Antigua walking route: Darkwood Beach to Shirley Heights
This 365.6 km route around Antigua showcases the island's top attractions, starting from St John's Capital and visiting pristine beaches including Darkwood Beach and Friar's Bay Beach, the panoramic Mount Obama Viewpoint, historic English Harbour with its colonial naval dockyard, and Shirley Heights Viewpoint offering sweeping Caribbean vistas.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Darkwood Beach
- End
- Shirley Heights Viewpoint
- Stops
- 6
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Darkwood Beach — Beach situated between a lagoon and the sea, south of Friar's Bay with Mount Obama visible in background.
- St John's Capital & Starting Point — Capital city of Antigua with approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Home to Date Palm Apartments on Scotts Hill.
- Friar's Bay Beach — West coast beach, approximately 10 minutes from St John's. Starting point of the island road trip.
- Mount Obama Viewpoint — Highest hill on Antigua island at 402 meters elevation. Visible from Darkwood Beach.
- English Harbour & Colonial Heritage — South coast harbour, first British settlement and colonial heritage site. Features Nelson's Dockyard.
- Shirley Heights Viewpoint — Hill located 5 minutes drive from English Harbour dockyard. Offers panoramic views of entire Antigua and views of neighboring Montserrat.
Useful for your trip
- Tip
- Antigua has 365 beaches, one for every day of the year, offering variety for beach exploration
- Transport
- Pick up a car at the airport to explore the island; it takes only 10 minutes to drive from the airport to St John's
- Where to stay
- Stay on Scott's Hill for views over the city and valley of St John's with access to goat herds nearby
- Tip
- Visit Darkwood Beach for striking views best seen from above; situated between a lagoon and the sea
- Tip
- Drive 5 minutes up to Shirley Heights for the best panoramic views of English Harbour and neighboring Montserrat
- Tip
- Explore English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the world's most beautiful natural harbors
- Tip
- Visit Half Moon Bay on the far east side, a 20-minute drive, as a remote and uncrowded beach option
- Tip
- See Betty's Hope, a historic windmill still standing from the colonial sugar plantation era
- Tip
- Visit St James's Fortress in the capital for views over the Caribbean Sea, cannons, and ruins
- Food
- Watch supermarket prices; bottled water was found at $3.50 per unit, use kitchen facilities if staying in an apartment
- Tip
- Explore old sugar plantation ruins scattered across Antigua; some feature chimneys, windmills, or just standing stones
- Food
- Visit Jolly Beach for sunset viewing with happy hour cocktails and local Caribbean food
Video on this route
ANTIGUA: The #1 Travel GUIDE With ALL TOP Sights of the CARIBBEAN