Nelson Dockyard National Park
Fully restored to its original splendor, the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century buildings of Nelson's Dockyard house modern amenities such as shops, hotels and marina businesses.
Depart from the pier area and take a scenic and picturesque drive through villages as you pass beaches and eventually make your way through the rainforest.
Once you have reached the dockyards you will see historic forts dotting the landscape of the park accessible by hiking trails which allow visitors to enjoy the park's scenic and natural beauty. There are endless opportunities to capture the beauty of the parks, with many glorious boats in the dockyard, the beautiful harbor, the historic sites and the unforgettable views from places such as Shirley Heights, bring your camera or you will surely have regrets that you didn't.
In the early eighteenth century, the British Royal Navy recognized the strategic importance of English Harbor in protecting ships from hurricanes and in its position at the south of the island for monitoring French naval activity. Throughout the eighteenth century, the dockyard grew in importance, as it was the only harbor in the Eastern Caribbean large enough for safe naval ship repairs. From 1784 through 1787, the British Hero of Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson, served as the captain of the H.M.S Boreas, sent to Antigua to enforce British laws in the colonies. When the restoration of the dockyard began in the 1950's, it was renamed Nelson's Dockyard in honor of the years he spent in Antigua.
