Antigua's 'Everest' rises a modest 1319ft in the island's southwestern corner as part of the Shekerley mountain range. Known as Boggy Peak until 2009 (Mt Obama is definitely an improvement), the mountain is crowned by dense trees and locked up telecommunications towers. This makes views only so-so unless you can get inside the compound.

During the colonial area, escaped African slaves, called 'maroons,' hid out in the surrounding hills. The entire area is now a national park and a growing number of trails are being developed from the northern side via Christian Valley. For now, the easiest access is from Cades Bay in the south. The turnoff for partly paved Mt Obama Rd (best with a 4WD) is from Old Rd, just east of the village of Urlings. Drive as far as you can, then walk the rest to the top. A bus can drop you at the turnoff.

Transportation

  • bus: 22

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Antigua attractions

1. Morris Bay Beach

0.92 MILES

Hemmed in by coconut palms, Morris Bay is locally beloved for its calm waters and stretches all the way to the posh Curtain Bluff Resort, which has water…

2. Wallings Dam & Reservoir

1.66 MILES

Built by the British around 1900, this Victorian-style dam originally created a reservoir holding 13 million gallons of water and supplied it to…

3. Turners Beach

2.71 MILES

This buzzing beach is anchored by an open-deck restaurant-bar, and has beach-chair, umbrella and water-sports rentals and souvenir stalls. If you seek…

4. Rendezvous Bay

2.86 MILES

After a 90-minute walk through the rainforest (or by a far shorter stony path from Springhill Riding Stables in Falmouth) you'll arrive at one of Antigua…

5. Darkwood Beach

3.08 MILES

This road-adjacent swath of beige sand makes for a convenient swimming and snorkeling spot. The eponymous cafe here has a shower (US$1), changing rooms…

6. Valley Church Beach

3.39 MILES

This pretty palm-lined beach has calm, shallow aquamarine waters and powdery white sand. It's a popular excursion for cruise-ship guests, for whom water…

7. Ffryes Beach

3.46 MILES

This long, sea-grape-shaded sandy ribbon has barbecue facilities, showers and toilets, and is popular with local families on weekends. Grab a cocktail in…

8. St Barnabas Anglican Church

3.99 MILES

Passing through the village of Liberta en route to English Harbour, this quaint little church on a hill is worth a quick stop. It was built as a school in…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "antigua-barbuda/jolly-harbour-to-cades-bay/attractions/mt-obama/a/poi-sig/1559176/1330869",
      "destination": "Antigua",
      "continent": "Caribbean",
      "country": "Antigua-&-Barbuda",
      "region": "Antigua",
      "position": "superzone"
    }