Hike Antigua – Middle Ground Trail Description & Local Hiking Guides
Overview of hiking Antigua – Middle Ground Trail:
- Time required: A couple hours or more round trip (depending on how much time you spend at Fort Berkeley and Nelson’s Dockyard)
- Degree of Difficulty: 6 out of 10 (Exposure to sun / heat)
- Height: About 265 feet (80m) absolute vertical, although the trail is ‘hilly’, with several up-and-down-and-up…
- Distance: Just under 3 miles (4.5km) round trip
- Guide Required: No: The trail-head is well marked and the trail is fairly obvious.
This enjoyable Antigua hike crosses the small peninsula that separates English Harbour from Falmouth Harbour, along the south coast of Antigua. The trail-head can be found at Pigeon Point Beach, on the western side of the peninsula. The trail ends on the eastern tip of the land mass at Fort Berkeley. A small spur trail also runs to the popular tourist attraction of Nelson’s Dockyard.
The trail starts in a small wooded area across the road from the beach, with a short climb up a fairly steep, but small hill. The majority of the trail after the initial climb is a long roller-coaster of shallow ups and downs in a very dry, almost desert-like environment. The ground is really dry, seemingly composed of brown-red dirt and stones. There are outcrops of grey rock everywhere – Quite reminiscent of a landscape found in the southwest USA. There are a few trees along the sides of the trail, although this area is dominated by low growing scrub brush and cactus.
The trail seems much longer than it is, probably because the majority of the hike is fully exposed to the sun, making it tiring. Thankfully the openness of the trail allows for a nice breeze that helps cool things down. Middle Ground Trail follows the contour of the southern coastline, although fairly far inland as the terrain along the coast is quite steep. This hike offers great views of both harbours as well as the Caribbean Sea. At a couple of ‘high ground’ locations, the trail passes the remains of stone buildings that I assume were part of the original fortifications of the area. There are also goats wandering around all over the place, which I suppose is why this trail has the nickname ‘the Goat Track’.
About two thirds of the way across the peninsula, the trail reveals nice aerial views of Fort Berkeley as well as Freeman’s Bay and Galleon Beach across the water. A little further on, there’s also a great vantage point to see the famous Pillars of Hercules at the southern end of Freeman’s Bay. After 35 or 45 minutes hiking, there are observation areas on the rocky cliff, where you’re almost above the fort – This is a great vantage point to observe the fairly small, long and skinny 18th century stone fortification that borders the natural point protecting the entrance to English Harbour.
A few minutes more and the trail gets really interesting. To reach the low-lying fort, the trail descends down a very steep, cliff like section that requires rope support to climb down. I imagine the ropes are helpful to climb back up again as well!
With the exception of the goats, the trail was fairly empty the day we hiked – We only encountered a couple of guys ‘running’ the track. After about an hour of hot arid Antigua hiking, the trail eventually transitions into a gravel path that runs along a stone wall and into the old fortification. The fort has a couple of cannons in place, along with two remaining old stone structures – There’s a guard house as well as a powder magazine that has survived time.
After spending some time exploring the fort, I suspect most people then follow the gravel road that hugs the English Harbour coastline into Nelson’s Dockyard. There’s a fantastic marina there, as well as hotel, restaurants and a couple of stores.
In summary, the Middle Ground Trail is great way to spend a couple of sun filled hours in Antigua, taking in the views while getting some exercise. The hike was more challenging than I had expected, this was likely due to the constant elevation change and more importantly the heat. Wear a good sun hat and drink plenty of water for this one! While most people in the area are relaxing on a beach or exploring the popular tourist attraction, Nelson’s Dockyard, this trail is a quiet escape!
For a guide / tour to hike Antigua’s Middle Ground Trail, these local Tour Operators will take good care of you (Click on a Tour Operator name below for more details):
For a more colourful review, check out our personal Antigua hiking experience with our Middle Ground Trail Blog Post
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