With a population of around 30,000 - nearly half the island's total - bustling ST JOHN'S is Antigua's capital and only city. No one could accuse it of being the prettiest city in the West Indies, but it does have a certain immediate charm and, in the centre, there are plenty of attractive old wooden and stone buildings - some of them superbly renovated, others in a perilous state of near-collapse - among the less appealing modern development. It'll only take you a couple of hours to see everything, but you'll probably want to come back for at least one evening to take advantage of some excellent restaurants and bars .