Answer the call of Antigua
Red phone boxes are an occasional sight in Antigua – one sign of the enduring British influence to go with the local love of cricket, and place names such as Falmouth and English Harbour, although the islanders decided to break with precedent in renaming the summit of Boggy Peak as Mount Obama in 2009. One particularly notable departure from the UK that’s most welcome this month is the weather. Rainy days are now at their fewest in this, the senior partner in the Caribbean island pairing of Antigua and Barbuda. Only 15 miles at its longest, Antigua is a compact piece of tropical enchantment, but its superbly indented coastline gives it as much beach space as possible. Popular west-coast sandy locales such as Dickenson Bay and Jolly Harbour are well positioned for a sunset cocktail or glass of Wadadli beer, and there are more deserted spots around the island as well, such as the aptly named Half Moon Bay, and the pristine Rendezvous Bay – accessible only by boat or via a forest trail. Inland, make sure to sample some of the fruit sold along Fig Tree Drive. Antigua is known for its black pineapples, which aren’t actually black, but dark green and wonderfully sweet.
5 An enviously positioned red phone box at the quieter southern end of Dickenson Bay