BEACHES: Although the tourist board's claim of 365 beaches (''one for every day of the year'') may be unprovable, if not apocryphal, there should be a beach to suit almost every taste. There's no denying that Antigua has a wealth of scalloped-shaped beauties sprawling out from the jagged coastline. Fort Bay, near St. John's, bustles with both cruise crowds and vacationers who go not only for the view, but for the calypso music often streaming from a nearby performance stage. North of St. John's are Runaway Bay and Dickenson Bay, both long, sandy stretches filled with hotels, beach vendors, water-sports and lots of people. On the eastern reaches of the island, you'll find the large beach at Long Bay (it has grown in size thanks to recent storms) and a now-empty but gorgeous strand at Half Moon Bay. (The hotel by the same name stands closed on one end.) Hawksbill Beach Resort is still very much open, and there's a tiny half-moon of sand accessible to the public next door. On the island's northwest side you'll find a charming beach bar and restaurant to relax in after a long day on Dark Wood Beach. And if snorkeling and adventure are high on your priority list, then rent a 4WD vehicle and forge out to inauspiciously named Leper Colony Beach for some of the finest underwater sightseeing on the island.
Posted online 06/28/01.
