Where is Antigua and Barbuda???
When I told people I was heading to Antigua and Barbuda the common response was “Where???” Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean island, not to be confused with Antigua Guatemala is positioned right where the Atlantic and Caribbean meet. Antigua is the main tourist hub, and Barbuda is its smaller sister island, which is about an hour away on a ferry. It is a small island with an estimated population of about 96,134 and about 1,600 of those people living on Barbuda…can you imagine that?
Why Antigua and Barbuda?
I’m such an island girl! There is nothing like the warm Caribbean sun, sand beneath your feet, and cool water from the beach…it’s the perfect combination! One of my travel goals is to travel to all of the Caribbean islands. So in an effort to add to my list I chose Antigua as my next destination. I have always heard about how beautiful the island was and how they were widely known for their 365 beaches…yes 365! (we’ll talk more about this later), so I had to check it out for myself! Also, both me and my mom were celebrating milestone birthdays just a month apart from each other so I figured what better way to celebrate than with a vacation! Forget the material gifts!
One of my travel goals is to travel to all of the Caribbean islands
Getting There…The Struggle!
Everything was falling right into place and I was hype! I hopped online to book my ticket and in a matter of a few minutes my hypeness calmed all the way down! We were traveling from the North East USA so I checked national airports like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Newark and the flights were terrible! $700.00+ for a flight with multiple long layovers! I almost gave up hope before I finally decided to check New York and Bingo! The golden ticket appeared! $350 round trip for a straight through flight… not too bad. I looked on Google Flights and booked with jetBlue Travel Tip- sometimes you have to be willing to travel to a neighboring city or state to catch a good flight deal (if you would rather travel to the Caribbean for free, check out this post)
Travel Tip- sometimes you have to be willing to travel to a neighboring city or state to catch a good flight deal
Antigua and Barbuda Itinerary- Family Travel
Our group consisted of 6 adults. I planned an itinerary for the first few days while we would all be on the island before everyone departed and my fiance and I spent extra time. We had a blast! Check it out and feel free to save, share, and do it yourself!
Accommodations:
My family stayed at Sugar Ridge Hotel. This hotel was beautiful! Most of the rooms were located up on a hill and when you looked out from the balcony the view was breathtaking! There was free breakfast included, a swim up bar, and an awesome bartender named Prince.
I stayed at an Airbnb, since I would be staying for two weeks I thought it was a more convenient option to rent a car and make myself at home. The Airbnb was great. It was very spacious with three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a garage and gated yard, laundry room and stocked with essential necessities. The neighborhood was very pleasant and quiet.
Day 1- Gold Island Tour with Sean through Viator
This tour included stops at:
- Betty’s Hope Plantation– Sugar cane plantation established in 1650, learned about the history of slavery in Antigua
- Devil’s Bridge – A natural arch carved by the sea. This is really a sight to see with a lot of history. It is said that slaves used to jump off of this bridge to their death in the rough waters below. They would have rather died than lived in the confines of slavery.
- Nelson’s Dockyard– Largest National Park in Antigua, still used for ships and yachts
- Shirley Heights– A must-see Antigua attraction. One of the highest points on the island overlooking the amazing views below. On a clear day you can see the coast of nearby islands Montserrat and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Book tour here
Day 2- Eat and Lime Food Tour
This tour is run by a young lady named Tiffany who started her own business. She has a great personality, she is a true foodie and does an amazing job!! This was a walking food tour through the city of St. John (the capital). It was a great location, we got to see a mixture of locals living their everyday life as well as tourists as St. John’ s is also where the cruise ships dock. The town was really busy and full of life. We stopped at the following restaurants for about 15 or so minutes at a time to taste the delicious food, learn history of the restaurant and meet the owners
- Annette’s Dining- Traditional Antiguan Breakfast
- Bhive– Restaurant and Bar for Wadadli Beer, the official beer of Antigua
- Cuties– Unique and delicious dishes including the ever so popular dish, Fungi
- Roti King– Traditional Roti
- Brownies Bakery- Bun and Cheese
- One Stone– Rastafarian restaurant serving natural foods and juices
Book tour here
Day 3- Beach Day and Shirley Heights (Sunday night)
Turner’s Beach- The water was calm and the perfect temperature. We enjoyed food and drinks at the restaurant and had a fun photo shoot on the beach. It was a great way to spend the afternoon!
Shirley Heights– This is the place to be on Sunday nights in Antigua. $10 admission gets you in and you can enjoy an evening full of lively music and festivities. Food, drinks, and souvenirs are at an additional cost. It gets reallyyyyy crowded so try to get there early.
Antigua Tours
Turners & Shirley Heights
Extended Stay
My family left after 5 days while my fiance and I had an extended stay. We spent the rest of the time exploring the island, visiting restaurants, and hanging out at the beach. Half Moon beach quickly became our favorite. After asking around to a few locals we decided to try it out and we were not disappointed. I have been to my fair share of beaches but this one by far was so beautiful! It was not crowded, the water was the perfect temperature, the scenery was wide open and beautiful… I could go on and on. Also, they had a restaurant and bar and the food was delicious! While I was there I noticed that there was a sign stating that a resort was being built there soon, I’m definitely keeping an eye out for when it is completed because that is the day I will make a trip back!
Half Moon Beach
Antigua Night Life
What’s a vacation without a little turn up right? Here are some of the hot spots to visit during our stay if you want to let loose a little!
Tuesdays- “$2 Tuesdays” at JR’s Spot Bar and Grill is the place to be on a Tuesday night. The bar is located inside and they also have an outside area which provides more space and an open feel. Enjoy Soca and Reggae music all night long.
Fridays- Area 51 is a partially indoor and mostly outdoor venue. Locals hang out here on Friday night and dance the night away to the latest soca and reggae music.
Sundays- Road House is popular on Sunday nights, it does not take long for the crowd to build up and the good vibes to start flowing at this outside venue. Boxed food is also served from the bar until late in the night so you won’t have to worry about leaving hungry!
Sundays- Shirley Heights is the place to be on a Sunday night. Much more of a tourist crowd than the above places so expect higher prices and a large crowd but it is quite an experience. Live music, food, drinks, vendors, and entertainment all evening! It is great for family or your travel group.
Getting Around
After doing some research about the best way to get around in Antigua I decided that I wanted to go with renting a car. There is a car rental hub right at the airport and the process was really smooth. The island is fairly small so it was not difficult to get around, once you get used to driving on the left side of the road. With the help of the app Maps.me we were able to easily navigate around.
Antigua also offers other modes of transportation like taxis and buses. However, buses do not run on a regular schedule.
Additional Fun Facts About Antigua
- Wadadli– the official beer of Antigua
- Lime– means to “chill”
- Tall– means “no”
- EC– the official currency, 1 USD = 2.70 EC (as of March 2020) (My 2 week trip was very affordable. I did not have to spend much money each day)
- 365 Beaches– Antigua is known for its 365 free beaches. I imagined seeing beaches all over the island but quickly learned that most of the beaches are all connected together and just separated by property lines. Either way, the water is crystal blue and it would be nice to visit all 365 someday!
Recommendations
Well, there you have it folks! My official review on my trip to the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda with itinerary included! I would definitely recommend visiting at least once, it is great for family travel, girls trips, or just a little relaxation.
Did you enjoy the free travel itinerary? If so, check out more here! Have you ever been to Antigua and Barbuda? Leave a comment below
Shop The Look
Use the link below to shop for bathing suits and clothing pictured
Wine Glass Half Empty– Where do I start? First, we find out 2 days before the trip that my dad does not have enough time left on his passport to travel (6 months needed on passport to enter most countries). Then I accidentally leave my purse with wallet and passport inside on the airport shuttle! Thennn my mom drops her phone under the deck at the beach bar we were at!
Wine Glass Half Full– My dad was able to get an appointment at the passport office and get a same day expedited passport, The kind van driver found my purse and delivered it to me at the airport, and my fiance did a military crawl under the deck and retrieved my moms phone, the phone was fine but he got a little scratched up lol. All in all the trip was amazing! We all had a great time, learned so much and made great memories! You always have to prepare for something to go wrong while traveling but remember to see the glass half full and not half empty!
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