Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua now a Unesco heritage site

Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua

Antigua’s historic Nelson’s Dockyard is the Caribbean’s newest Unesco World Heritage Site, one of 21 new spots named to Unesco’s list this year.

The dockyard consists of a group of Georgian-style naval buildings and structures in a walled enclosure that served as a significant strategic position for the British Navy in the early 1700s.

Now its protected harbor at the south of the island welcomes tourists with nearby hotels, restaurants, museums and art galleries.

In order to be a Unesco World Heritage Site, a place or structure must have cultural, historical and/or natural significance, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia; the ruins at Philippi, Greece; and Machu Picchu in Peru.

Antigua joins eight other Caribbean islands that have historic sites designated by Unesco’s World Heritage Committee, including Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park in St. Kitts, the Blue and John Crow Mountains in Jamaica, and Old Havana in Cuba.