Travel to See the Beaches of Antigua
If beautiful beaches are your thing, you’ll want to visit the small country of Antigua and Barbuda. It is said to have 365 different beaches, so you could visit a different one every day for a full year. We decided to travel to see the beaches of Antigua in 2018. Although we visited many of the wonderful beaches, we only saw a fraction of them. We did see many other attractions but we didn’t actually get over to the sparsely populated island of Barbuda at all. Antigua itself is only 281 sq. km. (or 108 sq. mi.) so we did see quite a lot of the island.
About Antigua
Antigua is one of the Leeward Islands and is located where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean. The country includes the two main islands (Antigua and Barbuda) along with a number of smaller islands. Most of its 93,000 people reside on Antigua. A former British colony, it gained independence in 1981. English is the official language although the locals speak an Antiguan Creole to each other. If you are renting a car it is important to remember to drive on the left hand side of the road.
Tourism is the country’s main industry, although historically it was first tobacco and then the sugar crops. Many of the residents are descendants of the slaves brought from West Africa to work in those industries. You can see their influence in the music, food, and cultural celebrations. The most popular sport is cricket, although Antigua is also known for its Sailing Week held annually in April/May. The best time of year to visit is from December through April.
Where to Stay in Antigua
We chose an all-inclusive resort for this trip, called The Verandah Resort & Spa. At the time it was family friendly, but it is currently being revamped. As of November, 2023 it will be an adults only resort. It is located at Willikies on the eastern side of the island. Our room was located in on one side of a duplex style cottage and we were lucky enough to have an ocean view from our large covered deck. The resort was featured in an episode of The Bachelorette Season 9.
When we visited, the resort included four pools, four restaurants, a coffee shop, two bars, two beautiful beaches with water sport equipment available, a spa, a mini golf course, tennis courts, fitness centre, ping pong, pool and shuffleboard. A shuttle is available to take you where you want to go on the property if you don’t feel like walking. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
What to Do in Antigua
While there were plenty of activities at the resort to keep us busy, we wanted to explore the whole island. Our favourite activities were:
Island Tour with Pelican Safari – we visited Betty’s Hope Sugar Plantation, Nelson’s Dockyard, Potworks Dam Reservoir, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Valley Church Beach, and an amazing roadside stand with the deliciously sweet black pineapples (they’re not black).
Stingray City – we traveled by boat out to what looked to be the middle of nowhere but then the southern stingrays appeared. We were able to get out into the water with them (about 4 or 5 feet deep) and also had a chance to feed them.
Shirley Heights Sunday Night Party – Every Sunday there is a party at this lookout with local bands, food, drinks, and vendors. It feels like a big block party. Take a taxi there and back and enjoy the view with both locals and tourists.
Next Time in Antigua
I felt that we saw most of the island and did the activities we wanted to do there. If I were to return, I would likely stay at The Verandah Resort & Spa again as it was a lovely resort. Another option would be to try another part of the island, either at Sugarfields Garden Villa in Jolly Harbour or The Villas at Sunset Lane in St. John’s.
