December 2021 – My WordPress Website

In Antigua, as there are 54 miles of coastline, to walk along. There are in fact 365 beaches along the coast, that’s one for every day of the year.

Of those beaches, amongst the most famous are Galley Bay Beach for surfing, Half Moon Bay for relaxing and Dickenson Bay which is the most popular, with a number of hotels and restaurants. For example it is here that you can find the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and the Siboney Beach Club.

Dickenson Bay - Antigua — Dickenson Bay – Antigua

Many of the hotels on the island are built along the beaches so that you can literally step out of your room straight on to the beach. In fact you could be on the beach within 10 hours of taking off from London with flight times of around 8 and a half hours.

Should you want to tear yourself away from the beach, then head up to Shirley Heights from where you can obtain the best view on the island. At a height of 490 feet, you get superb views of English and Falmouth Harbours and is best visited at sunset and the early evening.

View from Shirley Heights - Antigua — View from Shirley Heights – Antigua

Today, Nelson’s Dockyard provides many sites and activities for the modern day visitor to enjoy. It was built back in the early eighteenth century, when the British realised the value of having a dockyard to harbour ships in bad weather and keeping an eye on the French. The dockyard is named after Lord Nelson, who as Captain of the HMS Boreas, was sent to Antigua to enforce British laws in the colonies.

Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua — Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua

Lucia was a 4^th century Saint who brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman Catacombs. Her deeds are celebrated on 13^th December, which on the old Julian calendar was the date of the winter solstice. To light her way and leave her hands to carry as much as possible she wore a candlelit wreath on her head.

So this winter and spring why not head for the light and warmth of the Caribbean winter sun to the island of St Lucia, the only sovereign nation named after a woman. The average daily temperature even during the less warm months (there are no cold ones) is 26C. The period from January to May is also the driest part of the year. There are numerous sandy beaches and all of them are public so you can take your pick. The most popular is Reduit Beach where you will find lively beach bars, restaurants and a wide variety of water sports. Alternatively at the opposite end of Rodney Bay you will find the quieter beaches of Pigeon Island beach, which are located with a National Park.

Rodney Beach - St Lucia — Rodney Beach – St Lucia

The attraction of St Lucia as a holiday destination is that it is not just about the beaches. Due to its size and varied landscape, it is so easy to connect with nature and the outdoors. The island is home to the Piton mountains. They are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, a trek up will take you around 4 hours with a local guide. From a height over almost 800m there is surely not a comparable view in the Caribbean.

Piton Mountains - St Lucia — Piton Mountains – St Lucia

Before you departure from St Lucia, take some time to visit the “world’s only drive in volcano” located in the southwest of the island near the town of Soufriere which in French means “from which sulfur is produced”. Nearby you can also experience the sulphur springs where you can experience a mud bath. The baths are believed to have medicinal properties and helps heal sun burns, eczema, arthritis, sore joints, and more.

Sulphur Springs – St Lucia