Entering St. John’s, Antigua. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
Skipping the Excursions on a Southern Caribbean Cruise? Here Is What to Do Instead
Although the Brawny Sherpa and I find ourselves on a Southern Caribbean cruise—aboard to celebrate a major birthday of a friend—we are not really beach people. So, while we splurge on the high-end alcohol package and also indulge in the Persian Garden pool and spa quite frequently, we keep our excursions in various ports to a minimum and largely opt to explore these various destinations on our own. Here is what we manage to do in St. John’s, Antigua.
The islands of Antigua and Barbuda, populated by Arawak Indians when Christopher Columbus showed up in 1493, shortly became hosts to the Spanish, French, and British. As with so many places in the Caribbean, slavery ensued until it was abolished in 1834. Antigua and Barbuda gained their independence from the British in 1981. Most of the population, some 94,000 people, resides on Antigua.
We are about to discover there is plenty to do in St. John’s, Antigua that does not involve the beach.
St. John the Divine Anglican Cathedral in St. John’s, Antigua. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
First Stop in St. John’s, Antigua: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Disembarking the Celebrity Summit in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, St. John’s, we head to a logical place given the name theme of the day: the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which has been around in some form or another since 1684.
Arriving just at the end of the brutal 2017 hurricane season, we find the interior of the church largely under construction. Did the hurricanes cause this? we ask. Surprisingly enough, the answer is no. This Anglican church has experienced earthquakes, hurricanes, and, most recently, termites.
The wooden interior of St. John the Divine Anglican Cathedral is being refurbished. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
After checking out the interior and walking the grounds, which are full of old graves, we head to our next destination.
The view of St. John’s from the cathedral. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
Next Up: The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda
Housed in the old and imposing Antigua courthouse, which dates from 1750, the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda covers a great span of time within a limited amount of space. We see bits of its Indian past as well as heartbreaking exhibits on slavery and efforts to break free of it.
Exhibits at the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda inform visitors about the region’s slaveholding past. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
For Postal Afficionados: A Visit to the Post Office of Antigua and Barbuda
While meandering about St. John’s, we come across the general post office.
We toodle around St. John’s a bit more, then grab some appropriately tropical rum drinks before going back on board.
The General Post Office in Antigua. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
This display near the General Post Office explains the origins of the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.
—Lori Tripoli
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Looking for things to do in the Southern Caribbean? You might like these posts:
- Things to Do in Basseterre, St. Kitts
- An Antigua Courthouse Turned Museum in St. John’s
- Barbados Excursion: A Mount Gay Rum Tour
- Celebrity Summit Cruising
- Staying in San Juan Now
- Visiting San Juan Now
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Where is St. John’s, Antigua?
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What is your favorite activity in St. John’s, Antigua?
I really like your blog it looks like very Nice, you shared great information about St. John’s, Antigua. Thanks for sharing this attractive pictures and this post.
As an Indian, I have always yearned to go to the Caribbean islands because of the second wave of slavery brought about by the British in the form of Indian people. Would love to visit the museum and learn more. I am not a beach person as well so museums appeal to me a lot!
It is so hard for me to understand how colonial people rationalized slavery. I am glad the museum has dedicated some significant space to the history of slavery on the island. I definitely would like to learn more about it.
It’s amazing all the stuff you can fit into a one day cruise stop! Antigua looks lovely, but I’d probably opt for the beach 😛
Well, the beaches are good, too! Thanks for commenting, Brianna.
I would love to visit that museum! I have studied the slave trade in college for a class and I think seeing the Antiguan perspective would be a great addition to my study.
The exhibit was very moving. I definitely need to learn more about slavery in the Caribbean.
How weird, I was just talking to someone I met yesterday, who spent a few weeks in St Johns in August, she loved it so much and didn’t want to come home. Now I can see why!
What bliss to be able to spend a long time there! Unfortunately, visitors are just teased with a cruise because our time on each island is limited to a day–but at least it helps us narrow down where we would like to go in the future! 🙂
Interesting read, I didn’t know where it was exactly until now. Lovely little place to visit on your cruise stop thats for sure!
Thank you, Zoe!
Wow there is a lot to do away from the beach. The inside of the church looks like it will turn out really lovely. The museum would be really interesting to learn about slavery in the Caribbean, most of my knowledge on it is about slavery in the United States.
Yes, the church is quite pretty–even as it is being repaired! Most of my knowledge about slavery concerns U.S. history, too, which made the museum that much more informative for me. Thanks for commenting!
I know the feeling. I would far prefer to explore myself than just stay chilling on a beach all day. It looks like you were rewarded for your efforts with all those sights. 🙂
The information about slavery must have been stressful to see though.
The slavery exhibition at the museum was just heartbreaking, but I am glad that the museum dedicated a fair amount of space to this tragic part of history. Thanks for commenting!
I love that you all made the most of your time off the ship. I completely understand. While I could spend the day lounging on the beach, my husband loves seeing the sights. Needless to say, we try to find the perfect balance. LOL! Thanks for the tips. I will definitely keep your post for future reference.
Thanks, Michelle!
The church is beautiful. There are quite a few things to do in St. Johns besides visiting the beach seems. A walk through the old town sounds like an interesting activity.
This is so interesting to read about the history. I really don’t know much about St. John’s and it’s great to discover the island through your article. The museum would be really great to visit and learn about the slave trade history. Great informative post.
I do not know nearly enough about the history of the Caribbean myself! The museum was great to visit–it was small enough to just get a good introduction without my feeling like we needed to spend the day there. 🙂
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