Saint John's
- For other places with the same name, see Saint John (disambiguation).
Saint John's is the capital city of Antigua and Barbuda. It is on the island of Antigua.
Get in
By plane
- 1 V. C. Bird International Airport (ANU IATA) (a few kilometers away). It has regular flights from UK, U.S. and other Caribbean islands.
By cruise ship
Many tourists arrive by cruise ship to spend the day. Most ships dock at large piers that empty into downtown through an open-air shopping mall.
Get around
Map of Saint John's
There are car rentals and many taxi services available.
The local bus service is pretty reliable (ask locals for assistance).
- Bike Plus, Independence Dr, St John’s, ☏ +1 268 462-2453.
See
- 1 Saint John the Divine Cathedral. The Anglican cathedral with its two towers was built in 1681 as a timber construction, rebuilt in stone in 1722, destroyed in 1843 by the great earthquake, rebuilt in 1845-47. Damaged by an earthquake in 1974 and hurricane "Hugo" in 1989, the interior wood construction and paneling of pine wood has proven to be a good protection against earthquakes and hurricanes. The cathedral is built in baroque style with two towers. On the south portal are life-size, iron statues of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist from 1789. The church offers 2,000 worshipers place. It is still damaged.
- 2 Fort James (on the northern harbor side, St. John's Point). Foundation stone laying about 1675, today's building stock from 1749, was built together with the on the opposite harbor entrance Fort Barrington for the protection of the port of St. John. Originally designed for a crew of 70 and 36 cannons, the well-preserved walls and 10 cannons can still be visited today. The guns weigh about 2.5 tons, their range should be nearly 2,400 meters.
- 3 Government House. The official residence of the governor-general, received several visits to the English royal house. It was built ad two separate houses in the 17th century. In 1801, Lord Lavington of Carlisle acquired the house. In 2002, arson caused more damage. At that time, renovations were being carried out and the house was empty.
- 4 Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, The Old Courthouse. In 1747-1750, the Old Court House was built by American architect Peter Harrison, born in England, using rocks that were broken on the islands of Long Island, Pelican Island and Guiana Island. Also this building was heavily damaged by the earthquakes of 1843 and 1974. It was not restored until the early 1980s. Since 1988, the National Museum of Antigua and Barbuda has been housed here. The State Archives were also temporarily here. Curiosities such as stone artefacts of the Arawak Indians can be found in the museum along with uniforms from the Second World War.
Do
- Carnival. Annual festival from late July to early August.
- 1 Cricket. Antigua's big sport. Played at the Recreation Ground, matches are accompanied by calypso music and mass dancing!
You can also:
- Sample local cuisine and drinks.
- Mingle with the locals and don't be afraid to ask directions.
- Gamble.
- Go to one of the many clubs.
Buy
- 1000 Flowers. A good clothes store.
Eat and drink
There are many restaurants in the St. John's area, and bars are littered around the island.
- Big Banana, Redcliffe Street, ☏ +1 268 480-6985, +1 268 480-6967, fax: +1 268 480-6989. 07:00-21:00 daily.
- Café Napoleon, Redcliffe Quay, in the shaded inner courtyard, ☏ +1 268 562-1820. M-Sa 08:00-17:00. French cuisine, including baguettes.
- Commissioner Grill, Commissioner Alley and Redcliffe Street, ☏ +1 268 462-1883, fax: +1 268 462-1856. 10:00-23:00 daily. Caribbean cuisine.
- George Restaurant and Bar, Redcliffe and Market Streets, 1st floor, ☏ +1 268 562-4866. 08:30-23:00 daily. West Indian cuisine, has a big outdoor area with a view of the ocean.
- Hemingway's Café, St. Mary's Street and Jardine Court, ☏ +1 268 462-2763, fax: +1 268 560-1669, hem_ways@hotmail.com. 08:30-23:00 daily. Caribbean cuisine
- O'Grady's Pub & Bar, Redcliffe and Nevis Streets, 1st floor veranda, ☏ +1 268 462-5392. M-Sa. Traditional English cuisine.
Sleep
At one of the many hotels or guest houses. For the traveller on a budget try to stay at a local rented apartment or a cheap motel.
- Jumby Bay, ☏ +1 268 462-6000. This luxury resort offers suites and villa accommodations, afternoon tea, tennis instruction, beauty and massage services, and wedding facilities. From US$1175/night.