The food in Antigua is fresh and fabulous too, zinging with local ingredients and flavours. Colourful markets, delicious walking tours of St John’s, home cooking experiences, beachside shack snacks and award-winning cuisines at upscale restaurants such as Cutie’s… you name it, these islands have got it.

And then there’s the rum. One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak: the local rum punch in Antigua has inspired many a great night out. OJ’s Beach Bar & Restaurant on Crabb Hill lays claim to serving the most traditional punch, with batches hand-made three times a week following a secret family recipe. The rum punch at Sheer Rocks, a stunning clifftop bar at the Cocobay Resort, is easily the most Instagrammable. Or learn to make your own at Quin Farara’s, the oldest rum shack on the island, right in the heart of St John’s. Lisa Farara will give you the basics – her family has been importing rum into Antigua since the early 1900s. It’s up to you to give your rum punch its own personal twist.

You can’t help but be inspired by that most Caribbean of instruments, the steel pan. It’s the mainstay of Carnival, fish fries and sporting events on Antigua. Listen out for the legendary Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, based in St John’s. Founded in 1945, it’s the world’s oldest continuously operating steel band, with classes for beginners to experts on Saturdays. Yet even this traditional instrument has undergone something of a renaissance on Antigua, with young musicians such as Khan Cordice and Zahra Lake pushing it into more contemporary and sophisticated areas.