Antigua, pronounced locally as "An-TEE-ga" rather than "An-TEE-gwa," was named by Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to the New World, after the Church of Santa Maria la Antigua in Valladolid, Spain. But English settlers made the "u" silent.
Conversely, Barbuda is "Bar-BEEOO-dah," not "Bar-boo-dah."
Airline service to the island is abundant, with American, Air Canada, Continental, Delta and US Airways all offering nonstop flights to Antigua's VC Bird International Airport (ANU) from their East Coast hubs. Shuttle flights are available from there to Barbuda, but we took the daily, express catamaran service ("A to B by Sea"), which needs 90 minutes to make the 30-mile crossing from St John's.
There's plenty to do on Antigua, but getting around can be a challenge. Driving on the left is only one issue. The island's universally twisting and narrow roads are treacherous with parked cars, pedestrians, speed bumps -- even the occasional herd of livestock. To further complicate matters, street signs are rare. If you rent a car, get careful directions.
For more information about Antigua and Barbuda tourism, visit www.antigua-barbuda.org.
Environmental Awareness Group Antigua: www.eagantigua.org.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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