Sort out the facts about islands across the globe. A coral island, flat and well-wooded, with highlands rising to 143 feet (44 metres) at Lindsay Hill in the northeast, it is 62 square miles (161 square km) in area. Barbuda is without streams or lakes and receives less rainfall than Antigua.

The main agricultural exports include cotton to Japan and fruit and vegetables to other Caribbean territories. Hot peppers and vegetables are exported to the United Kingdom and Canada. Other agriculture products are bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, livestock, and pineapples.

Samantha Marshall

Barbuda (/bɑːrˈb(j)uːdə/) is a small island located in the eastern Caribbean forming part of the sovereign Commonwealth nation of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located north of the island of Antigua and is part of the Leeward Islands of the West Indies.

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Four traditional Antiguan main dishes

• Jerk chicken. Photo credit: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com.
• Conch. Photo credit: MevZup/Shutterstock.com.
• Goat water / Mannish water. Photo credit: Fanfo/Shutterstock.com.
• Ducana. Photo credit: Julia Bogdanova/Shutterstock.com.
• Roti.
• Antigua Black pineapple.
• Johnny Cakes.
• Tamarind Balls.

Daytime essentials include t-shirts or camisoles, sarong and shorts – as most people spend their time on the beach. Keep your swimwear for the beach, beach bars and hotel pools. And don’t forget good sunscreen (we love the Riemann P20 range for 10 hour protection), sunhat and sunglasses.

Generally not regarded as a diving destination, our waters are in fact teeming with colourful fish, healthy coral and an array of pelagic species. When Scuba Diving in Antigua, it is quite likely you’ll encounter sharks, particularly reef and nurse sharks.

• Jumby Bay Island. Long Island. #1 in Best Hotels in Antigua.
• Hermitage Bay. St. Marys.
• Curtain Bluff. Old Road, 10. #3 in Best Hotels in Antigua.
• Galley Bay Resort & Spa. St. John’s.
• Carlisle Bay. Carlisle Bay. #5 in Best Hotels in Antigua.
• Nonsuch Bay. Freetown.
• Sandals Grande Antigua. St.
• Blue Waters Resort & Spa. St.

Both have stunning beaches, but Antigua – as the slightly less touristy of the two islands – tends to have more isolated and secluded choices. It arguably has better beaches than Barbados too. However the infrastructure in Barbados is some of the best in the Caribbean, and it’s a very easy island to get around.

St Lucia or Antigua: Stunning natural scenery St Lucia is bigger though, possessing 98 miles of coastline compared to smaller Antigua’s 54 miles. When it comes to beaches however, Antigua is probably the better choice. It’s also less rainy than St Lucia, which is another positive for sun-seekers.

December to April is Antigua’s high season and the coolest, driest time of year, with an average daily maximum temperature of around 28.5°C. The wet season runs from mid-June to mid-November and can have short spells of heavy rainfall and nighttime thunderstorms.

The sea temperature ranges from 26 °C (79 °F) between January and April to 29 °C (84 °F) in September, so the sea is warm enough for swimming all year round.

Visiting Antigua in June – August The official hurricane season is July to November, and while the risk is very small, you might encounter some tropical storms.

Antigua and Barbuda has some very humid months, and above average humidity throughout the year. Wind in Antigua and Barbuda is usually moderate. The windiest month is July, followed by June and August.

Eastern Caribbean dollar

In general, humidity in Antigua and Barbuda is quite low, meaning you won’t be drenched in a sweaty fug during your trip. The rainy season runs from around June to November, and during this time daily rain showers are common; there is also a good chance of tropical storms and hurricanes across the islands.