by Tom Wuckovich

I shielded my eyes against the radiant Caribbean sun deliberately inching its way toward the horizon on a sultry late afternoon in Antigua. My vantage point for this inspiring view was an antique fortress wall atop Shirley Heights, where I imagined that a British soldier might have occupied this same spot 300 years ago, eyeing not the sun, but the gaggle of French warships offshore intent on capturing this key Leeward Island. With the British already entrenched at Antigua and holding the prime military position on Shirley Heights, the French sailed down to Guadeloupe to regroup and plan their invasion strategy.

Just below the Heights is English Harbour, a deepwater harbor protected on three sides by rugged cliffs. Here, the ships of the Royal Navy massed, safely out of harm's way of an enemy more devastating than the French fleet-violent tropical storms. And providence, it seems, was on the side of the English. A vicious hurricane swept through the Caribbean, decimating most of the French armada at unprotected Guadeloupe and leaving Antigua and many of the other Caribbean islands safely in the hands of the Brits.

No doubt there was great jubilation at Shirley Heights upon learning of the French disaster in Guadeloupe, and provided good cause for celebration. And here I was centuries later, watching a party of a different sort, and likely more lively than the merriment exuded over the British military victory. The Lookout at Shirley Heights is a restaurant/bar, and on this Sunday in July-and every Sunday from 6-10 p.m.-locals and island visitors assemble for the Rum & Reggae Party that is a frenzied mix of music and swaying bodies while the rum flows freely. I would almost prefer facing the French fleet than driving down from these heights and sharing the narrow island roads with these revelers. But you're supposed to have fun on a Caribbean vacation, and you can find plenty of it in Antigua.

Some of it is right there at English Harbour, where Nelson's Dockyard is located. Named after British naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson, the area has been painstakingly restored and houses boutique hotels, a museum, restaurants, bakery and a quaint shaded quay where local vendors sell handmade handicrafts, t-shirts and the like. There is a narrow pedestrian lane out to Fort Berkeley Point and another trail to Shirley Heights, but it's a formidable walk to that lofty spot, and a taxi is the preferred alternative. From atop Shirley Heights, named for the island's first Governor General, there are splendid views of English and Falmouth harbours, and on a clear, cloudless day, the islands of Montserrat and Guadeloupe can been seen to the south. (CONTINUE...)