Visit Antigua and Barbuda for the perfect family holiday
Explore Antigua as a family with a jeep safari tour across the islands rugged countryside, journey through the rainforest on a zipline or explore the beaches on a segway, visit the local villages and photograph the many picturesque spots along the way or take a look from the water as a pirate for the day!
Antigua Rainforest Zip Line Tours run over the top of the rainforest canopy and afford stunning views with 9 zip lines, some in excess of 200 and 300-feet long, criss-crossing the gorge varying from 200 - 350 feet high antiguarainforest.com. The Obstacle challenge course is the perfect way for active family's to bond or if parents would rather sit out and let the children have all the fun there is also a bar on-site to relax at!
Segway Antigua tours are another option for a truly unique way to experience the Island together as a family. These eco-friendly tours ensure visitors to Antigua move efficiently around the island in a fun, exciting and a refreshing way segwayantigua.com.
The Dows Hill Interpretation centre provides an educational alternative for the whole family and is the only one of its kind in the Caribbean. The audio-visual presentations at the centre are geared towards children, taking them through various phases of Antigua's history with the parents sure to learn a thing or two also! Continue on to the only working Georgian dockyard in the world at Nelson's Dockyard National Park with a museum, nature trails and a sight-and-sound show that presents Antigua & Barbuda's detailed history. While keen sports fans can enjoy a family day out at the national Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and take in a cricket test match amongst the infectious excitement of the Antiguan spectators.
A boat trip to Barbuda is also a fantastic way to spend the day. Its unique pink-sand beaches and the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, the largest of its kind in the western hemisphere home to over 170 species of birds will delight young budding wildlife experts.
For those keen to learn to sail, what better place to do so than the sailing capital of the Caribbean? Many resorts offer complimentary windsurf and kayaking lessons, while sailing and diving lessons are also available for novices through to experts, ensuring the whole family can learn together in a group. To see the coastline without having to do any of the hard work, take the family out on a catamaran tour of Antigua where the crew can point out all the notable sights including Devil's Bridge, a natural limestone arch. Or, play pirates with the kids and set sail to Deep Bay on the Black Swan with 'Pirates of Antigua' piratesofantigua.com, where families can enjoy rope swinging and walking the plank. There is even the opportunity to snorkel above a real shipwreck and search for buried treasure!
Nesting season for the Hawksbill turtle runs from June to October with turtle tours running every Friday from July to the end of nesting season. Witnessing a mother turtle laying her eggs or newly hatched babies making their way to the water's edge is a truly memorable childhood experience.
Resorts that offer free kids clubs and family entertainment and/or all inclusive packages include: Nonsuch Bay's new EpicTeen Challenge, the Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts, The Verandah Resort and Spa, Carlisle Bay, and Jolly Beach Resort and Spa.
For more information, visit visitantiguabarbuda.co.uk.
