The Sailing Week in Antigua
If you go to Antigua at the end of April, be sure that at the airport you will see more sailing material than bags. For more than thirty years, is celebrated the Antigua Sailing Week, a prestigious regatta attracting hundreds of participants from all over the world. You don’t have to be an experienced sailor to have a good time. Apart from the five days of tough competition, is a week full of parties and celebrations.

The third day of competition comes the Lay Day, when fun is granted, with rope games, climbing up a cucaña, and, also, a wet T-shirt contest where the judge is a “bishop” When the regatta ends, comes Dockyard Day, with even livelier parties.

Though some participants of this event find this week as the perfect excuse for relaxing, the truth is that it is a very harsh competition, where boats go from small ones, to the most modern and sophisticated, with more than twenty crewmen, in some cases. Competition can be followed from various points of the coast. The sight of these colorful boats rushing through the sea water is really wonderful.

The Remote Beaches of Barbuda
The major attraction of Barbuda, a perfect island for those looking for lonely vacations, is a white sand beach extending along many kilometers of the Caribbean sea coast, surrounded by coral reefs. The landscape is plain and full of shrubs, excepting the eastern Highlands, where, no matter the name, height hardly exceeds 40m.

LIAT, an airline based in Antigua, property of eleven Caribbean countries, offers at least two daily flights, taking passengers from Antigua to Barbuda, in only 10 minutes. Also offers a one-day trip to Antigua, including meals, visit to the bird’s sanctuary and some hours at the beach.

Furthermore, there is little to do in this small island lacking of public transport.

At the eastern edge of the large lagoon is Codrington, the major city, though it will be correct to say village, in Barbuda, where most of the 1300 people live, and named after Sir Christopher Codrington. In 1680, Charles II, King of England, rented this island to Codrington, and his descendants owned it for 200 years. Codrington brought many tall and strong slaves that established in the island with their families. In fact, many think that the inhabitants of Barbuda are taller than those from Antigua.

In Barbuda there are only three places worth visiting. The only historic ruin is Martello Tower, an old lighthouse, 17m high, built by the Spaniards before British occupation. Another building of historical interest is, Highland House, Codrington’s mansion, built in the highest place of Barbuda. Finally, on the north is Frigate Bird Sanctuary, where more than a hundred bird species live. Many of them have their nests in the mangrove swamps, where you can go on boat. In the southern end of the island are two luxurious and exclusive resorts: the K-Club and the Coco Point Lodge, with a more relaxed atmosphere. Both have little planes that fly to Antigua, to pick up their guests.

Redonda, a Fantastic “Monarchy”
The third island, in this little country, is Redonda, located at 38 km. southwest of Antigua, and with only 1 square kilometer. Is an empty island, from where guano was extracted in the mid XX century. However, it has its own history; in 1865, an eccentric Irishman called Matthew Shiell, had the idea of crowning his son Philip as “king of Redonda”. Philip later become a novelist, and decided that his title should pass to members of the literature scene. The “king” lives currently in Sussex, England, and is very generous with his knights. Author Henry Miller was part of the royalty of Redonda, as currently is the British singer Sting.