n the island of Antigua, you'll find beautiful talcum-soft beaches, swaying palm trees, scenic sailing anchorages, and a spectrum of hotels and resorts - all of which implies that you've found the quintessential tropical paradise. Well, as the old saying goes, "You can't tell a book by its cover." Despite the initial appeal, if it weren't for Sailing Week, Antigua wouldn't be among our first picks for a Caribbean holiday. Why, you ask? It all starts at the V.C. Bird International Airport's Immigration counter, where an (always) frosty officer looks at you the way one ponders a cockroach, and never utters a hello or welcome. Shades of things to come? Unfortunately it is, for there is a deliberate coolness about Antiguans. Despite tourism being almost the island's sole bread and butter, many residents are brusque and unwelcoming toward visitors. Although this is not a new phenomenon (Parisians perfected this kind of kiss-off years ago), it's a tad unsettling when you're on vacation on a small Third World island. There's definitely an attitude problem here.

Antigua does have its merits, however. There are many wonderful beaches (the tourist office claims 365 - does the mud in St. John's Harbour count as one?), some rather nice resorts, including a good array of moderately priced beachfront hotel options, a dry climate with constant trade winds, a happening yachting scene, great British historic sights, and an international airport where a number of airlines fly in nonstop. Antigua is also the largest of the Leeward Islands, covering an area of about 108 square miles. It's just that with all the other choices in the Caribbean, why deal with attitude, lots of tourists, bad roads, and an island that really isn't all that pretty? Unless, of course, it's Sailing Week (described in detail in the book).

Being a major hub in the Caribbean transportation wheel and a big resort destination, Antigua attracts all kinds of travelers. Americans, Brits, Canadians, and Germans pour in on jumbo jets. Once on the island, most of them head to the resorts on the western and southern coasts, while the yachty set heads for English Harbour, one of the primary boating centers in the Caribbean. A select few with bulging wallets hop over to Barbuda, where a pair of extravagantly priced resorts and long deserted beaches (and little else) are found. But Antigua's modern cruise-ship dock lures big ships almost daily, and the swarms descend into St. John's, creating a shopping frenzy that overwhelms the little town and trickles into Nelson's Dockyard at English Harbour. With all of this commotion, there are a lot of options for the visitor, and Antigua may appeal to those who, if they are not sailors, like the activity and variety the island offers.