that takes place up there. It gets very hot andquite crowded up there but makes a really nice change from staying in the hotel. The best way to get there is by taxi - not the cheapest but if there is 4 of you it makes it a bit easier.