Amazing Antigua

Senior Sailor Says…

Shirley Heights Lookout, 446 feet above the sea on a sheer cliff, was the principal Antigua British fortification during the 18th century. The view of the sparkling sapphire water and rainforest is spectacular.

Before European colonization, three successive Amerindian societies inhabited the lands encompassing present-day Antigua and Barbuda. The island, claimed by England, was settled in 1632. In 1981, the islands were granted independence as the modern state of Antigua and Barbuda. The two islands and several smaller islands comprise an independent country. St. John’s capital has been an administrative center since 1632.

I am on an excursion, Amazing Antigua, with Viking Sea.

We next traveled to Nelson’s Dockyard, one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The yard, named after Admiral Horatio Nelson, who commanded the navy here for three years, is the last remaining Georgian dockyard still in use today.

We explored Admiral’s Inn, an excellent museum and art gallery, and a few shops. Then, we walked along the water, where impressive yachts were moored along the old stone quay.

Click here for more information about Viking Ocean Cruises, “West Indies Explorer.”