Antigua

Why Antigua?

Accommodations

Antigua boasts a variety of resorts, some family-friendly, others just for couples. From the very upscale to mid-range, all-inclusive resorts are popular here, but small hotels, bed and breakfasts, and villas are available, too. Where I stayed: St. James’s Club and Galley Bay. Where I visited: Verandah Resort & Spa  All are all-inclusives affiliated with Elite Island Resorts.

Activities

Sailing and yachting, diving and snorkeling, beach and watersports, golf, hiking, birdwatching.

Beaches

Antigua is known for its beaches—365 of them, one for each day of the year! Read more about the island’s beaches on the Antigua-Barbuda tourism site.

Food and Drink

Fresh fish and seafood is served throughout the Caribbean. If you want to eat local, try Antigua’s national dish, Pepperpot and Fungee. The local beer is Wadadli; local rums are English Harbor and Cavalier.

Getting There

Airport code: ANU. Direct flights from U.S.: NYC (JFK), Newark (EWL), Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CTL), Miami (MIA) or San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU). Direct flight from Canada: Toronto (YYZ)

Location

Antigua (pronounced An-tee’ga) is located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. To the south are the islands of Montserrat and Guadaloupe, and to the north and west are Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Barths, and St. Martin. (Consider a day trip to Antigua’s sister island, Barbuda, to stroll its pristine pink-tinged beaches.)

Vibe

Antigua’s Caribbean vibe combines with a little bit of Britain, reflecting its British history and its cricket matches.

Tourist Board: www.antigua-barbuda.org

If you go, don’t miss:

Nelson’s Dockyard, a restored 18^th century British dockyard, and Shirley Heights lookout for panoramic views of the island. On Sunday afternoon, the bar at Shirley Heights is a popular place for barbeque and live music.

English Harbor Antigua

Stingray City, where you can feed and interact with Southern stingrays, the “puppy dogs of the sea,” in shallow waters.

Stingray City Antigua

Great Bird Island, a 20-acre uninhabited island, home to several endangered species, including the Antiguan racer snake and the red-billed tropicbird. (Book a half-day eco-adventure with Antigua Paddles, including ocean kayaking, snorkeling, and visiting Great Bird Island via fast motorboat.)

Great Bird Island, Red-billed Tropicbird, Antigua (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Betty’s Hope, where you can visit a fully restored sugar mill, and Devil’s Bridge, a natural rock arch located on the Atlantic coast.

Betty’s Hope, Antigua (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Devil’s Bridge, Antigua (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Published article on Antigua:

Beaches for days

Antigua’s many stretches of sand host Caribbean resorts tailored to the retreat you seek, from family-friendly fun to a vacation meant for two

ANTIGUA, British West Indies — Getting away from it all to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean was my self-prescribed antidote to stress after weeks of preparing for a cross-country move. Soon I’d be strolling along one of Antigua’s 365 stretches of sea and sand — one for each day of the year, as locals have claimed for years.

Taking into account its bays, coves and more than 50 offshore islands, Antigua (pronounced an-TEEga) may indeed be the beach capital of the Caribbean, popular with beachlovers and honeymooners…

Read the rest of my article, published in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, by opening a PDF here: AntiguaArticle