Antigua and Barbuda 365 Beaches
Antigua and Barbuda | Country 32 | 4 day |
The next leg of our trip was in Antigua and Barbuda.
Our journey to this Caribbean paradise began with InterCarribean Airlines to ANU. Despite the airline’s reputation for delays (with the previous 7 flights all running late), we surprisingly arrived right on time!
Some aspects of my Antigua trip that I found really unique:
- The twin-island nation boasts 365 beaches - one for every day of the year
- Antigua is pronounced anti-GA, not GUA (unlike Guatemala’s city)
- The country shares strong cultural ties with Guyana in South America - both are former Commonwealth nations with a passion for cricket and pepperpot as their national dish
- Mount Obama stands in the Southern part of the island, though the former US president has never visited
- Barbuda, the sister island, is less populated but home to the national bird (which we unfortunately didn’t get to see)
Transportation Troubles in Paradise
Our plans hit a snag right from the start. Despite having a reservation with Budget Car Rental, we arrived to find an empty counter. We weren’t alone - two other groups stood there equally confused.
Left without wheels, we had to pivot to taxis and tours. While this made our trip more expensive and less flexible, it led to some unexpected adventures.
Our first taxi ride (operating on fixed rates when originating from the airprot) took us to our Airbnb in St. George before heading to St. John, the capital.
In St. John, we visited the VC Bird Sr. monument, honoring the country’s first president and patriarch of the influential Bird political family.
The harbor was bustling with activity - massive cruise ships (up to three at a time) towered over the waterfront, while crowds of people and street vendors filled the streets below. We had arrived during peak tourism season, which runs from December to April during the dry season. True to its name, we didn’t see a single drop of rain during our stay.
What struck us most about St. John was its sharp contrast between tourist and local areas. The divide between Redcliffe Quay/Heritage Quay and the public market couldn’t be more distinct - luxury boutiques selling Louis Vuitton and Longchamp on one side, local farmers selling cassava on the other.
Before leaving St. John for the night, we had some local delicacy called Funge, which is a corn and okra puree, that is a staple in Antigua.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try bullfoot soup on that menu!
Tour around Antigua
We spent our second day exploring the island with our guide Cerrick, who has been leading tours since 2017. Despite the challenges of COVID’s impact on tourism, his passion for showcasing Antigua was evident throughout our journey.
Our first stop was the historic Weatherill Windmill, a remnant of the island’s plantation era used for grinding sugar. While Betty’s Hope is the main windmill attraction, it was closed during our visit. The Weatherill site now doubles as a high-end boutique hotel and event venue.
Weatherill is also a high end boutique hotel / venue on the island
Cerrick shared with us that the Antigua nationals mostly live in St. John. The northern part of the island is where the upper class and tourists live.
Cerrick also casually dropped that he was on the Antigua National Cricket team. And that one of the all time bests, Vivian (Viv) Richards, plays golf at a golf club that we passed by.
His eyes lit up when we drove near the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. We learned that Antigua had hosted the Cricket World Cup 2024 in that very stadium.
Our next stop was Devil’s Bridge, a fascinating natural formation where the sea has carved the rocks into a dramatic natural bridge. The area surrounding it is dotted with impressive resorts, as this is one of the island’s prime tourist destinations.
The visit took an unexpected turn when Cerrick surprised us with a drone (our first time seeing one on a tour!). He captured some spectacular aerial shots of us and the bridge, with the drone soaring from 2 meters to 50 meters high in seconds.
From there, we headed to Shirley Heights, a historic military complex consisting of three peaks that the British once used as lookout points for pirates and potential invaders. The site offered not only rich history through its fort and soldiers’ barracks but also breathtaking panoramic views of the island.
We saw the fort, the historic soldiers’ barracks, and the view of the island from the top.
At the visitor center, we also watched a documentary called Reflection of the Sun. It’s a story of Antigua and Barbuda, how their history mirrors their country flag, the sun and the sea.
And our last stop was at Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour. This used to be where the navy stayed and defended the island.
Left: They used to turn the ships over with these pillars to scrub the ships’ underside; Right: Cerrick guided us to some local handmade crafts by the locals
Nelson’s Dockyard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and full of history. The most interesting being that there never was a battle here, because of the geographic advantage of this bay.
During our visit to Nelson’s Dockyard, Cerrick mentioned that Jeff Bezos had docked his mega yacht here the previous year. We spotted a modest customs office tucked away in the corner - quite a contrast to its high-profile visitors!
I am guessing the billionaires come here to get through customs.
Among the historical landmarks, we saw a special tree planted by Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Antigua decades ago.
As we made our way back, Cerrick introduced us to wild Deumz fruits growing along the roadside - a citrus-rich local treat packed with vitamin C.
The scenic drive treated us to views of several of Antigua’s famous 365 beaches
We concluded our day at Jolly Beach, a popular tourist spot where taxi drivers frequently stopped by looking for cruise ship passengers.
For dinner, we sampled another local specialty - Goat Water, a hearty goat meat soup served with Owen’s loaf, a traditional Antiguan bread.
Beach Day Adventures
Our final day in Antigua started with a small challenge - our remote Airbnb location made finding transportation tricky. Just as we were wondering how to get to the beach, luck smiled upon us when a friendly local in a Honda stopped to offer us a ride.
Our driver, heading to an even more remote area of St. George, shared that he was saving up for an upcoming trip to Jamaica for his daughter’s graduation. Despite his weathered car, his cheerful spirit was contagious as we all enjoyed reggae music together during the ride.
The morning passed peacefully as we relaxed on our beach towels, listening to reggae and sipping diet sodas. During our beach walk, we had a wonderful surprise - running into Cerrick again!
It was his day off, and he was enjoying some downtime before heading to a holiday party at Shirley Heights.
Later, we explored the area near Sandals resort, one of the Caribbean’s major hotel chains, for some souvenir shopping. I found a perfect Rasta Man figure that captured the spirit of the local Rastafari culture. The One Love (Rasta) influence is so strong here that you might momentarily mistake Antigua for Jamaica.
[Note: Rastafari, the newest Abrahamic religion, maintains a strong presence in Antigua. Emerging from the reverence of the 1940s Ethiopian king, its core principles emphasize anti-colonialism and self-sustainability, with dreadlocks being a common cultural expression.]
Our beach-hopping continued to Runaway Beach and Fort James Beach, where we stopped at a beach bar for some delicious fish cakes as the sun began to set.
A perfect end to the day - fresh fish cakes at the beach bar while watching the sunset
As darkness approached, we faced another transportation challenge until we managed to flag down a taxi headed to downtown St. John. The driver was on an interesting errand - returning a speaker set to a cruise passenger before their 5:30 PM departure.
We found St. John surprisingly quiet - Sunday closures meant even the usually bustling tourist areas around the Quay and port were deserted.
Though our stay was brief, Antigua left us with lasting memories of its rich history, beautiful beaches, delicious cuisine, and most importantly, its wonderfully warm people.
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