Antigua & Barbuda holidays

Antigua Carnival has been running for 60 years or so now – a big celebration of emancipation that takes place around July and August. August 1st, Emancipation Day, is the biggest event, setting off at 4 in the morning for J’ouvert when people dance down the streets to the beats of local bands. Carnival Monday and Tuesday follow, with troupes parading in the most incredible costumes. Calypso and soca competitions, the Queen of Carnival pageant and the Teensplash talent competition are just some of the events that take place.

Barbuda Caribana is the second-biggest carnival on the calendar, a five-day festival at the beginning of June in Barbuda’s Codrington Village with calypso and soca competitions, a seafood fair and sports events like triathlons and fishing tournaments.

The iconic Caribbean sounds of calypso, soca, steelpan and reggae fill the air here, with events like the Mood of Pan festival (a two-day steel drum festival) and Reggae in the Park (part of Antigua Sailing week).

Antiguan bands to look out for are Spirited Band (previously Dread and the Baldhead) which is a group of local musicians (including two of the island’s big-name cricketers, Richie Richardson and Curtly Ambrose) who play a mix of soca and calypso and reggae. Asher Otto & Itchyfeet often appear on boat parties with a collection of rock, reggae, soca and folk songs.

There are around a hundred bars and restaurants in Antigua and Barbuda, serving a delicious mix of Creole, Caribbean, French, Italian and American cuisine.

Pepperpot (a thick meat and veg stew) and Fungi (a polenta-like paste made from cornmeal and okra) is the national dish – a hearty one-pot meal passed down the generations. A traditional breakfast is made up of flaked salt fish, chop up (okra mash), fungi and johnny cakes (sweet fried bread). Look out also for ducana, a sweet potato dumpling made with coconut, sugar and spices boiled in a banana leaf.

Antiguans are known for eating more seafood than anyone else in the Caribbean, and many dishes feature clams, conch, grouper, kingfish, wahoo, mahi mahi and snapper. Lobster is famously good here, especially spiny lobster which is a main export of Barbuda.

Eating lionfish is being encouraged after this invasive species has started damaging the ecosystem. Look out for dishes like Lionfish Bouillabaisse that aren’t only seriously tasty but also help protect reef life. To see just how much locals love their seafood, check out Seafood Fest on Friday’s at Nelson’s Dockyard.

Fruit plays a big role in puddings, especially mango and the tall, thin and seriously sweet Black Pineapple which are celebrated at the Pineapple and Mango festival around July-August.

As you’d expect from a nation that grew sugarcane for hundreds of years, rum has long been one of the signature drinks of Antigua and Barbuda. The Antigua Distillery in St John’s produces some of the best rums in the world, with favourites including English Harbour Light and English Harbour Five Year Old. Punches mix these with the likes of pineapple juice, OJ, lime and sugar syrup for a tasty island tipple.

The local beer is Wadadli (taken from the Arawak name for Antigua) – a pale lager brewed in the capital – and other Caribbean brands like Red Stripe, Carib and Presidente can be found nation-wide.

Popular non-alcoholic drinks include tamarind juice, ginger beer, ting (fizzy grapefruit) and Sorrel (a Christmas favourite, made from the Roselle Plant, cloves, cinnamon and ginger).

Cricket is the national sport, introduced by English colonists and a passion inherited through the generations. Named after local legend Sir Viv who’s among the world’s greatest ever cricketers, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium hosts inter-island and international matches. These tend to take place on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the cricket season, which runs from January to July.

Football’s also super popular, with playing fields in nearly every village. The Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) was founded in 1928 and became FIFA-affiliated in the seventies. Most matches take place in the Antigua Rec Ground and Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, with the national football teams – The Benna Boys and Benna Girls – competing in the Caribbean Cup and international friendlies.

The capital city is the hub of shopping on the islands: St John’s has two main shopping areas – Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay – where you’ll find duty-free perfumes and jewellery, beach clothes, souvenirs and much more. There are also two markets, a Public Market where local farmers sell fresh fruit, vegetables and other produce and a Craft Market selling art, clothes and accessories made by locals. Beyond St John’s, each harbour has its own collection of gift shops with favourites including Jolly Harbour’s Candle Factory and Island Secret at Nelson’s Dockyard.

Codrington Village in Barbuda shows you how the locals shop, with small stores selling fruit, fish, bread and other local goods – and barely any tourist tat in sight. Our favourite shop here’s the one in the ArtCafe, which sells local crafts, hand-painted t-shirts and amazing silk paintings.