Fig Tree Drive

Fig Tree Drive is the prettiest stretch of road in Antigua, a winding ribbon of tarmac that climbs through the island's only true rainforest in the hilly southwest. Despite the name, the "figs" are actually green bananas, the local term for them, and the roadside is thick with banana and plantain groves, mango and breadfruit trees, and tangled tropical greenery quite unlike the dry scrub of the rest of the island.

The drive runs roughly between the village of Swetes and the old fishing settlement of Old Road on the south coast, threading past small villages, roadside fruit and juice stands, and the occasional historic church. It is short in distance but slow going, with tight bends and steep grades, which is part of the charm: this is a route to take gently, with stops for fresh fruit, photographs, and the views opening out toward the coast.

The road is the gateway to several of Antigua's inland attractions. The Antigua Rainforest Zip Line Tour launches from the forest beside the drive, and the trails of Wallings Nature Reserve, with its Victorian dam, lie just off the route. At the southern end the road meets the coast near Carlisle Bay and the resorts of the south.

You will want a car or a guided island tour to enjoy Fig Tree Drive, and a relaxed pace. Combine it with a swim at Jolly Harbour or the beaches further south, and stop at a roadside stand for fresh juice, black pineapple, or a snack of local fruit.