Antigua is the island home to Nelson’s Dockyard, the historic naval site in Antigua and Barbuda.
Nelson’s Dockyard occupies English Harbour on Antigua’s southern coast. The site developed as a British naval base in the eighteenth century and is named after Horatio Nelson, who served in the Caribbean early in his naval career.
The dockyard’s buildings were designed to support naval repair, storage, administration, and defence. Its protected harbour made Antigua strategically important during European conflicts over Caribbean colonies. The restored complex is now part of Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.
Nelson’s Dockyard was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. Antigua and Barbuda consists chiefly of Antigua, Barbuda, and the much smaller Redonda. Barbuda is north of Antigua and is known for its low-lying terrain and important frigate-bird colony.