Parish of Saint Paul Things to Do

  Bettys Hope Plantation
by janiebaxter
 
  • Bettys Hope Plantation
      Bettys Hope Plantation
    by janiebaxter
  • View over English Harbour
      View over English Harbour
    by janiebaxter
  • Calm Bay for Swimming in front of the Inn
      Calm Bay for Swimming in front of the...
    by janiebaxter
  • In the sea with the camera
      In the sea with the camera
    by janiebaxter
  • Fireworks
      Fireworks
    by janiebaxter
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Island Discovery Tour

by janiebaxter

The Island Discovery Tour takes almost a full day and you get a good variety of land and water activities, as well as seeing some parts of the Island you probably wouldn't get to. A few companies do this tour, or combinations of it and I chose one that uses open Jeeps rather than closed air conditioned ones, with the advantage that you get more fresh air but you do need sunblock on if you are sitting at the back.Each jeep can fit 8 people so big groups are divided into smaller ones, each with a guide/driver who starts his commentary as soon as you set off. We were collected from the hotel at 9am and travelled through St Johns, the capital, past Viv Richards stadium and the street where he lived and through the centre of town. From there we went off road through the farms and smallholdings for descriptions of all the trees, crops, plants and wildlife, including the Sugar Plantation. We...

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English Harbour

by janiebaxter

English Harbour is located on the South coast of Antigua and, as its name suggests, is the sailing and boating centre of the Island. The harbour itself provides mooring for the many yachts that stop here, and there are many anchored in all the bays along this coastline. As well as the modern day yachts, the historic area of Nelson's Dockyard is the only Georgian dockyard in the world. Another area of interest is Shirley Heights, named after the Governor of the area in the late 18th century. Shirley Heights is a great place to look at the view over English Harbour and beyond, to watch the sunset and enjoy the Sunday barbecues.For the sailing enthusiast there are many events based in English Harbour. For more details see http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/agsail01.htmEnglish Harbour has a good selection of restaurants.

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Historic Nelson's Dockyard

by janiebaxter

Nelson's Dockyard dates from Georgian times with original 18th and 19th century buildings. It was built at by the British at English Harbour to protect the plantations sugar trade and the other colonies in the area, mostly from the French, and named in honour of Captain Nelson. British ships based at Nelson's Dockyard patrolled the surrounding seas. There are many historic relics and buildings to see including 3 capstans which were used to pull the ships into their docking using sailors who turned the wheel while a fiddler sat on top playing music for encouragement. Other historic buildings include the Officer's and Clerks House which dates from 1855, the boat dock and pillars dating from 1797 and the grain store, which is now a pub. The old buildings are restored to a good condition mostly, and they blend in well with the modern parts. There are plenty of places to eat and drink and as...

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Snorkeling from the Beach

by janiebaxter

There are some good snorkelling spots along the Bay in front if The Inn. It is a public beach so access is not a problem. Starting from the jetty at the Inn, you can swim right towards English Harbour by the rocks. There are fish to see here but we found the visibility not as good as other areas in the bay. Swimmimg left past the Inn beach and The Calabash and just past the next jetty if you swim very close to the shore in front of the beach bungalows there is plenty to see along a ridge of rock and coral, and the water is very shallow so quite warm. When this runs out carry on along past the third jetty towards the rocks at the end of the bay where the bungalows end. Here you can follow the rocks along to the end of the bay where the sea begins and there are plenty of fish to see here too, as well as the odd turtle. Be careful when you get to the rocks where the waves are, behind the...

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Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation

by janiebaxter

Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation dates from the 1650's and was the most successful large scale sugar plantation in Antigua. It employed hundreds of Africans first as slaves, then as labourers after emancipation in 1834. It had been unused since the 1940's and was derelict until it was retored in 1990. The main part of the restoration is the twin windmills which used to crush the sugar cane.We didn't go in, but there is a visitor centre and it is run by the Antigua museums service. It is about 30 minutes drive from St Paul's.

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Barbecue at Shirley Heights

by janiebaxter

Every Sunday The Lookout Restaurant and Bar at Shirley Heights has a barbecue party. It starts at 4pm with a steel band until 7pm, then there is a live reggae/dance band until closing at 10pm.The restaurant has great views across the bay and most people arrive around 5 to 5.30 for the sunset. It gets extremely busy so if you want to see the sunset you need to get there early or you will not get a good view. All the activities are held outside on the patio and in the garden. There is a barbecue and the food is priced by individual piece, including a salad and bread. Choices are chicken, steak, pork and burgers - the usual barbecue stuff. Considering it is so busy, it is relatively easy to get served with food and drinks, with only small queues for each because it is extremely well organised. If you need some space away from the crowd, there is a very large garden at the back.Entrance is...

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Watch the Sunset

by janiebaxter

The English Harbour area on the South side of Antigua, is a good area to watch the sunset from. You can get the best view from the restaurant at the top of Shirley Heights, although it can get very busy here especially on Sundays when there is a barbecue. If you don't want to climb the hill the beach in front of The Inn gives a good view on a clear day.

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New Year Fireworks Display

by janiebaxter

If you are in St Paul's on New Years Eve there is a spectacular fireworks display from Nelson's Dockyard at midnight. We got an excellent view from the terrace of the Inn at English Harbour as we were having New Years Eve dinner there. The display lasts about 15 minutes and is visible over the bay. We were lucky to also be treated to the practise display which was held on the 29th December in the early evening.

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Swimming in the Bay

by janiebaxter

I am very keen on swimming in the sea, but quite fussy about the temperature, calmness and cleanliness. Swimming in the bay in front of the Inn at English Harbour is very nice indeed. Although the water is a little colder than I ideally prefer, it is easy to get into because it slopes down very steeply close to the beach. One minute you are up to your knees then the next up to your chest and once you reach this point it is easy to carry on. Once you set off you don't feel cold.The water is very calm here, being in a sheltered bay, and you can swim right across the bay which takes about 50 minutes there and back. Early in the morning, before breakfast I saw frigate birds circling overhead as well as Pelicans fishing. You need to complete your afternoon swim by about 5pm as it gets quite cold by then and goes dark around 5.45.

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