Sights—The historic buildings of Nelson's Dockyard National Park; browsing at the Public Market; the steel-pan bands that play at Shirley Heights on Sunday afternoons; the remains of Fort James; a tour of Betty's Hope Sugar Estate; the octagonal St. Peter's Church in Parham.

Museums—The portraits of King George III and Queen Caroline, as well as pre- and post-Columbian findings at the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda; the museum inside the former Admiral's House.

Memorable Meals—Fresh Italian dishes at Abracadabra; fine dining at Harmony Hall Restaurant and Sugar Mill Bar; fresh local seafood at The Lobster Shack.

Late Night—Hang out with the locals at Trappa's in English Harbour; party at Shirley's Heights with a live band on Sundays; check out The Beach restaurant at Dickenson Bay on a Friday night; take in a night of gambling at one of Antigua's casinos.

Walks—A short walk on the trail from English Harbour to Fort Berkeley for great views of the harbor; a visit to Barbuda's highest point in the Highlands at 143 ft/43 m above sea level.

Especially for Kids—Collecting shells along the shoreline at Nonsuch Bay; bird-watching at the Frigate Bird Sanctuary in Barbuda, at Great Bird Island or near the lagoon at Darkwood Beach; snorkeling off the beach at Dickenson Bay.

The Antiguan terrain rises gently from the water and consists of rolling hills (the highest point is Boggy Peak, 1,319 ft/402 m high) that were cleared for sugarcane fields. They still turn emerald-green during the rainy season, but at other times the island, which covers 108 sq mi/280 sq km, looks rather scruffy. The vegetation isn't boring, however. It consists of many different kinds of cacti, and along the beaches, you'll find coconut, tamarind and sea-grape trees. There are flowering plants, often in profusion—hibiscus, oleander, bougainvillea and the bright red poinciana tree, also known as the flamboyant. The vegetation provides cover for crested hummingbirds and the yellow-breasted bananaquit.

Barbuda, a flat coral island of 62 sq mi/100 sq km, with a large lagoon on one side, has a tiny population and a slower pace. But it also has miles of beautiful pink- and white-sand beaches and excellent places for snorkeling.

The Siboney Indians originally inhabited Antigua and Barbuda and were succeeded by the Arawak. The Arawak, in turn, were forced out by the aggressive (and possibly cannibalistic) Caribs. Christopher Columbus named Antigua in 1493, but attempts by the Spanish and French to colonize the islands failed. They remained unsettled by Europeans until the 1630s, when the British established a colony on Antigua. Soon, sugar plantations powered by African slaves covered Antigua, and Barbuda was largely used to grow food for the workforce.

Unlike many Caribbean islands, Antigua and Barbuda were not subjected to numerous changes of government in the colonial period. Except for a brief period of French rule, the English held control of the islands from the early 1600s until they achieved independence in 1981. With the decline of the sugar market and the abolition of slavery in 1834, the islands went into an economic decline. Though unproductive, the large plantations were not redistributed after slavery ended, as they were on many Caribbean islands. This helped create desperate conditions for the former slaves, which led to unrest in the early 1900s.

Today, descendants of the slaves are the primary inhabitants of the island nation, and tourism has helped ease the economic hardships of some of the residents. Antigua and Barbuda remain part of the British Commonwealth. For many years, the Bird family has dominated the country's politics. Vere Bird Sr. (known as "Papa Bird"), a powerful figure from the 1940s onward, was prime minister from 1981 until 1993, when his son, Lester Bird, succeeded him.

The Bird family dynasty came to an end with the election of Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and his "Sunshine Government." Since then, the government announced an era for Antigua and Barbuda called "Government in the Sunshine." Central to their mandate is the belief that the local populace must be trained in all levels of tourism.

The islands' main attractions are relaxation, historical sights, deep-sea fishing, golf and tennis, sailing, scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, beautiful beaches, bicycling, horseback riding, cricket, casinos and friendly people.

If you enjoy excellent beaches, food and watersports—and aren't on a strict budget—Antigua and Barbuda are for you. Don't go to these islands if you're looking for lush mountain scenery.

Antigua's most famous writer is Jamaica Kincaid (now a U.S. resident), but she didn't rise to that position by praising her homeland. Her book, A Small Place, takes a critical view of the island's government, its colonial legacy and its reliance on tourism. She has called Antigua a "monument to rottenness."

The legendary blues guitarist Eric Clapton has built an enormous home on Antigua and may be spotted in the English Harbour area hanging out. It is said that he once forgot his wallet, and a small store owner in the area refused to offer him credit because he didn't know who the celebrity was.

A lot of offshore banks operate in Antigua, although a number of them left when the government tried to clean up money laundering in the late 1990s. They're still popular with those who would rather avoid taxes and government scrutiny. Long-distance phone-scam operations and Internet gambling concerns have also operated from the island.

Bananas are often called figs in Antigua. That's why the road through the rain forest, which is lined with banana trees, is called Fig Tree Drive.

Although Barbudans have the right to own land in Antigua, Antiguans cannot take possession of land in Barbuda. As a matter of fact, no one can own land in Barbuda: All the land there is Crown land, and only Barbudans have the right to occupy it, through the local authority.

A large number of Antiguans have never been to the sister islands, and there are some Barbudans who never go over to Antigua, though it is just a few minutes away by plane.

There are more than 60 registered shipwrecks on and around Palaster Reef in Barbuda, reachable by a short boat ride.

The uninhabited island of Redonda (30 mi/48 km southwest of Antigua) is part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda. A man who claims to be the King of Redonda currently lives in England.

The national game of warri involves moving beans around indentations on a wooden board in an attempt to capture your opponent's beans. It requires considerable strategy.