Lessons From The Locals

From the moment we arrived at Antigua's V.C. Bird International Airport, we were overwhelmed by the reception we received from the locals. Even beyond the taxi drivers and hotel staff, it seemed as if there was always a smiling face willing to guide us to our next stop or recommend an entirely new one. The genuine quality of our welcome speaks greatly to the pride the locals have for their idyllic home and to their resilience and optimism in the wake of economic challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was from these organic interactions with the enthusiastic inhabitants of Antigua’s colorful capital of St. John’s that we gained an understanding and an appreciation for the country’s history. Antigua, the “older brother”, is a former British colony and sugar plantation of some 90,000 people originally inhabited by the indigenous Arawaks, bestowed its modern name by Christopher Columbus in the late 1400s. Antigua’s stunning coastline is rimmed with coral reefs brimming with endangered sea turtles and parrotfish; its tropical headlands punctuated by volcanic rock formations, breezy cliffside villages, and the (relative) cosmopolitan bustle of scenic St. John’s.

Barbuda, the “younger sister” lies 40 km north of Antigua, its population of fewer than 2,000 mostly cloistered around the village of Codrington, a colonial residential center over three centuries old established on a lagoon. Unspoiled by modern development, Barbuda’s highlands feature coastal caves and compelling cliff-faces, its famous lagoon serving as the region’s largest colony of the beautiful and well-named Magnificent Frigatebird. Barbuda is regularly accessible by ferry boat or water taxi from Antigua, with local flights between the two islands also available. Expect a trip of roughly one and a half hours, if you opt to sail the cerulean waves.