The coasts of Antigua are ideal for yacht cruising and racing, with constant trade-winds, and many harbors for exploration. Easily a week could be spent cruising around this picturesque island of the Caribbean. The sister island of Barbuda has shell laden beaches so long that they dip below the horizon.

There are good airline connections in the UK and Antigua is centrally situated for Caribbean cruising.

Many events are organised by the Antigua Yacht Club, there are the annual High Tide Series, the Green Island Race, the informal Round-the-Island-Race and the "after work" Thursday afternoon races for all-comers. 

Antigua has two 18-hole golf courses, both of which are challenging enough for the average player.

Cedar Valley Golf Club

Both Antigua and Barbuda are almost completely surrounded by coral reefs, walls, and shipwrecks. The southern and eastern coasts of Antigua and virtually the entire coast of Barbuda are surrounded by shelfs, providing excellent conditions for spectacular shallow diving and snorkeling.

There is little or no current in most places, and the water temperature averages about 80 F (25 C). Underwater visibility ranges from 50 to 140 feet, and tropical marine plants and animals are diverse and plentiful. Snorkeling is possible at many of both islands' most beautiful beaches; one of Antigua's best-known offshore sites, Cades Reef, is now partly contained in a designated underwater park.

Another popular destination is the wreck of the Andes, a three-masted merchant ship that sank in 1905 and now rests in less than thirty feet of water in (ironically enough) Deep Bay.

Antigua provides the perfect conditions to enjoy the abundance of watersports available throughout the island. Visitors can either rent the equipment from watersport centres or experienced tuition is available.

One cannot fully grasp the culture of Antigua without considering the island's fierce devotion to cricket. The sport is played everywhere and at any time, though official matches tend to be held on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The cricket season lasts from January to July and is interspersed during most seasons with regional and international matches. The Antigua Recreation Ground, which became in 1980-81 the 52nd international test venue, is one of the most exciting places in the world to observe a match. The local crowd is extremely devoted to the game, and the facilities themselves are outstanding.

Although Antigua's pool of players is small it has proven to be among the world's richest in talent, having produced four of the West Indies' best players. The first was Andy Roberts, who emerged as an international star during the mid-Seventies. Roberts' outstanding career as a fast bowler during the heyday of West Indian cricket in the early 80's was followed by his tenure as the coach of the West Indies team.