This tropical dreamland is the largest of the British Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. Surrounded by well-preserved coral reefs, walls and shipwrecks, Antigua will unfailingly and blissfully overwhelm you with its warm, steady winds, and utter loveliness. This is the home of tropical marine plants, of spellbinding birds and of mammals and sea life. Superb shallow diving and snorkeling are possible here. Underwater visibility ranges from 50 to 140 feet and the beaches are secluded, gorgeous and powdery, soft. There are three hundred and sixty five of them, one for each day of the year.
One of the best-known offshore sites here is the Cades Reef, partly contained in an underwater park. Another much-visited tourist destination is the wreck of the Andes, a merchant ship that sank in 1905 and now rests in Deep Bay. Since Antigua is one of the most sought-after vacation destinations of the Caribbean, you will discover activities of interest to your entire family. Stop by at the Sea View Farm Village for some folk pottery and the Shirley Heights for miraculous views of the English Harbor. Children will feel much inspired at the Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation that includes a museum. Another attraction is the Potswork Reservoir, reputed to be the largest expanse of freshwater in the Eastern Caribbean, around the western edge of which kids would delight in bird watching with you. Some of the year-round species here include the West Indian whistling duck (Dendrocygna arborea), snowy egret (Egretta thula), cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), and the osprey (Pandion haliaetus).
The Devil's Bridge is a naturally formed bridge within a National Park, and is one of the spots that adds to Antigua's authenticity. Here's what Sammy Smith, a 104-year-old Antiguan patriot, had to say about the bridge: "On the east coast of the island is the famous Devil's Bridge. Devil's Bridge was called so because a lot of slaves from the neighboring estates use to go there and throw themselves overboard. That was an area of mass suicide, so people used to say the Devil had to be there. The waters around Devil's Bridge are always rough and anyone falling over the bridge never comes out alive."
History, culture, modernization and sheer beauty - Antigua has it all and more, so head down to meet face to face with a unique and unforgettable experience.
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