Welcome to the beautiful twin islands of Antigua & Barbuda

Never possible to be more than a few kilometres from the coast at any time, the sea is omnipresent in Antigua & Barbuda’s life, culture and economy. Antigua’s interior is full of undulating hills dotted with the historical remnants of the island’s sugar plantations and an area of tropical rainforest allowing the intrepid to fly through the canopy on a thrilling zipline adventure. Barbuda’s low-lying limestone landscape hides incredible caves and sink holes full of tropical vegetation. However, despite this, when one conjures up images of the islands, it is the azure seas and idyllic coastline that first spring to mind.

Sun setting in Antigua

Photocred: Jason Pickering

As well as the breathtaking beaches and calm Caribbean waters on the leeward side of the islands and the windswept, wilder coastlines of their Atlantic sides, the coastal areas of the twin islands are home to a wide range of marine habitats and ecosystems including mangroves and seagrasses, breeding grounds for a myriad of marine fauna and flora. And below the surface, coral reefs abound, a playground for divers and snorkellers in search of the mysteries of the deep.

As in all small island states, the ocean is the lifeblood of the country and no less so in Antigua & Barbuda. A complete rehabilitation of the port and cruise terminals is underway making the country a maritime logistics hub in the Eastern Caribbean. Even tourism, Antigua & Barbuda’s main economic engine, is inextricably linked to the sea, whether it be due to the thousands of tourists who choose one of the myriad white-sand beaches to laze on during a well-deserved break, the growing cruise industry, the world-class yachting, or just the delicious lobster that graces the tables of the islands’ restaurants in season.

It is no wonder that the incredible coastline and everything else the twin islands offer, attract so many investors for their second citizenship. According to Henley & Partners’ Global Residence and Citizenship Programmes 2018-2019 report, Antigua & Barbuda was again rated the Best Citizenship by Investment (CBI) destination in the Caribbean and the fourth best globally on the Global Citizenship Programme Index. Its Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) received a total of 672 applications in 2018, a number that is 109% higher than the 321 applications received in 2017, and 130% greater than the same figure for 2016. The government has bullish expectations for the programme anticipating a “significant increase” in applications in 2019.