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Antigua has in it the blend of the games and sports. The games are played in island throughout the year and Antiguans are by nature sports loving people. This is evident from the fact that Sailing week is celebrated there for the past 38 years and it has given to the cricketing world the best of sportsmen from West Indies namely Vivian Richards, Curtly Ambrose and Peterson. Be it is beachcombing, caving, snorkeling or sailing, cricket or tennis enjoy playing them at Antigua! |
Sailing
The English under the leadership of Horatio Nelson made Antigua their base for naval operations. Today the Nelson’s Dockyard is the prestigious address for the international racing boats, recreational yachts and classic sailboats of Antigua’s Sailing week. The island nation has a rich tradition in sailing and almost all sorts of boats can be hired in Antigua. Most of the hotels have Sunfish or Sailfish and a number of companies hire yachts.
Cricket
The island of Antigua has been immensely contributing to international cricket and the Antigua Recreation Ground is one of the finest International grounds. Cricket fans can visit the Antigua and Barbuda Museum to take a look at the cricket bat of Vivian Richards, native Antiguan and former captain of the West Indies cricket club. Throughout Antigua matches can be found at almost all the times.
Tennis
Antigua’s annual tennis week is held in May each year. Though established very recently it draws international competitors from around the world.
Snorkeling and Diving
The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are completely surrounded by well preserved coral reefs and shipwrecks. The coasts are surrounded by shelfs which provides excellent conditions for diving and snorkeling. Underwater visibility ranges from 50 ft to 140 ft. Tropical marine plants and animals are diverse and plentiful.
Snorkeling is possible at both the beaches of Antigua. The best offshore site of Antigua, Cades Reef is now a designated underwater park. Another popular destination is the ship of the wrecks of the Andes. This is a three masted merchant ship that sank in 1905 and now it rests in less than thirty feet of water.
The southern and eastern coasts are considered to offer the most consistent diving. Dive depths range from 25 to 80 feet and can reach 180 feet. The distances for shore to site are in some cases no more than five minutes and at most 40 minutes away.
The reefs encircling Barbuda contain an enormous number of wrecks. It is best to make arrangements with a dive shop on Antigua to dive off Barbuda.
Hiking and Bird watching
Though there are many trails and tracks that are suited to hiking and bird watching, it has not been developed into an organized activity as yet in the islands. The Historical and Archaeological Society frequently arranges for group hikes to many hill top fortifications.
Barbuda is one of the Bird watchers Paradise as it is the largest bird sanctuary in the Caribbean and contains over 170 species. The Long Island and Great Bird Island also offer excellent opportunities for bird watchers.
