Beyond Fig Tree Hill, and through the small town of Old Road, the road follows the coast past a series of banana groves and pineapple plantations, and around Cades Bay, with delightful views out to sea over Cades Reef. On the right, half a mile from Old Road, a track leads up into the Shekerley Mountains to Boggy Peak, at 1312m the highest point on the island. The panoramic view from the top - in good visibility you can even make out St Kitts, Guadeloupe and Montserrat - repays the effort of making the steep drive or the one-hour climb. Unfortunately, the peak is now occupied by a communication station, safely tucked away behind a high-security fence, so you'll need to make arrangements to visit with Cable & Wireless in St John's (ph 268/462-0840). If you haven't the time or the inclination, the views from outside the perimeter fence are almost as good.

On Goat Hill, at the northern point of the peninsula close to the Royal Antiguan hotel,

the circular stone ruins of Fort Barrington overlook gorgeous Deep Bay. The British first built a simple fort here in the 1650s, to protect the southern entrance to St John's Harbour, though it was captured by the French when they took the city in 1666. Take the twenty-minute walk around the beach to the fort for the dramatic sense of isolation as you look out to sea or back over the tourists sunning themselves far below on the bay.

Antiqua travel guide

Antigua
Where to go
When to go
Getting there
Money and costs
Getting around
Food and drink
Phones and post
Best of Antigua
Holidays and festivals
Tours
Diving & snorkeling
Dive operators
Boats &
     catamarans
Boat operators
Economy, natural hazards

Exploring Antigua
- Barbuda:
  Getting there
  Beyond Cordrington
  Great Fort George
  Falmouth Harbour
  River Fort
  Cordrington

- Falmouth and
  English Harbour
  Eating, drinking,   
  nightlife
  Falmouth
  Heights, Pigeon
       Beach

  From Runaway Bay
  to Half Moon Bay
  Eating, drinking,
      nightlife
  Betty's Hope to Long  
  Bay
  Half Moon Bay
  Runaway &
  Dickenson Bay

 St. John's
  St John’s
  Getting around
  Eating & drinking
  Nightlife, casino,
  karaoke
  Airlines, embassies

Exploring St. John's
  Fort Bay
  Fort James
  Long Street
  National Museum
  Redcliffe Quay
  St. John's Cathedral
 

West coast

Antigua brief
    history

Cruises