Antigua Shore Excursions

Antigua (An-TEE-ga) is famous for its British heritage, its sailing and its 366 beaches--one for every day of the year. Antigua is the largest island in the British Leeward islands, and tourism is the biggest industry. Aficionados of British Naval history will be enthralled with English Harbour, home of Nelson's Dockyard National Park, one of the major historical attractions of the Caribbean. Many compare the Dockyard with Williamsburg, Virginia (only on a smaller scale), since it has many craft shops, restaurants, and restored buildings and hotels.

Although you can just wander off the ship and do some shopping on the island or find a beach on your own, cruise ships visiting Antigua offer many shore excursions. I've done snorkeling and a zip line canopy adventure on Antigua and enjoyed them both. Other possible shore excursions in Antigua include --

• Jeep Safari
  This 3-hour tour takes a few hardy souls to some of the most beautiful places on Antigua, many of which are inaccessible to buses or cars. The adventure covers panoramic vistas of English Harbour, shore roads, and quaint Antiguan villages.

• Kayak and Snorkel Adventure
  Kayaking is fun, (relatively) easy, and good exercise. A guide leads 2-person kayaks around the mangroves and inlets of Antigua to view the scenery and wildlife. After kayaking for a while, the group goes snorkeling. The tour ends with a ride to Seaton's Ridge, where the group enjoys a panoramic view of Mercer's Creek.

• Snorkel Adventure
  A catamaran takes a group snorkeling to some of the protected reef national parks of Antigua. In addition to snorkeling, the tour includes a ride along the tropical coast of Antigua, giving the passengers a look at the island from the sea. We enjoyed this excursion very much, and the boat was gorgeous.

• Antigua Overview
  History buffs might want to take this 3.5 hour excursion, which includes stops at English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard. If the day is clear, the group might catch a glimpse of Montserrat from Dow's Hill Visitors Center or of Guadeloupe from the Blockhouse Ruins.

• Helicopter Flight to Volcanic Montserrat
  Anyone who is fascinated by volcanoes and nature may want to splurge on this look at the devastation on Montserrat caused by the Soufrierre Hills Volcano. Anyone who is a fan of TV nature shows or the news has probably seen the amazing power of this volcano. The helicopter ride takes the passengers over the excursion zone, which is off limits to ground or foot traffic. Much of this gorgeous tropical island is now covered with lava or ash.

• SCUBA Diving in Antigua
  The dive boat takes certified divers on a trip to explore the depths around Antigua.

• Antigua Zip Line Canopy Adventure
  A bus takes participants on a 45-minute ride up into the mountains from the pier. There, you receive the equipment and instruction on how to "do" the zip line. You "zip" back and forth over a gully a dozen times. It's great fun, and very easy.