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Island Bliss: A Weeklong Adventure in Antigua 

Mar 24

Welcome to Antigua, a Caribbean paradise where adventure, relaxation, and vibrant culture converge amidst stunning natural beauty.  Antigua & Barbuda islands that form an independent state in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea. 


map of caribbean and antigua

Antigua was visited by Columbus in 1493, and named it for the Church of Santa Maria de la Antigua in Seville, Spain.  I will admit that I selected Antigua, and specifically the hotel, due to the Bachelor.😉  Will and I were seeking a romantic escape and this was our first jaunt into the Caribbean in 2014.  We loved it so much we went back again in 2015, and that basically kicked off our quest to explore the Caribbean in depth. 


Arriving in Antigua


You can take flights with a connection from most major cities and direct flights from Miami and Atlanta.  There are many accommodation options to consider in Antigua, depending on who is going on the trip and what type of vibe you are seeking.  We went as a couple, so selected the intimate, adults-only all-inclusive, Galley Bay. This resort is only 15 miles from the airport, very private and intimate and offers beachfront rooms and Gauguin Suites, set off the beach, with private plunge pools.  Since our stay, they have upgraded these suites to luxury status - which we will no doubt plan a trip back to experience.


galley bay

Other accommodations available that i would recommend on Antigua are as follows:



Giving Prominence to Galley Bay:


As mentioned previously, Galley Bay is an adults-only all inclusive retreat that is located on the Western Side of the island (the Caribbean sea) and offers a beautiful long stretch of beach, set amongst an amazing coral reef along with a shipwreck just off shore to explore.  The hotel also sits right next to a beautiful cliff-side property owned by the fashion designer Giorgio Armani. (Center pic below. This house is available for rental!). 



We selected to stay in the private Gauguin Suites.  These are set slightly off the beach and offer the room and bathroom in two separate, but connected buildings, with a plunge pool in between.  We loved retreating back to the privacy of this room after a full day in the sun and in the water. 


gauguin suite galley bay

Just off shore is some of the best snorkeling we have ever experienced from the actual resort.  Being an island, the depth drops off pretty quickly offshore.  We were able to witness schools of purple tangs, a school of cuttlefish 20 strong, tons of smaller, colorful tropical fishes, eels, jellyfish, etc.  Will took the small hobie-cat out (included in resort activities) and snorkeled above the Andes Shipwreck, whose mast sticks out slightly above the water.  (or used to until a few years ago!)



There are 4 restaurants available on site.  The Sea Grape is the central restaurant and is where you will have breakfast daily.  This central hang out area also boasts a lounge where they have live music performances nightly and, once a week, offers a beachside lobster dinner buffet.  The Gauguin Restaurant & Bar and Ismay’s which require  a reservation and offer an elevated dining experience that you can select to have on the water.  Will and I are ALWAYS in the water during the day, so our favorite was the beachside Barefoot Grill where you can order lunches on the go during the day and get right back to the water.  Beware of the DUCKS! 🤣 these guys will jump on your table and steal a fry if you are not looking and leave a nice “present” behind (ahem). 



Another fun fact is that Galley Bay is self-sustaining, and grows all of their produce, herbs, etc. onsite! They do a 2x weekly garden tour where you get the chance to learn about the flora/fauna of the island as well as sample fruits and veggies from the garden!



Sailing and Snorkeling Excursion


Antigua is known for its 365 beaches - one for every day of the year!  All beaches in Antigua are public, so even if on a resort, it is accessible by locals.  With this much coastline, you have to get out on the water to see the island from a different point of view.  We kept seeing a smaller sailboat anchor up at Galley Bay each morning and we learned that this was a local tour provider, Sean with his boat “Beats Workin'.”  


Sean offered Sail and Snorkel excursions out to Cades Reef, so we jumped at the chance.  We only had six people total on the excursion which took us out midday to sail the coast, enjoy some rum punch and Johnny cakes and then swim the reef where we got to spy some eagle rays.  Unfortunately the corals are all bleached, so there is no life there to witness.  We were not certified divers when we visited Antigua and just over the break, there is an 80 ft. wall dive, which we want to go back and experience, especially since we were just a few feet from that spot! :) 



Travel More Tip:


The one recommendation I have when you travel is to TALK TO LOCALS.  Talk to the people that work at the hotel - these people live there and want to help you have a great time in their home country.  We told Sean we wanted to somehow get around the island to see some of the different spots, and he recommended his friend! 


Island Exploration Tour


For $100 (for the whole day) he drove us around to all the top sites in Antigua and allowed us as much time as we wanted to explore each!  He stopped along the side of the road so we could sample the baby black pineapple for which Antigua is famous and the local beer, Wadadli.  We toured Nelson’s Dockyards, which was amazing and historical and is the place that was built to protect Antigua from Spanish, French and English attacks.  We visited the Sugar Mill Plantation and Museum and read about the history of the island, slave trade and the exports like Sugar and Rum, that made the island valuable.  We saw the Pillars of Hercules and Devil’s Bridge National Park.



Antigua Carnival 


We have lucked out several times and traveled to islands that are experiencing their yearly carnival celebration while we are there.  🎉 We ended up heading to the Antigua Carnival with some new friends from the UK, who we met at Galley Bay! 😀 Walking through the town, we saw smiling faces (even some from our resort as well as Sean and his family!).  We somehow got into the house of the initial chairman of the Carnival, John Shoul, and his son, Sir David Shoul,… don’t ask … Martin from the UK did his magic.  And we were allowed to watch the Carnival from high above with the beautiful costumes and people dancing and singing in the street.  



Fun Fact that I cannot NOT mention:  


Crime and Punishment on small islands are very interesting to learn about.  It feels like more of a community punishment.  We found out that there is basically zero debauchery at the carnival, so even though locals are drinking alcohol out of sacks on their backs, there is no fighting or inappropriate behavior like we would see here in the US.  Why?  If you get in trouble by the police during the carnival, you are put in jail for the REMAINDER OF THE CARNIVAL (all week).  The sheer thought that you risk the chance to get to experience the fun, makes people follow the rules.  Amazing - no exceptions.  It’s quite a simple concept actually.  Learn your lesson and you get to participate in society. Way to go Antigua!!!! 


Friday night at Shirley's Heights


This weekly party in Antigua is NOT TO BE MISSED.  This happens every Friday night at Sunset and offers breathtaking views of English Harbour.  You can enjoy fresh grilled lobster and steel drum bands against the backdrop of a beautiful Antiguan sunset.  Be sure to include a Friday night as an option in your trip so that you do not miss out on this opportunity.  



Ready to experience the magic of Antigua? 


Go to the “Contact” page now to easily schedule an initial discussion with us to get things started!  Thank you for reading and following our travel adventures!  Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and to follow along @travelmorewithkristin on Instagram for the latest travel tips, tricks and our newest locations visited.  


Thank you!

Kristin & Will

#TravelMore


Be sure to check our our sail with Captain Sean:



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