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Picture-perfect cities and villas featuring countless architectural styles; gorgeous bays and beaches mark these marvelous Caribbean islands. No wonder the nonstop inflow of tourists that come to the country.

A Tad of History Some 2,400 years BC, the Siboneys were the first islanders of Antigua & Barbuda. Yet the Arawaks and Caribs were there when Christopher Columbus landed on the islands during his second voyage in 1493.

Flocks of Spanish and French settlers lived in Antigua before the coming of the Britons in 1632. For its part, Barbuda was peopled by residents of Antigua who settled down there in 1661. Back in 1684, Sir Christopher Codrington got there determined to grow sugarcane at a large scale. His efforts paid off and slavery showed up its ugly face on the islands. The ill-fated trade wasn't abolished until 1834.

In 1967, the islands became a full-fledged member of the British Commonwealth, and on November 1, 1981, the territory achieved independence under the current name of Antigua & Barbuda.

Environment and Man Antigua is mostly a plain island, though Boggy Peak juts out nearly 1,328 feet above sea level. Barbuda is a reef-laden craggy island, similarly plain and blessed with beaches of powder-thin sand and fancy hotels. This is one of the few Caribbean islands that remains unexplored and the Codrington Lagoon provides a peerless safe haven for odd-looking frigate birds. Redonda, on the southwest, is a rocky uninhabited islet. The weather is tropical with just minor temperature variations during the seasons.

Antigua & Barbuda's population is 67,897 (2003), broken down in whites (English, Portuguese, Lebanese and Syrians), half-breeds and blacks, that make up the biggest chunk of it.

Saint John's The island nation's capital and largest city lies in northwest Antigua, down a cove by the Caribbean Sea, with a skyline dominated by the white and majestic belfry domes of the St. John's Cathedral, a spectacle that catches the eyes of the countless travelers who come to the islands by sea. This bustling city is the commercial and trade center for most of the products manufactured in the country. Its port is marked by the frenzied tourist activity of incoming cruise liners that bring travelers eager to cram the islands' hotels, stores, museums, restaurants and any other spot where they can spend a wonderful day at the beach and whoop it up later on in the magic of the Antigua & Barbuda's nightlife.

A Fascinating Adventure Antigua & Barbuda offer visitors an array of choices, depending on each and everyone's preferences and interests. Counting them all is simply impossible because, believe me, there's an event and a place for every day of the year. We'll just mention only but a few, perhaps those we consider are the most interesting ones and in which nautical sport is the name of the game.

The Carnival: It's held to celebrate the end of slavery. This is a truly popular 10-day celebration that features dazzling parades, motley disguises, performances by top entertainers and, above all, good music galore! The king of the party and calypso is picked following a tough contest, and participants also choose what they believe is the best steel band of the show. The carnival also presents a spectacular band parade and a pageant to elect Miss Antigua and the Caribbean Queen.

Annual Racing Motorboats Competition: At the Falmouth Catamaran Club and sponsored by the island's Ministry of Tourism, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to steal a closer look at small-scale models of racing motorboats shown by their owners, builders and drivers.

The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta: This is one of the world's best-known regattas that includes the lap of the classics, a competition of larger boats, the race of the giants and a whole lot more!

Antigua's Nautical Week: This is a yearly event that came into being back in the 1970s and grew on to become a world-class contest in which thousands of locals and visitors take part.

Calypso Spektakula: A musical show that's held 90 nonstop annual editions and in which local and international performers come to play.

In a word, it's worth coming up to Antigua & Barbuda to enjoy the magnificent assortment of possibilities these islands have to offer and leave the premises convinced that you actually stayed somewhere east of Eden, at least for awhile.