Colourful Antigua is the primary island of Antigua and Barbuda, known as Waladli by indigenous Antiguans. With just over 100 square miles of paradise (that’s only 11 miles wide and 14 long!), Antigua offers a diversity of landscapes to encapsulate every Caribbean dream.
A luxury Antigua holiday can mean all sorts. Whether you wish to retreat into Caribbean calm, relax on pristine sands sipping a cocktail, experience the colourful pastel hues of St John’s or go in search of the island’s diverse flora and fauna - above or below the waves.
The best way to explore Antigua is by boat, whether dipping into isolated coves and bays, jumping overboard into refreshing waters or committing to full-on yacht life. But its waters are only the very beginning of what Antigua can offer to the discerning luxury traveller.
The remaining vibrant and cheery Creole buildings that welcome you to St John’s, the island’s capital, could be a metaphor for the Antiguan people you’re likely to meet. Explore the city’s cathedral, and the museum, to get a firm grip on the fascinating history of this island, colonial and beyond.
Nelson’s Dockyard is the perfect choice for a day trip. The original British naval base was Britain’s primary naval base for the whole north-eastern Caribbean.
The UNESCO-recognised heritage Georgian harbour is wonderfully atmospheric. A handful of bars, restaurants, workshops and museums sit alongside exclusive Antiguan hotels, catering to the sailing crowd who tend to dock here.
Boutique hotel The Inn at English Harbour sits here, on Freeman Bay just across from Nelson’s Dockyard, giving the option of visiting the twinkling nightlife playing across the waters or enjoying your own quiet retreat, with luxury spa treatments and championship golf.
For calm and quiet Caribbean seclusion, head for Galley Bay, and the Galley Bay Resort and Spa. With idyllic white sands and turquoise waters to one side and a positive botanical garden of lush and verdant Caribbean plantlife (spotted with goats and the trills of Caribbean birdlife) to the other, this hotel is the epitome of quiet luxury, seclusion and retreat.
Isolated Half Moon Bay, in the island’s South East, is an underdeveloped surfer’s paradise, where snorkelling and body boarding take priority. Fresh grilled fish from one of the beach’s two beach shacks is the order of the day. Two bays down from here is South Point, a boutique hotel offering proximity to such isolated beaches with the added urban buzz of nearby Falmouth Harbour - the best of both worlds.
A day trip to Barbuda is a must for those with the time and energy for a little exploration - head to Frigate Bird Sanctuary off Barbuda’s north west coast for the spectacular experience of one of the world’s largest colonies of frigate birds.
As Caribbean specialists, trust Inspiring Travel Company to help you discover the perfect Antiguan destination for you, booking you in for the Caribbean holiday of a lifetime.
