Antigua: The Colourful side of Island Life; Rich Imaginations & Fantasy Kingdoms

Growing up in Antigua, we all learnt by the time we were in primary school (probably in a social studies class) that Antigua had "365 beaches one for every day of the year"...Its amazing how world-wide that tagline now is.  Everyone knows that Antigua has (say it with me)..."365 beaches one for every day of the year".

Countless men have visited Antigua with the sole intention of spending their entire holiday counting beaches - every last one has been unsuccessful.  The locals say, that 'every man jack' has failed because the waves hypnotize them, the sparkling white sand blinds them, the swaying coconut trees drive them to lose their thoughts, and the blueness of the sea tempts them closer until they honestly really couldn't care less about the other 364 beaches, as they've found their perfect one.  

Now me, I gave up counting beaches a long time ago, deciding instead to do something meaningful like throwing eggs into Devil's Bridge!

Growing up in Antigua (yes again), we, well I, was told the story of Devil's Bridge, Antigua.  Now this bridge has quite a bit of stories, but the one that stuck the most for me, is:  If you take a fresh egg to Devil's Bridge, and throw it into the water - now you've got to be standing in the correct spot on the bridge*** (***means do not try this on holiday or at home  and I mean that!)  that the egg comes up hard boiled.  Why does the egg come up hard-boiled?  ...Devil's Bridge...

To make a long story short, my egg cracked before it got to the water...okay that's not true, I chickened out of walking onto that bridge (do you know how many people have fallen into that water and never escaped? Well neither do I, but I wouldn't want to be the first!)  FYI, If you ever visit the Devil's Bridge area and feel adventurous let's try something safer like: shouting hello into the waters.  He  answers back you know, via the waves, which will come crashing up to greet you.  Bet you didn't know that!


Bet you also didn't know that some people with very rich imaginations live in Antigua. My saying that has nothing to do with the above two paragraphs and everything to do with the two images below.  Explore Antigua on your own, and you might blink and miss The Sleeping Indian in the hills and the Hawksbill in the sea.

The Hawksbill

Can you see the Sleeping Indian in the distance

Find a knowledgeable Antiguan to take you on an island tour and you will probably discover a bit of hidden history, such as why Rat Island is called Rat Island, about the four kings from the Kingdom of Redonda (Redonda is one of Antigua's offshore islands).  You may even get lucky and: meet the man who built a boat shaped house, find Sugar Mill Road, be educated on why Freetown is called Freetown, learn that there was a time when camels were in Antigua, take a trip to Hells Gate, or meet one or two persons living in the South of Antigua who claimed to have seen fiery sparks, during volcanic eruptions from a neighbouring Caribbean Island!

Just in case you start doubting any of what I've said, I've got the pictures to prove it!  Oh and Barbuda really does have pink sandy beaches - but that... you've got to see it, to believe it!



the infamous Devil's Bridge, Antigua. Photo Credits: Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Office



look closely and you will see the outline of Montserrat in the distance



The boat-shaped house