The people of Antigua say the island has 365 beaches, one for each day of the year.
If you’re heading to the island, expect a laid-back atmosphere and a place where you can relax … or have an adventure on the water.
The primary airport is V.C. Bird International, but it will likely be cheaper to reach the island on a cruise.
Cruise ships usually sail into the middle of Saint John’s — the largest town on the island. The island is a popular stop on many cruise itineraries, so it can become crowded quickly.
As soon as you arrive on the island — either at the airport, or on the dock — you’ll know you’re in the Caribbean.
Walk outside and the heat and humidity will smack you in the face!
My husband and I arrived in Antigua on the Emerald Princess.
We started sweating as soon as we walked off the gangway! Caribbean music and a bustling port full of businesses, stores and restaurants also greeted us.
With at least one other ship in port during our day in Antigua, St. John’s quickly became very crowded. We decided to get out of port as quickly as possible.
But, before leaving the port area, you’ll have some decisions to make.
First — where are you going .. and second — how are you going to get there?
Renting a car can get pricey because you also need to buy a temporary driving permit, which tacks on an additional $20 to the car rental fee. Taxis are everywhere, and will be waiting right outside the port. They’re quick and convenient, but also add up quickly. We’re talking around $24 an hour. Drivers are also qualified tour guides, if you’d like to walk out of port and jump in a cab for a sightseeing trip around the island.
If you’re looking for the best bang for the buck, I suggest taking public transportation. It’s what we chose to do during our one day on the island. We planned to head to a beach, spend the day there, and then head back to port and the ship.
Directions To The Bus Terminal: Walk straight through port and the taxis until you reach Market Street. Take a right and walk until you see the bus terminal. About 10 minutes. (I really think we walked longer than ten minutes.) Stop at the shed at the entrance and tell the attendant where you want to go. That person will tell you which bus to board!
The entire public transportation situation on the island is kinda fascinating. There is a lot of horn beeping … sometimes driving on the wrong side of the road. There aren’t really any “bus stops” instead bus just seem to know when to stop to pick people up. But you need to pay attention if you want to be dropped off!
Travel Tip: If you take the bus, yell when you want the driver to stop. There aren’t many marked bus stops. You want to make sure you stop at the right place, or you’ll be walking!
That travel tip? It’s one we learned the hard way.
We missed our stop for the beautiful beach. As soon as we realized the mistake, we asked the driver to take us back. Instead of backtracking, he pulled over to the side of the road and gave us some vague directions that included a lot of “right over theres.” The directions seemed easy enough to follow … when he was giving them to us.
We ended up walking down a deserted dirt road and kept walking and walking and walking. And walking and walking and walking. After what seemed like miles, we ended up at a marsh. We thought we were in the right area because as we looked around, we thought we could see tiny, tiny, little ant-sized people.
We looked at each other and decided we only had one option. So we started sloshing through the marsh. It was so sloppy that we could hardly lift our feet. After nearly losing our flipflops several times, we finally arrived at Valley Church Beach.
At this point we were covered in sweat, sand and … just gunk!
But at least we were at the beach, right?!?
Then. It. Started. Raining.
Luckily the Caribbean isn’t just known for it’s beaches. It’s also known for passing showers. It rained about 15 minutes … or just enough time to wash all of the marsh gunk away … and then the sun started shining!
If it’s a public beach, there will likely be chairs and umbrellas available to rent.
If you’re looking for a little adventure, you can also rent things like jet skis and kayaks right on the beach.
Caution Ahead: There are women wandering the sand trying to sell jewelry, art and other trinkets. We just told them we weren’t interested and they left use alone.
You don’t even need to leave the beach for lunch. There’s a restaurant right on the sand. It’s called “The Nest.” You’ll be able to order wonderful food and cold drinks … including Wadadli — the national beer of Antigua.
Valley Church Beach may seem a little out of the way, but it’s a popular spot for tourists. There will be taxis dropping off and picking up people all afternoon. Just keep an eye on the clock if you need to be somewhere at a specific time.
When we tried to catch a cab back to port, there wasn’t one in sight!
Our only option was to walk up the main road and catch the bus. Bus after bus drove past us without stopping. We started getting concerned after the third or fourth bus flew past us. We were all alone on the side of the road and eventually decided to just start walking.
We didn’t walk far when an unmarked van pulled up and stopped beside us. Now, if you know me at all, you know that all kinds of scenarios were running through my head at this point. Luckily, it wasn’t someone trying to nab us, the van turned out to be the “bus” we needed to return to port!
After crawling over and invading the personal space of several strangers we reached two empty seats and settled in for the ride. I’m sure I did a double take as I looked around.
One of the other passengers held a live chicken on his lap. Another man put his arm out the window to hold on to the long stalks of sugar cane on the roof of the van. And a woman held her baby in her arms as we traveled. No child seats here, folks!
Have you traveled to Antigua?
What is your favorite memory?