St Johns Antigua

About St Johns Antigua

St John's is Antigua's capital and main cruise port, wrapping around a deepwater harbor on the island's northwest coast. Ships dock at Heritage Quay or Nevis Street Pier, steps from duty-free shops and the colonial-era cathedral. Nelson's Dockyard — a UNESCO-listed 18th-century Royal Navy base — is the signature excursion, often paired with a catamaran sail to one of the island's 365 beaches.

• Despite being the de facto and primate city of Antigua and Barbuda — housing all three branches of government — St. John's has never been formally declared the official capital by law.
• St. John's became an official trading point in 1675 and by 1689 had overtaken the earlier capital Falmouth in population, rapidly growing into the island's dominant settlement.
• A large-scale slave revolt was planned in St. John's in 1736 but was discovered before it could be carried out, a pivotal moment in Antiguan colonial history.
• The city is home to Antigua State College, the country's largest higher education institution, as well as an open campus of the University of the West Indies.
• Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay in St. John's are among the Caribbean's most popular cruise ship shopping destinations, welcoming hundreds of cruise calls each year.