Antigua, Carpenter Rock

The Carpenter Rock hike is a nice ramble in dry scrubby vegetation that takes you up to Shirely heights where the views are magnificent. Dinghy to the Galleon Beach Club, turn right on the road and continue till the end when it crosses over to being a path. It winds up around Black Point till you come a view point which is often used to observe, start and finish yacht races.

Continue on the marked trail it will take you down to Carpenter Rock area, where you can detour onto the large rock platform. You continue up through a hill of dry scrubby vegetation then the path goes more uphill and you surmount several rocky crags before arriving on the road to Shirley Heights. Tunr left on the road and continue to Shirley Heights, where you can take in the view and quench your thirst.

You have two choices for your return. The quicker and prettier way is to turn right in the courtyard of Shirley Heights and continue down till you find the path that leads back down the ridge to the road just before the Galleon Beach Club.( This is also the best path for a quick walk up to Shirley Heights and to get to the path you dock at the Galleon Beach Club dock, turn left, and follow the road. You will see the footpath on the right posted “To the Lookout.”)

If you have already done this walk an want a longer way back, head back down the road from Shirley Heights and look for a trail sign on your left about the same place you came onto the road when you were hiking up. This trail leads down to an old water source and then follows the river bed down till you come out on the road to pigeon Beach