Antiguans say that they have a different beach for every day of the year. That may be an exaggeration, but the beaches here are certainly spectacular: most are protected by coral reefs, and the sand is often sugar white. Antigua does have some casinos, but they're hardly a reason to visit, and most of its hotels are intimate one- or two-story inns rather than glitzy, sprawling resorts. Antigua (An-tee-gah) may be an independent nation, but it is still British in many of its traditions. Economically, it has transformed itself from a poverty-stricken island of sugar plantations to a modern-day vacation haven. The landscape of rolling, rustic Antigua is dotted with stone towers that were once sugar mills.

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