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Traveling to Antigua and Barbuda has been one of the biggest highlights of my year. One of my biggest priorities of late has been to explore more of the Caribbean — and I ended up in one of the Caribbean’s best islands as a guest of Traverse Events. If you can choose to visit any of the islands in the Caribbean, Antigua is about as solid as you can get.
The thing is, while a lot of people know that Antigua is a Caribbean island, it doesn’t have a lot of signature fame beyond that. But I found out lots of things that make Antigua worth the trip.
Why travel to Antigua instead of another Caribbean island?
Plenty of people looking for a Caribbean vacation simply want to find a decently priced flight and resort, fly down, and spend the next week drinking piña coladas on the beach. If that’s all you want, you’ll be happy on most Caribbean islands. Probably Florida, too.
But most people want more than that. So why should you make the effort to travel to Antigua and Barbuda?
Antigua excels at being a solid all-around island. It’s got beautiful beaches, it’s got great resorts, it’s got an interesting weekly market, it’s got some outstanding scenic views, it’s got a lot of interesting adventure activities, the travel infrastructure is pretty good, and the island is large enough to have variety but small enough to get around in one day.
(Quick geography note: Saying Antigua alone refers to its main island, while Barbuda is its small sister island. Barbuda was severely damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and became uninhabited for the first time in centuries; people are just beginning to move back to Barbuda now.)
Plus, there’s the ease factor. The island revolves around tourism. There are tons of flights from the US, including flights on multiple airlines from New York. English is the main language here, part of Antigua’s history as a former British colony. This Britishness is why you pronounce it like an-TEE-gah, not an-TEE-gwah like the city in Guatemala.
I didn’t find Antigua stood out strongly on any one element — the way the Cayman Islands stand out for diving or Jamaica stands out for music. And that’s fine — sometimes the best option for everyone is a strong all-around performer. But there were two areas where Antigua stands out for me: its outrageously delicious pineapple and the fact that I experienced pretty much zero street harassment.
Antigua Black Pineapple: the Best Pineapple in the World
Is it audacious to claim that Antigua has the best pineapple in the world? Maybe it is. They are famous for their black pineapple and I fell in love with it immediately.
Antigua black pineapple is a sweeter variety of pineapple with golden fruit and lower acidity than many other pineapples. Honestly, it’s the best pineapple that I’ve ever tasted and I just wish I had easy access to it at home!
You’ll see pineapples growing on the side of the road in Antigua (!!) but never pick one that’s growing. Instead, stop at virtually any roadside stand and you’ll find someone selling pineapple. If not, they’ll direct you to someone who is.
Visiting St. John’s, Antigua, the capital of the city
I’m not the kind of person who will land on a beach and stay there for the duration of a trip. I need to get out and see how local people live — even in places where the locals warn you that there’s nothing to do.
For me, that meant a trip to St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda for their Saturday morning market. A few friends and I hired a taxi to take us from the resort to the center of the city.
Like many Caribbean cities, St. John’s isn’t pretty to look at and most would dismiss it as low tourism value. For me, I appreciated just getting to walk around, try some “conch water” (more like a conch chowder), chat with locals, and understand the country in the part where they don’t cater to tourists. You should definitely go if this is the kind of thing that interests you.
There is a small corner in town that seems designed for tourists — it’s where the cruise ships dock. Beyond that, we were entirely surrounded by locals.
Open Side Safari
Another opportunity to see more of the island was going on an Open Side Safari. We rode around the island, stopped for delicious pineapple, posed in front of a pretty pink church, checked out some cool beaches, and got to see a lot more of the island than we would have ordinarily.
I appreciated the conversations I had with local Antiguan women. Like most Caribbeans, Antiguans are open and friendly. One woman was telling me how hard it was to get a visa to the US or Canada — not only because it’s so hard to get a visa on an Antiguan passport, but because they have to fly all the way to Trinidad to apply for a visa there! It’s like paying for a second trip, she told me, and most people can’t afford that expense.
Almost Zero Street Harassment in Antigua (!!!)
My least favorite thing about traveling in the Caribbean is the incessant street harassment. While street harassment happens to women all over the world, it is particularly rampant and insidious in the Caribbean.
Which is why it was remarkable that I experienced almost none in Antigua.
ALMOST NONE. I am 100% serious.
Really, the closest thing to street harassment was a man who started singing “Pretty Woman” to me, Cailin, and Ayngelina as we walked down the street. And that cracked us up.
Please note that this is my anecdotal experience: I’m not saying that street harassment does not exist here, only that I didn’t experience any in a full week here. Your experience may be very different. However, this is such a contrast to the rest of my travels in Caribbean destinations that I thought it was worth mentioning.
Shirley Heights: The Best Instagram Spot in Antigua
If you’ve seen one scenic photo of Antigua, it was probably at Shirley Heights — this is one of the most beautiful photo spots on the island. Which means that when you send a group of 40 travel content creators there at once, we’re going to lose our minds.
Oh, and did we ever.
Shirley Heights has a band playing Caribbean versions of pop songs and food and drinks for sale. My advice? Wear your best outfit and take a ton of photos up here!
As you can see, we didn’t have the best weather at first — it was a bit cloudy, and I had been hoping for bright blue skies. But it eventually turned into an amazing purple sunset.
While we visited during the week, I’ve heard that Sunday is the best night to go to Shirley Heights because that’s when the locals go. If I went back, I would absolutely go on a Sunday.
If there is any must-do activity in Antigua, Shirley Heights is it. Make sure you go for sure.
Adventure Activities in Antigua
I was actually fairly sedate on this Antigua trip — far more than usual. Throw me on a paddle board, though, and I was thrilled! I loved how calm the water was at the Verandah Resort — I was able to keep perfect balance and paddle out super-far, checking out the new resort being built in the distance. Quite a few non-motorized sports are included for free at the resort in addition to paddle boarding: kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, Hobie Cat sailing.
But if you want a little more adventure, here are a few of the activities my friends got in:
Scooter snorkeling with Skylork. Snorkeling is fun enough on its own, but you’ll probably be moving slowly. With a scooter that you hold in front of yourself, you can zoom super-fast and super-deep! Honestly, this is the one I most regret not doing…
Biking, hiking, and kayaking with Triflexcursion. If you want to pack a ton of adventure into a single trip, do a bike/hike/kayak combination! Do know that the word “hike” is used loosely here — it’s more of a light stroll, but the biking and kayaking are more involved.
Hiking Signal Hill. One of the great hikes on the island is to hike to Signal Hill, where you can see 360-degree views of the island. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Barbuda.
Hiking the Middle Ground Trail. If you want to check out some great views on your hike, the Middle Ground Trail has some of the best views near the English Harbour (a.k.a. the bottom of what you see at Shirley Heights).
An Antigua Catamaran Cruise to Remember
One activity that I love to do whenever I’m in a tropical seaside destination is to take a catamaran cruise. I absolutely love being out on the water, and letting the wind fly through your hair as you feel the mist from the water is the absolute best feeling. It’s even better when you’ve got a ton of friends and Caribbean dance music.
After surviving my shipwreck in Indonesia, it took several years before I was able to take a boat ride without panicking. You know what finally did the trick for me? Catamarans. Specifically, this one in Belize. I love how stable they are. I love that they have nets for lounging. And I love that they often come with a generous supply of rum punch!
This, far and away, was the best closing to a week in Antigua. If you’re going, you need to book a catamaran cruise!
Reliable Sunshine, Heat and Fun
And finally…Antigua brings the goods when it comes to sunshine and fun. Want to lie out all day on the beach? Go right ahead.
I needed that on this trip. More than I let on publicly.
I had been going through a bit of melancholy period this spring. Without going into great detail, let’s just say that sometimes the shit hits the fan several times in a row. And sometimes you go through that and think, “Wow, I did it, I survived!” but the universe says, “Not done yet!” and it’s followed by one especially spectacular drop.
I came to Antigua in need of sunshine. And the sunshine worked its magic.
Let me be clear — travel alone will not solve your problems. If you go on a trip because you’re having relationship troubles or you hate your job or you’re struggling with mental illness or you don’t know what you want to do with your life, those problems are not going to end just because you went away.
Know that going in.
But. BUT. If you’re feeling a little down lately, some sunshine could be what you need to pick yourself up again.
And honestly, by the time I left Antigua, I hadn’t made any major changes in my life — yet I was feeling happier than I had felt in months. And that feeling has STAYED WITH ME since.
For that reason, I will always be grateful to Antigua.
Kate Tries an All-Inclusive Resort in Antigua…And Actually Enjoys It
On this trip our whole group stayed at the Verandah Resort — an all-inclusive family resort. I had never done an all-inclusive in my life before this trip. As appealing as it sounded to eat and drink whatever you wanted without thinking about the price, I had heard that all-inclusives tend to slash costs however they can and have an overall lower food quality than higher-end resorts. I tend to prefer small boutique resorts with great restaurants where you order à la carte.
But I’ve always been curious. Here was an opportunity to try an all-inclusive, and a nice one. What would it be like, anyway?
In a word: all-inclusives are EASY. You don’t have to think about it; everything is handled for you. The property is huge, but you can hop on one of the golf carts that circulate around the resort and take you where you need to go.
The rooms at the Verandah Resort are little cottages, two divided rooms in each cottage — I loved the look of the property. Much prettier and homier than endless buildings with hotel rooms stacked on top of each other.
The main beach is FANTASTIC — so calm and lovely. Perfect for taking out a stand-up paddleboard! And I could have relaxed in those water hammocks all day. Only the risk of sunburn got me out of them!
One of the first things I learned is that when you order a drink at an all-inclusive, you’ll probably be in line behind some dude ordering six different complicated cocktails for him and his friends. That can quickly get annoying, especially when all you need is a pour from the champagne bottle.
But soon it becomes so freeing when you realize you can order whatever you want and there will be no extra charges on your bill. And this is how I learned I can drink champagne all night long without getting hungover.
It’s amazing how an all-inclusive changes your mindset. I got used to having a “big night out” with all my friends seven nights in a row. Once I got off the resort it hit me that I actually had to spend money again.
Oh, and speaking of cocktails, Cailin, Ayngelina, and I decided one morning to try all of them at once. Key word: TRY.
That was a fun morning.
There was entertainment every night — different kinds of bands or performers. Not my usual thing, I couldn’t help smiling. Is it cheesy? Yes. But it’s a lot of fun. It turns out that all I needed to do was loosen up a bit.
The main benefit of going to an all-inclusive is turning off your brain and getting to relax. I’m so glad I did that.
I wouldn’t ordinarily choose to stay at a place like the Verandah — as much as I love kids, if I’m doing a resort vacation, I’m going somewhere adults-only. That said, it wasn’t nearly as kid-crazy as I feared. I think part of this is that we visited in May, when most parents are averse to taking their kids out of school.
Plus, there’s an adults-only pool at the Verandah. It’s got its own bar and some of the breeziest, most lovely tables on the whole property.
Not only that — staying at the Verandah means you have access to their sister property across the street, Pineapple Beach Club, which is a similar caliber of resort that is adults-only. Go for the day, go for the beach, go for the drinks, and you can enjoy that kid-free environment.
The Pineapple Beach Club puts on cool concerts and events and I got to see an acoustic set by British star Fleur East, which was SO cool.
And if you compare this particular all-inclusive to, say, big ship cruising, it feels different. On the one big ship Caribbean cruise I did, the crowd felt very “MAGA At Sea.” Here in Antigua, there were lots of Brits, lots of black travelers, and it didn’t feel like a Trump-loving crowd at all. I met a lot of awesome people at the Verandah. In fact, I didn’t meet anyone I didn’t like, which is very unusual.
Were some of my all-inclusive fears realized? Well, a bit. The food was decent, but nothing to write home about. Imagine average wedding buffet food. Coming off my second Whole30, I attempted to eat well but struggled when even most meats seemed to be smothered in sugary barbecue sauce. I did not enjoy the coffee and kept wishing I had brought my own.
Breakfast was great, though — I enjoyed having a veggie omelet and blueberry-strawberry-cucumber smoothie for breakfast every morning. And the nacho bar by the beach (complete with fake cheese) was fun.
Most places at the Verandah felt slightly understaffed. The line for the drinks was always long, there were always unfilled trays at the food stations, and one night at the Pineapple Beach Club the lines were horrendously long for food. It felt like these issues could have been solved by having more staff, but again, it seems like a cost-slashing opportunity.
So yes — a few cons, but overall a very positive experience and I enjoyed myself immensely. I would absolutely go back to the Verandah.
The Takeaway
I had the best time in Antigua — and I would absolutely go back! This dose of sunshine, adventure, and good people was exactly what I needed this spring. It could be what you need, too.
There’s only one thing I would do differently — this time I would go to Shirley Heights on Sunday night to party with the locals.
More On the Caribbean:
18 Stunning Places to Visit in Cuba
Puerto Rico Seriously Has It All
A Weekend in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Essential Info: I stayed at the Verandah Resort and Spa, which I enjoyed immensely. Low-season all-inclusive rates from $298 per night based on two people sharing one room.
You can book an Open Side Safari by emailing [email protected]. Prices upon request.
Scooter snorkeling is available from Skylork. Half-day tours from $85.
Triflexcursion has combination hike-bike-kayak tours from $60.
Our catamaran cruise was with Tropical Adventures. The sunset cruise costs $85.
Be sure to get travel insurance for your trip to Antigua. If you trip and break an ankle while hiking, or if you get appendicitis while at your resort, or if you have a death in the family and need to return home immediately, travel insurance can save your life and finances. I use and recommend World Nomads for trips to Antigua.
This post is brought to you by Traverse Events, Elite Island Resorts, and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Board, who hosted me in full on this trip, including airfare. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Just curious. Why did you throw in the comment about Trump in your Antigua blog post
I was enjoying your blog until you made it political. Too bad.
Signed
Disappointed
You must be new here. ? Travel is political; our existences are political.
You know what I don’t enjoy? Children being caged and tortured only because their parents tried to save their lives.
Reality Very much one the Scene!
Thank you for sharing!
Its sad that you did not go to Barbuda. You missed an opportunity of your life. It coming back and you just mentioning it in one blurb anout hurricane Irma is doing my island a dis-service. If you are doing it go all the way.
I wish I had been able to — we had a lot of commitments scheduled. Next time for sure, I’d love to visit.
As a regular visitor to beautiful Antigua I was exited to read the post…until I wasn’t. Disappointed in the political commentary. Completely unnecessary and a disservice to such a blissful location. Push your agenda elsewhere please.
Hi Kristen! Travel is an extremely political act, and if you like to read travel stories that ignore the very real issues in life that have people suffer, you’ve come to the wrong place.
Hey Kate – that pineapple sure was delicious. A good reason to return to Antigua.
One thing I strongly disagree on with you, however, is your statement that “While street harassment happens to women all over the world, it is particularly rampant and insidious in the Caribbean.” I think it’s unfair to paint the Caribbean as a whole as being worse than other parts of the world. That hasn’t been my experience over the years as a whole – from spending half my life in West Africa to over a decade in the Caribbean region (also before I decided to make it my work to write about Caribbean destinations). I have written about this issue and it IS an issue in some countries in the Caribbean, but if I were to compare it to other parts of the world, including say Italy or Ivory Coast, it would not be any worse.
I also think that we should refrain from using the term “the Caribbean” to paint the whole area as if it were a country or as if its destinations were all similar. I was just in the middle of writing a post about this last week. The countries that make up the Caribbean are very different, even if some similarities exist here and there because of the history of colonialism. But Barbados is distinct from Jamaica, and Dominican Republic distinct from Antigua, and so on. The media never generalizes Western Europe for example – the countries are distinct. And so it should be with the Caribbean region – which if we’re talking about CARICOM countries, also includes Belize, for example.
Another important distinction, which makes the comparison unfair, is that the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world. Tourism is a double edged sword, and can attract unsavory characters to the resort areas. But that’s true of pretty much any tourist area in the world. That doesn’t mean that one guy harassing you in Negril, for example, will mean that you’ll be harassed in Kingston, Jamaica. So this also means you wouldn’t experience much of that in St. John, nor in Santo Domingo, cities and towns where people are busy living their lives or selling goods to make some bucks that day.
My last point would be that on a day-to-day basis, street harassment is a problem all over the world for women – and it’s an issue wherever we go. There’s a likelihood it will happen to us at least once when visiting a place – including right here in USA (am in Boston right now for this last week) where I find it particularly creepier and scarier, to be honest. But that doesn’t make the Caribbean worse at all – and I don’t think it helps at all to generalize a region that depends on tourism.
What we do need more of, are campaigns to address street harassment all around the world – such as the Meet Us On The Street http://www.meetusonthestreet.org – under which destinations then create their own sub-campaigns, like the one recently kicked off in Santo Domingo this year for all women (not particularly tourists, who are actually less subject to it).
I’m open to deconstructing this whole topic with you in the future – but in the meantime, I hope readers will consider the above before making judgments.
Hi Lily —
Thanks for sharing and I appreciate your nuanced take. I wrote that section over and over to make sure I was treating the issue in a fair way. Since I specialize in solo female travel, I write a lot about street harassment on the road. I made sure to mention in this piece that it does happen everywhere (though it happens the least in Japan and much of Southeast Asia, in my experiences). I particularly get a lot of it in my home neighborhood, so much that even though it’s sometimes less convenient, I often take the 1 train instead of the A train at night because men hang out at the entrance of the A and harass the women who walk by.
In my personal experience — and I took care to be clear that this was my experience — street harassment in the Caribbean is rampant. That doesn’t mean that it’s not rampant in Turkey. Or in Italy. But in the Caribbean I’ve found it to be particularly intense. That’s something I’ve noticed in Puerto Rico and the Corn Islands, in St. Kitts and Belize, in St. Maarten and St. Croix. It comes from men of all kinds of backgrounds. In Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Belize alone, I’ve had drivers I’ve hired harass women on the street as they drive me to my destination.
I haven’t seen the entire Caribbean, but I do believe that street harassment is particularly intense there and something that women should be prepared for before they travel. And that’s one of the reasons why Antigua was such a pleasant surprise — because I went in expecting the same kinds of Caribbean experiences I’ve had and I had none of them there.
Hey Kate,
Thanks for explaining at length – like you said, our experiences will be different and it happens everywhere. So odd, I just returned from Puerto Rico and was blown away by how courteous and friendly the men were as much as the women. One Uber guy even told me that if I felt unsafe in the area where he was dropping me off that night, to call and let him know (because I didn’t have wifi). It might have seemed suspect but I felt it was genuine and sure enough, after I had a great time I called – from another stranger/man’s phone and he picked me up, dropped me off, no issues. Same walking around in San Juan. So IDK, it’s all random. I do agree with you on Belize getting a bit worse with that – mostly only on the islands of Caye Caulker and Ambergris, where random guys from the city hop on the boat to the cayes to hustle where there are tourists. It’s an issue that’s gone uncontrolled and these days I prefer the non touristy areas when am there. Anyway I guess our experiences will always vary!
Thank you for visiting!
I stumbled across your article to be honest, courtesy of Google suggestions. Since it is where I’m from and live – it’s not obvious – I decided to give it a read. I am happy you chose to come experience and share your views on our little bit of paradise. You missed out on Barbuda, but I hope you’ll return when the sister island is restored to her full splendor and there you’ll have a whole new experience to write about.
One take away, is your report based on the misinformed personal account of visas to the US and Canada.
But please come again!! I hope you visit every island in the lovely Caribbean sea and have a full of the Caribbean warmth in its entirety.
Those views from Shirley Heights make me want to visit just to go there. Spectacular! I haven’t really heard much about Antigua to be honest. It sounds like a cool place to visit away from the typical Caribbean resort stay.
I also found it surprising that you think the Caribbean is one of the worst regions in the world for harassment because my experience traveling in Barbados, Guadeloupe and Dominica was the opposite. I think it must depend on which islands/countries you visit because it was virtually non-existent during my six weeks traveling there (although I do agree that Belize was quite bad)
Hi Kate! Loved your article! I don’t even know how it came up on my radar, but I’m glad it did. I’ve been housesitting for the last 3 months in Antigua, English Harbour to be exact. I fell madly in love with the people and this beautiful island. One week is like a grain of pink sand: a touch of beauty. I hope you can visit again for a longer stay.
I agree with Lily and a few others about the street harassment in CARICOM countries. I don’t know your experiences and I respect them because they are yours and yours alone. I’ve traveled extensively in these countries for years and have not experienced any street harassment. Ever. I’ve been a solo traveler for over 25 years. Sure you might get the occasional “Hey Pretty girl” or in your case a song, but that’s not harassment. I experienced harassment bordering on assault in Egypt and Morocco even though I was dressed very modestly and observed rules of conduct based on what I researched about religious traditions. Overall I find that adopting ways to deal with each incident helps sonthat your perspective about a country or a culture is not weighted in the negative because of a bad or unpleasant experience.
I know you were only here for a week but you didn’t mention the sailing culture in Antigua. It’s all over the place! It’s a world class sailing location with races and competitions throughout the year.
I recommend anyone coming to this country to visit Barbuda. It is slowly recovering from the devastation of the hurricanes a few years ago, but there is plenty to see there and a ferry to the island with a day tour will not only open your eyes to amazing history, natural beauty and wildlife, but will help fuel the local economy.
Finally, a Shirley’s Heights Pro tip, Sunday nights are mostly tourists; the locals go to the Heights on Thursday nights when it’s free! That’s when you have a party!
I’m glad you enjoyed you time in as they say here “Antigua Nice”!
Hey, Kate. Thank you for sharing such an amazing blog. I’m in love with the Caribbeans. Have visited a few of the islands there and Antigua and Barbuda are still on the list. Gonna check them off my list soon.
Hi Kate. Thank you for your article. I’m going to Antigua in two weeks. Not sure if you can tell me but how did you get around the island. Debating on whether to rent a car or rely on taxis.
I recommend calling your resort and asking them how much a taxi would cost to the destinations you want to visit, then work out whether the difference is worth it. I had friends with me so it was easier to split the costs. You can also book tours a lot of the time. The roads are a bit on the rough side and the drivers are pretty daring, so keep that in mind before you choose to drive.
For anyone interested in renting a car or jeep and driving whilst in Antigua I would say do it. The best tips are take your time and watch the road surface and edges ahead of you at all times. Speeds are low so you can avoid anything that comes your way.
Avoid driving at night as locals walk in the roads without being well seen and signs are not illuminated either. So you could very well get lost.
I plan to visit Antigua in February. A group of us are going. I appreciate you for sharing your experiences.
Teresa