Private Tour History, Local Food and Snorkeling Whole Island

Your local guide will meet and greet at your hotel or cruise ship port, from there we will go on a panoramic tour through the narrow streets of St. John’s to discover the most iconic places in the city, we take this opportunity to talk about what’s happening today in Antigua and Barbuda and also learn about the city’s architecture, these are some of the places we will be admiring in our panoramic tour: - Heritage Quay duty free shopping center. - The Fisherman’s market. - V.C. Bird Monument. - Fruit Market. - Craft Market. - St. John’s Cathedral. - Museum of Antigua and Barbuda. Now we are ready to roll back time and visit the island a thousand years ago, we will pay a visit to the local museum and learn how the island was like before Christopher Columbus and how the Spaniards changed the country’s political and cultural landscape.

Now we make a quick visit to St. John’s Cathedral and its old cemetery. Two St. John's Anglican Churches have already stood on the site of the present cathedral. The first was built of wood as early as 1681 and was said to be "totally destitute of beauty or comfort". The second was constructed with English brick about 1720 when the first fell in disrepair and became too small. The church was designed by Mr. Robert Cullen and had a short steeple at its western end. After over a century, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral when the Diocese of Antigua was created in August 1842.

We leave St. John’s and set course to the East side of the island, for approximately 25 minutes you will be enjoying the urban and countryside landscape of the island while your local guide points to places of historical and cultural interest along the way.

Afterwards your expert local guide will introduce the group to the British colonization period of Antigua and Barbuda and how the country won its independency while we head to the beach in a panoramic tour through English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard, the world’s only remaining Georgian dockyard.

There is a short drive to Shirley Heights, located on the most southerly point on the island. This was a lookout post and stronghold in 1787. The officer’s quarters and main buildings now lie in ruins but there is a great view of the south-east coast, the large gunpowder magazine and the cistern and catchment area of the Blockhouse, from there you can also see Eric Clapton’s House. From here there is a fantastic view of English Harbour. Historical documents claim that every night a large chain would be drawn across the channel from Fort Berkeley. This was done to block ships from entering the harbour which helped to prevent sieges.

Finally the beach! After two hours of a historical and informative tour where we saw and learned about the best cultural and touristic sites in Antigua and Barbuda we are ready to go to an authentic Caribbean Paradise, Long Bay Beach. Long Bay Beach is one of the most beautiful snorkeling spots in the island and probably one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, from its calm and turquoise waters under the Tropical sun you’’ll get a nice looking Caribbean tan to show off back home. Enjoy some free time at the beach with tons of nautical activities at your disposal, your local guide will stay with you to tell you more about the local food or maybe teach you some Soca moves! Antigua: History, Local Food and Snorkeling whole island tour is the best choice to discover the whole island of Antigua and Barbuda.