Parham Harbour

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Boats docked at Parham Harbour Photo - Parham Harbour, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda

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Visiting Parham Harbour

by Jodeci527

Miami-Dade County, Florida

August 18, 2013

Best of IgoUgo In the parish of St. Peter's on the island of Antigua, lies a large and well protected bay known as Parham Harbour. It's been recognized and developed as a safe haven for ships since the 17th century, and it plays a key role in the fishing industry ...Read more In the parish of St. Peter's on the island of Antigua, lies a large and well protected bay known as Parham Harbour. It's been recognized and developed as a safe haven for ships since the 17th century, and it plays a key role in the fishing industry of the island nation. While it doesn't serve large cruise ships nor expensive private yachts, it's the home of many small fishing boats and acts as the launch pad for boats venturing out to the offshore islands nearby.

On arrival at the harbour, I drove through the open gates and parked next to a lane of buildings. One of the villagers welcomed me and explained to me that I was in the fishery/market area of the harbour and showed me how to get around. After thanking him, I strolled down to the docks and saw several boats dry docked, or simply resting on the pavement.

Other boats were docked along the pier, and a small fishing boat with occupants was making the final preparations to go out to sea. The fishermen were rather friendly and waved goodbye as they started the engine on their small vessel and slowly puttered out to sea. I watched them for a while and took a few photos of the harbour before continuing along.

Sometimes, it's really great to wander off the beaten track while traveling. I've found that the locals are welcoming and far more genuine to independent travelers who make the effort to mingle outside of the tourist hot spots. An example of this was my conversation with a few fishermen from Santo Domingo at the Parham Harbour.

I noticed a group of Spanish guys working on a very large net. Openly curious, I smiled and approached, then asked what they were doing. The guy who I guessed had the most experience with speaking English, explained to me that they were repairing holes in their fishing net which received damage while pulling in a haul earlier that very morning. He showed me how it was done, and actually let me have a try.

Though our conversation was stilted with his limited English and my intermediate level of Spanish, I think we managed to sufficiently communicate and I really enjoyed my short time interacting with the group. After waving goodbye, I walked along the docks to the actual loading site of the harbour.

The pier was lined with wooden lobster and fish pots, left out in the sun to dry. A small building stood at the edge of the harbour where locals would wait for their boat to arrive and dock. The entire harbour was simple and functional, and nothing at all about it was geared towards tourism.

Further out in the harbour, a few older sailing yachts and boats were anchored, as they were far too large to be docked along the pier. They've obviously been there for a while however, as there was no activity onboard, and the sails were tightly furled. The only movement from their direction, was the gentle bobbing of the vessel as small waves passed beneath them.

The Parham Harbour was a breath of salty fresh air, and the people I met there were companionable and helpful. The visit was pretty laid back and at the very least, I learned how to mend a fishing net! Short term tourists can skip this experience, but I recommend it for visitors with time on their hands. Close

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Parham Harbour

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Visiting Parham Harbour