St. John's

St John's has been the island's capital since the seventeenth century, and its landmark is the Cathedral of St John the Divine, a stone building of 1845 with twin baroque towers that stands on a rise above the streets, rebuilt after earthquakes brought down two predecessors. Redcliffe Quay, a group of restored eighteenth-century merchant buildings, holds shops and restaurants, and the museum occupies the old courthouse of 1750.

History

Before the town existed a few houses lined the Cove, today's St John's Harbour, and the town was laid out after the French invasion of 1666 for its strategic harbour; an act to build it was passed in April 1668, on 16 September 1675 the legislature named it one of six places of trade, and by 1689 it was as large as Falmouth. On 7 December 1710 the governor Daniel Parke was killed here, and in 1736 a plan by a resident, Prince Klaas, to make Antigua an independent African kingdom was discovered, leading to his death and the punishment of 132 others, after which barracks were built on Rat Island in 1741 and in the town in 1753. Fires in 1768 and 1782 and a hurricane in 1772 damaged the town, which by then was the seat of the government of the British Leeward Islands, as it stayed until 1959 (Wikipedia, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda).

The main sights

• The cathedral - the 1845 stone building with its twin baroque towers.
• Redcliffe Quay - restored eighteenth-century merchant buildings around a courtyard.
• The museum - the collection in the old courthouse of 1750.
• The public market - the produce and craft market on the southern edge of town.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the busiest. Cruise ship days fill the quays. Saturday morning is the main market day.

Things to know

Cruise days make the quays crowded and the selling persistent. Much of the town outside the restored quarters is run down. The museum is small and keeps limited hours.

Nearby

Fort James is north, and Fort Barrington is southwest.

Key facts