and sand flies, as the Atlantic breezes blow them away. Explore Darby Caves, a spectacular sinkhole in the middle of the Highlands and Dark Cave with its fresh water pools with rare blind shrimp, and several species of bats. If you arrive on the island by boat, camp at Spanish Point on the south coast, and search for the salt ponds in this part of the island. In a hot, dry year you will discover the trove of “white gold” that the islanders harvest for salting their catch; they even bottle small quantities for visitors to take away. Wreck diving is a big attraction in Barbuda as the island is ringed with reefs. There are wrecks going back to the time of 122
SIMPLY ANTIGUA BARBUDA
the Codrington family, who had valuable rights to wreck salvage. They built the Martello Tower near Palmetto Point for use in part for spotting shipwrecks on the outlying reefs. Today the wrecks are explored by divers, and local guides will show you the best locations for this adventure, and for finding gorgeous coral canyons and sea caves along the coast. Saturdays in Barbuda are different from every other day of the week. In the streets around Codrington vendors start selling fried fresh fish at 4 o’clock in the morning, when the air becomes laden with aromatic cooking smells. They offer several varieties