There are 365 beaches on Antigua, as the story goes, one for each day of the year. That may be more marketing mojo than geographic reality, but this former sugar-cane colony is indeed home to more silky strands than you can shake a towel at, and each has its own personality. On the west side, mile-long Dickenson Bay is flush with bathing beauties and water sports, while clothing-optional types appreciate the privacy of the fourth cove at Hawksbill Beach. Or aim for remote Rendezvous Bay, a hideaway on the island’s south coast that’s reachable only on foot or by boat. Just remember to take a break from the beach to check out the island’s rich maritime tradition, which blossomed in the 1780s when Adm. Horatio Nelson used English Harbour as a repair facility for British Royal Navy ships in the Caribbean.
Antigua’s beaches don’t come cheap, with hidden surcharges cropping up in the guise of taxes and fees. Given the cost of a rental car or taxi, consider carefully the location of your lodging on this sprawling island – the local bus system works well for residents traveling to and from the capital city of St. John’s, not so well for visitors headed from resorts to beaches. Dickenson Bay, Jolly Beach and English Harbour are the main tourist hubs, with ample restaurants and water-sports activities nearby. Consider splitting taxi fares or car-rental charges with another couple – four people ride for the same price as one. Perched on a hillock in the heart of English Harbour, the 11-room Ocean Inn is a friendly budget option. Every room is unique, and you’ll find amenities such as air conditioning and minifridges. The two snug, ocean-view budget rooms share a bathroom; all others have private facilities. There’s a small pool, and the modestly priced honor bar encourages socializing on the Wi-Fi-enabled deck, where a view spills down toward the harbor. Plenty of restaurants are within a 10-minute walk down the hill, and pretty Pigeon Beach is nearby too.
In the village of Falmouth, a mile from English Harbour, 16-room Catamaran Hotel faces a marina and overlooks a tiny beach. Standard rooms are compact apartments at ground level, each with a kitchenette, air conditioning, cable TV, free Wi-Fi and a water view through the palm fronds. Bikes and cell phones are available for rent; sailboats and kayaks are complimentary. A variety of restaurants are within a five-minute drive. Attentive manager and owner Feona Bailey goes out of her way to share the best of Antigua with her guests.
Inland from Dickenson Bay along the main road, Anchorage Inn is a 40-room family-run hotel formerly known as Island Inn. Seven apartment-style rooms are bright and colorful, each with a kitchenette suitable for cooking light meals; all other rooms have a minifridge. The restaurant serves throughout the day, while the beach at Dickenson Bay and a handful of restaurants are a 15-minute walk; a large supermarket is five minutes away on foot.
Tucked behind a red English phone booth, three-story Siboney Beach Club is a romantic redoubt on Dickenson Bay. Sheltered from the beach crowd by a tangle of bougainvillea, papaya and flamboyant trees, each of the 12 suites has an air-conditioned bedroom, while the separate living room has a balcony or patio overlooking the floral display – a small kitchenette is concealed behind louvered doors in the hallway connecting the rooms. The least-expensive room is a slightly smaller second-floor unit that’s separate from the main building. There’s also free Wi-Fi, a pool and an idyllic sand-fringed restaurant, Coconut Grove. Your host is Australian Tony Johnson, an Antiguan insider who indulges his guests with island insights – where to go, what to do and what not to bother with.
Amiably operated by manager Chris Lafaurie, Long Bay Hotel is an intimate older resort set far out on the island’s eastern shoreline, a 30-minute drive from the V.C. Bird International Airport. Twenty standard guest rooms facing a sheltered bay are festively decorated in bright yellow and white, with four-poster beds and balconies. There are five airy cottages too, with gable ceilings, kitchens, well-stocked bookshelves and sunny terraces. There’s an honor bar next to the lobby, while the resort’s restaurant, the Turtle, is just opposite, edged by the gleaming white sand of Long Bay. Amenities include beach loungers and umbrellas, nonmotorized water-sports equipment and a lighted tennis court; take note that inexpensive dining options nearby are limited. Be sure to request the Yachtsman’s Special for the best room rate.
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