Let’s walk around the church and cemetery at St. John’s Cathedral in St. John’s, Antigua. It’s a short walk from the cruise piers, and I spent some time reading the old headstones, some of which go all the way back to the 1700s.
St. John’s Cathedral Cemetery Walk, Antigua
St. John's Cathedral in Antigua: a quiet walk through the historic cemetery, with headstones dating back to the 1700s, a short walk from the cruise piers.
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Key Takeaways
- The cathedral is the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, and it’s roughly a 10 minute walk from the Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay cruise piers.
- The current church dates back to the 1840s, but the history on the grounds goes much deeper.
- I found dates like 1744, 1753, 1758, 1775, 1790 and 1792, plus plenty from the 1800s like 1817, 1832, 1852 and 1865.
- A lot of the markers are so worn you can’t read anything left on them, but many are still readable for their age.
- Some people lived to 75, 76 and even 81, which is a nice age for back then, but there are a lot of young people buried here too, including someone who died at 22 and another at 23.
- It was Good Friday when I visited, and a service was going on inside, so I stayed out on the grounds.
Good to Know
If you like history, this is an easy stop on your own from the ship. It’s quiet, a little creepy in spots, and really incredible to see headstones from the 1700s still standing.
Keep in mind it’s an active church. I was there on Good Friday with a service going on, so I didn’t go inside. If you want to see the interior, check whether a service is happening and be respectful of it.