Are you planning a getaway to the picturesque islands of Antigua and Barbuda? Nestled in the heart of the Caribbean, this stunning destination offers a blend of natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture. However, before you pack your bags and set off on your adventure, there are a few things you should know to make the most of your trip. From practical tips to cultural insights, here are 10 essential things to keep in mind before visiting Antigua and Barbuda.
VISITING ANTIGUA: THE ESSENTIALS
Car / I strongly recommend renting a car for the duration of your stay, this is the best way to explore the island, as public transport is almost non-existent – I suggest checking availability and booking via DiscoverCars, the website I recommend for all interactional car hires.
Tours / There are countless tours across the island, taking in the hills, the sea, the food and the culture. These are the ones I’ve tried and tested and also the most popular ones:
The Xtreme Circumnavigation Tour (all day boat tour of the island)
Eli’s Original Eco Tour
Full Day Scenic Tour of Antigua
Turtle Beach Power Snorkeling Adventure (using a sea scooter)
TukTuk Adventures and Beach Hopping
Antigua’s Only Food Tour
Stay / There are an abundance of resorts on the island, and which you choose will depend on your budget, whether you’re visiting Antigua with children and facilities required. Some of the most popular, and highly rated include:
Sandals Antigua
Antigua Village Beach Resort
Dickenson Bay Oasis
Hodges Bay Resort & Spa
Keyonna Beach Resort
Hermitage Bay
Galley Bay Resort & Spa
Hawksbill Resort Antigua
PEOPLE ARE SUPER NICE
The first thing that surprised me my first days in Antigua was how warm, happy, welcoming and good vibes people are. They will greet you on the street, wish you a good day, with no ulterior interest. Additionally, sellers were quite chill. Even if offering their product, they would stop at the first sign of no coming from you. This alone means so much!
IT’S EXPENSIVE
Being a Caribbean island, most things are imported. Which means, most things are expensive! You’ll find that if you are visiting on a budget, even the supermarket prices are crazy (compared to London, for example). So if you are a budget traveller, stick to basic foods, and leave imported items for back home. And try to rent a car, to avoid paying for taxis a lot as these are also quite expensive.
ALL INCLUSIVE IS KING
The most popular hotel choice for travellers in Antigua is to stay at an all inclusive resort, to eat all the things, drink all the things, and generally just don’t worry about anything other than enjoying. The flip side, is that the infrastructure available for non all inclusive guests is quite limited (I’m talking cafes, supermarkets, restaurants), which makes the choice of not staying at an all inclusive, even harder. It is doable, though, for experienced travelers.
My advice to anyone looking for an all inclusive in Antigua is to make sure that it is on or next to a really nice spot of beach – it’s likely that you’ll be basing yourself there for a few days at least, so you want some nice sand and sea to laze by.
You’ll find some of the best, most highly-rated options include:
For more ideas, check this list out.
RENTING A CAR IS A MUST
Antigua’s transport and infrastructure is not the best, most of the places you’ll want to go to are far and public transport is poor. Specially if you are not staying in an all inclusive, you will need a car! Plus driving all over the island in search of its best beaches, best landscapes, and local life and rhythms is the definition of fun.
After all, what goes on in a resort is not representative of day-to-day life in Antigua. If you’re staying for one week, then I would highly recommend that you rent a car for the duration of your stay. Having your own vehicle readily accessible throughout your stay, rather than just for a couple of days, means that you can spend your time on your own terms.
There are cheap locals buses operating all over the island (costing around $1 USD per journey), but they are very infrequent, hard to spot the stops, hard to find the timetable. Despite being a big fan of public transport, I’d definitely recommend that you rent your own car in Antigua.
EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH
Due to colonisation by the British, English is the official language on Antigua. This makes it extremely easy to do your own thing on the island. You’ll notice however that some locals converse together at a much quicker, almost indecipherable pace and in a difficult to follow accent beyond the odd word here and there – this is Antiguan Creole English.
THERE’S TWO CURRENCIES: ECD & USD
The island’s main currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (ECD), however almost literally everyone accepts USD. 1 USD is 2.7 ECD. I read before travelling that I should have some ECDs just in case, however I didn’t need them. Additionally, most restaurants accept card. Exception are beach restaurants, of course. You will also need cash for taxis, and some tours will only accept cash or give you a discount for it.
BEACHES ARE PUBLIC
You might arrive to a beach, and see ‘private property’ signs scaring you away. But, is the beach private? No, the beaches in Antigua are public. Unfortunately many restaurants and hotels are in some instances the only access to the beach, and there’s either no public access or this one isn’t obvious. However, they can’t deter you from going into the beach. Just be nice and upfront about it, and they’ll likely just let you do your thing. Additionally, if a section of the beach has sun beds, you are not obliged to buy them. You are within your rights to just sit in your own beach chair or towel in the sand (which is what the locals do). Of course if you’d rather purchase a sun bed, go ahead!
BRING THE CORRECT POWER ADAPTERS
Good news for travellers from the US – all power plugs and adapters in Antigua use the standard American plugs. That does however mean that all visitors from Europe will need to bring an adapter.
SWIMMING WITH STINGRAYS IS NOT COOL
When looking into things to do in Antigua prior to my visit, beyond visiting beautiful beaches, another activity was very much front and centre when booking tours was swimming with stingrays.
As an animal welfare advocate, I believe animal-based tourism should generally be avoided, or at least thoroughly researched prior to arrival. After much research, it became clear that swimming with stingrays in Antigua was not something I would endorse. And, after reading & hearing about some of the experiences – like tourists picking up stingray out of the water and posing for photos for example) – I just did not feel comfortable trying this activity.
Instead, why not contribute to the Antiguan economy by choosing an alternative, like Eli’s Original Eco Tour, or snorkelling or diving to see turtles or stingrays they way they should be – happy, wild and free.
UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY
Though for many, Antigua is a place to simply come, relax and enjoy paradise, it is essential that every visitor understands the historical context of the island, and how Antigua was built upon the backs of slavery and British Colonialism. Antigua became independent from the British in 1981, with it’s Prime Minister being Vere Bird, whom Antigua’s airport is named after.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT BARBUDA!
Barbuda is Antigua’s sister island to Antigua – and together they form the nation of Antigua & Barbuda.
Once you arrive to Antigua, you’ll likely won’t realise you are in Antigua not Barbuda. But it is very easy to take a day trip or spend a couple of nights over in Barbuda for an even more intimate Caribbean island experience. The island was badly affected by the 2017 Hurricane Irma, much more so than Antigua, and so its regeneration does depend on increased tourism.
There’s a ferry called Barbuda Express which has departures every day of the week from the ferry dock in St John’s harbour, costing approx. $55 USD one way, or $100 USD for a return journey.
The same company also offers a day tour which includes transport there and back as well as a local tour guide, boat visits to Codrington Lagoon and Two Foot Bay, lunch at Hillside View Bar & Grill and a swim at Princess Diana Beach. This costs $210 USD per person and departs on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6.30am.
You can find full details and schedules for the Barbuda Express here.
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