Antigua & Barbuda

A quick introduction before you explore.

Useful facts, a short history and a few well-known places to help you get oriented before your visit or island tour.

Quick facts

A few things to know.

Antigua and Barbuda is an independent twin-island state in the Eastern Caribbean, with St. John’s as its capital.

Location & size

Eastern Caribbean; two main islands and smaller islets. Area approximately 442 km² (171 mi²).

Population

Approximately 100,000 people, with the majority living on Antigua. The capital is St. John’s.

Beaches

Antigua is widely known for its “365 beaches” — one for every day of the year.

Language

English is the official language; Antiguan and Barbudan Creole is also commonly spoken.

Currency & time

Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD); US dollars are widely accepted. Atlantic Standard Time (UTC−4), with no daylight saving.

Driving

Traffic keeps to the left. Visitors require the appropriate temporary driving permission before operating a vehicle.

A very short history

Centuries of history in a small island state.

Antigua and Barbuda’s history includes Indigenous settlement, European colonisation, plantation agriculture, emancipation, labour organisation and independence.

01

Indigenous beginnings

Earliest inhabitants included the Ciboney; later Arawak and Carib peoples fished, farmed cassava and traded regionally.

02

Colonial era

English settlement began in the 1600s. Sugar plantations relied on enslaved labour, while English Harbour developed as an important Royal Navy base.

03

Emancipation & independence

Slavery was abolished in 1834. The twentieth-century labour movement helped shape modern political life, and Antigua and Barbuda achieved independence on 1 November 1981.

Places to know

A few of Antigua’s best-known stops.

These are only a starting point. A TropiGo island tour can combine well-known attractions with other stops based on your interests.

Nelson’s Dockyard

UNESCO-listed Georgian naval buildings, history and a working marina in English Harbour.

Shirley Heights Lookout

Panoramic views over English and Falmouth Harbours, particularly popular around sunset.

Half Moon Bay

A sweeping east-coast beach known for its curved shoreline, clear water and Atlantic setting.

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