St John's abounds with history but it is without one of Antigua's 365 beaches. Busy with cruise-ship visitors during the day (not to mention its 45,000 inhabitants), the island's commercial centre has several interesting historic sights and remains popular with day visitors coming for its wide range of duty-free shops. The closest beaches will be found on the nearby Five Islands peninsular and are very fine indeed. The peninsular, a few kilometres west of St John's, has several of the island's better hotels, but the area is primarily gated and inaccessible unless you are a guest.

St John's teems with day-trippers by day and has a few lively restaurants and bars by night, so it draws a wide range of British and American partiers, including families and singles. The resorts in the Five Islands peninsular are primarily geared toward adults.

The beaches closest to St John's are in the Five Islands area, most notably Galley Bay and Deep Bay, though the former is less protected and can have moderate to pounding surf. One beach, at the Hawksbill by Rex Resort, is clothing-optional.

To look beyond the beach, you'll have to look beyond the Five Islands peninsular. In St John's are several interesting historic sights, including the Anglican Cathedral of St John the Divine, between Long and Newgate streets. The Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, in the former courthouse at Church and Market streets, has several hands-on exhibits. It's easy to travel down to historic Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour, one of the Caribbean's best-preserved historic districts and the only Georgian-era dockyard still in use; in addition to a museum, it's filled with shops and restaurants.

You'll find few shopping opportunities in Five Islands unless you want to limit yourself to the offerings of your hotel's gift shop. Most of the island's shopping opportunities are concentrated in St John's, or at Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour. Duty-free bargains abound in the shops of St John's Heritage Quay, though the most charming of the island's shops can be found in Redcliffe Quay, also in St John's. Cedars Pottery in Buckley and Rhythm of Blue Gallery in English Harbour are two locally owned shops that produce their own high-quality wares.

St John's has the upscale disco The Coast, but much of the nightlife is in faraway English Harbour. The island has three casinos, the largest being the Grand Princess in Jolly Harbour; the King's Casino in St John's is closer to resorts in the Five Islands area. Sunday-afternoon barbecues at Shirley Heights Lookout start in the afternoon but continue well into the night with reggae and steel-pan bands, drawing a mix of both locals and visitors.

The Jolly Beach area draws a wide range of British and American holidaymakers, including families and singles. Resorts are a mix of large all-inclusives (which draw the majority of visitors) and smaller hotels.

Jolly Beach is a fine stretch of powdery soft sand, but if you are willing to travel a few kilometres south, Darkwood Beach is almost deserted during the week (though popular with locals on weekends), and Johnson's Point/Crab Hill beaches, a bit further south, are even nicer, with calm water for swimming and even a few good beach bars for refreshments.

The Jolly Harbour Marina has some good shops, including an outlet of Quin Farara for duty-free tobacco and liquor, but most of the island's shopping opportunities are concentrated in St John's, or at Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour. Duty-free bargains abound in the shops of St John's Heritage Quay, though the most charming of the island's stores can be found in Redcliffe Quay, also in St John's. Cedars Pottery in Buckley and Rhythm of Blue Gallery in English Harbour are two locally owned shops that produce their own high-quality wares.

The Jolly Beach area has the best of the island's three casinos, the Grand Princess; its Liquid disco is one of the island's hot spots. The King's Casino is north, in St John's. Castaways is another popular (and sometimes raucous) beach bar in Jolly Harbour, but most nightlife is concentrated in the English Harbour area, where the best bars, pubs, and discos can be found. Sunday-afternoon barbecues at Shirley Heights Lookout start in the afternoon but continue well into the night with reggae and steel-pan bands, drawing a mix of both locals and visitors.

Introduction

Antigua boasts of having 365 beaches, one for every day in the year, so even though you may be staying at a large resort, it's easy enough to escape to a secluded cove where there will be not a soul in sight. With a string of relatively large resort hotels, beautiful Dickenson Bay has one of the island's largest concentration of rooms (the other main concentration is in Jolly Harbour). The beachfront is lined with restaurants, beach bars, and water sports concessions, making it easy to escape your resort's confines if you choose, but you'll have to go into St John's to do any serious shopping. To find nightlife, you'll need to travel south, to English Harbour.

Who goes there?

Dickenson Bay is popular with a wide range of British and American holidaymakers, including families and singles. The large all-inclusives resorts draw the majority of visitors, but there are also some small hotels.

Where in the world?

Antigua is largest of the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, roughly midway between St Maarten and Guadeloupe. The island's international airport is east of the capital, St John's. Dickenson Bay is a large beachfront area approximately 3km (2 miles) north of St John's and 11km (7 miles) northwest of the airport. It's the most developed area on the island, with a wide range of resorts and activities.

Beach

Dickenson Bay has a long stretch of powdery soft sand and exceptionally calm water. With a wide range of water-sports concessions, bars, and beachfront restaurants, it's an easy place to escape from your resort if you choose. A less developed, though narrower, beach, Runaway Bay, is directly to the south if you crave a less frenetic atmosphere.

Beyond the beach

Antigua is one of the Caribbean's major sailing centres, so trips out on the waves to more isolated snorkelling spots abound. The island's waters are also an unsung diving destination. Guided kayaking trips take you through mangrove forests along the north shore. Harmony Hall is a former sugar plantation, now a gallery and restaurant. Historic Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour is one of the Caribbean's best-preserved historic districts and the only Georgian-era dockyard still in use; in addition to a museum, it's filled with shops and restaurants.

Family fun

Dickenson Bay resorts draw a fair number of families to its powdery soft beaches. Most of the larger resorts have organised activities for children. Kids always enjoy sailing and snorkelling trips, and you'll find several operations right in Dickenson Bay.

Retail therapy

Shopping is not one of the strong suits of the Dickenson Bay area. Most of the island's shopping opportunities are concentrated in the capital, St John's, or at Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour. Duty-free bargains abound in the shops of St John's Heritage Quay, though the most charming of the island's shops can be found in Redcliffe Quay, also in St John's. Cedars Pottery in Buckley and Rhythm of Blue Gallery in English Harbour are two locally owned shops that produce their own high-quality wares.

A night on the town

There are a few good beach bars right in Dickenson Bay itself and in nearby Runaway Bay, but much of the nightlife is in faraway English Harbour. The island has three casinos; the King's Casino in St John's is the closest to Dickenson Bay, but the largest casino is the Grand Princess in Jolly Harbour, and it has the island's best disco. Sandhaven, a bar in Runway Bay, is right on the sand, drawing a mix of local cricketers and holidaymakers for cheap burgers every night and live bands on weekends.

Eating out

A proper British breakfast is available at most resorts, but the growth of all-inclusive properties has brought a decline in the number of independent restaurants. Still, there are a few standout establishments, particularly at some of the island's posh resorts and even a few stand-alone restaurants, particularly in Dickenson Bay and St John's.

Getting around

The island's bus service has well-travelled routes from St John's to either Falmouth or English Harbour, but it does not extend to any of the main resort areas. If you are staying in Dickenson Bay, you may not need to rent a car since there are many options for dining and nightlife nearby within walking distance. Organised tours are a popular means to see the island, and taxis (with fixed rates) will do for a few trips out of your resort, though costs will mount quickly if you plan to tour or dine out often.

Exploring further afield

Antigua's sister island, Barbuda, is just 42km (26 miles) north and can be visited easily either by a 15-minute flight or 90-minute ferry ride from St John's. Day tours to see the island's famed Pink Beach and bird sanctuary are easy to arrange but can be costly.

Splashing out

The trendy 'Beach', right in Dickenson Bay, is a casual yet sophisticated mix of lounge and bistro and a popular destination in the immediate area. If you want to dance to reggae and Latin club music, head over to Runway Bay to the club Rush.

Flying in

V C Bird International Airport, St John's (ANU)