In general, the dining and shopping are comparable to those of St. Kitts but don't hold up to Sint Maarten or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most hotels, restaurants, beach bars, and water-sports facilities lie north of the capital of St. John's, in the northwest. St. John's is a large, neatly laid-out town 6 miles from the airport and less than a mile from Deep Water Harbour Terminal. The port is the focal point of commerce and industry and the seat of government and shopping. Protected within a narrow bay, St. John's is charming, with cobblestone sidewalks and weather-beaten wooden houses with corrugated iron roofs and louvered Caribbean verandas.
Trade winds keep the wide streets cool.
Since all the major resorts are on good beaches, most visitors tend to stay put, going into St. John's for a day's shopping jaunt or to English Harbour for some history.