St. John's Safety Guide

St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, is a compact port city where pastel façades gleam against the Caribbean Sea and the air carries the hum of calypso drifting from roadside rum shops. Tourists typically stroll Heritage Quay without incident. But the same sun that warms your shoulders can push heat exhaustion if you skip water breaks. While serious crime is infrequent, the cruise-ship crowds do attract pickpockets around the Vendors Market, so keeping a hand on your bag while you inhale the charcoal smoke from sizzling jerk pans is simply good habit. Evening walks along the harbor are usually relaxed, just stay in well-lit stretches where you can still taste salt spray on your lips and hear rigging clink against aluminum masts.