Antigua’s capital is about as far from an urban sprawl as it’s possible to get. Quaint and charming but still plenty lively, the city bustles with as much energy in sunny winter as it does in hot, hot summer. It’s also the island’s main cruise port and enormous liners regularly loom large over the brightly painted harbour-side buildings and neighbouring city streets. But, in idiosyncratic St. John’s, the modern behemoths are likely to be moored alongside graceful 19^th century tall ships.

• Island capital and good for restaurants, shops, markets and local festivals.
• John’s Cathedral’s twin towers dominate the skyline – the present church was built in 1845 after the 17^th and 18^th century versions were destroyed by earthquakes.
• John’s is at the heart of Antigua’s legendary 11 day summer carnival – a spectacular celebration of Caribbean culture, music, dance and outrageous dressing up. Great fun for kids.
• Don’t miss: local markets on Friday and Saturday morning, the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, Dickenson Bay for water sports and beach games, Runaway Bay for quieter sands, family-friendly Fort James Beach.

The world’s only remaining Georgian Dock is Antigua’s historic district. Most of the construction was carried out under the command of Admiral Nelson in the late 18^th century and English Harbour itself is just a small part of the 24km² Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.

• Vantage points like Shirley Heights and Dow’s Hill are prime locations for spectators during Antigua’s Sailing Week in December.
• Well-marked walking trails all over the park are perfect for exploring Antigua away from the beach.
• Don’t miss: Dow’s Hill Interpretation Centre, Clarence House, Shirley Heights for views over the sea to Montserrat and Sunday afternoon barbecues.

Round and about Dickenson Bay is where most families choose to stay on Antigua. An archetypal Caribbean beach it has everything from barbecues and cool beach bars to any water sport your kids can name – plus long, pure white sands and blue, blue sea, naturally. The resort hotels in this area are very child-friendly and, if you get tired of the lively atmosphere on Dickenson, you can sneak along a few metres to peaceful Runaway Bay.

If you have very young children and want complete and utter solitude, basing a holiday in Barbuda is as close to a desert-island fantasy as it gets. For any kid over two, it’s a bit on the quiet side but a day’s visit from Antigua is a wonderful experience.

• Catamaran ferry crossings from Antigua to Barbuda take 90 minutes – they’re scheduled to allow visitors to spend almost an entire day on the island.
• Frigate Bird Sanctuary is home to over 170 species of native birds.
• Don’t miss: flawless pink and white sand beaches, snorkelling, exploring northern Barbuda’s caves, beachcombing and historic plantation house ruins.
• Barbuda is a coral island so the diving here is amazing.