When choosing our honeymoon spot, we knew two things… We wanted to relax, but we also wanted to be able to go and do things! That being said, choosing to honeymoon in Antigua was probably the best decision we could have made. Exploring Antigua was so easy, not only because the island is stunningly beautiful, but incredibly rich in history as well as nature!
Halfway through our honeymoon we were finally rested (a week long beach trip ending with a beach wedding extravaganza with our families is tiring, but so much fun) and ready to explore the island. Antigua is 108 square miles, which, when you really think about it, isn’t that big, but it was plenty big enough! We spent an entire day exploring Antigua and getting a true feel for everything that is this little island. We’re sharing the best way to explore the island like a local.
Rent a car
We rented our car through Scrubo’s Pineapple Rentals located in Jolly Harbour, which was only a 5 minute drive from our resort. The day before we wanted to rent our car, the staff at the front desk of our resort, (Cocobay) called Scrubo’s to book our car for us. The next morning, someone from Scrubo’s brought our car to our resort and drove us to Jolly Harbour to fill out paperwork and to get our temporary Antigua & Barbuda drivers license (hello awesome souvenir), and then we were off! In Antigua, driving is done on the left side of the road and most cars have the steering wheel on the right side of the car similar to The UK – which is a big change for a US driver.
We’d definitely recommend the strongest (at home) driver be the one to take the wheel. Driving on the opposite side (for Americans) is a huge change, but an amazing experience, and not all that hard!
St. John’s
Our first stop was St. John’s, the waterfront, capital of Antigua! This was definitely the most touristy area of the island. Filled with cruise ship passengers, souvenir shops and chain restaurants. Grab a souvenir to bring home and explore the fun stop in the city but we recommend not spending too much time here as there are other stops that are more unique to Antigua, but definitely a great place to stop once to say you’ve seen it.
Fred’s Belgian Waffles & Ice Cream
When we decided to explore the island we knew finding a good dessert spot was key to making the trip sweet and Fred’s did just that. Fred’s makes homemade Belgian waffles from scratch to go along with their homemade ice cream and they are DELICIOUS. You can choose from a made from scratch Belgian waffle cone or stick to the homemade waffles with ice cream on top. We decided on a waffle with marshmallow cream ice cream. The marshmallow flavor mixed with the flavorful waffle made for a tasty treat. Fred’s, alone made the stop in St. John’s worth it.
Nelson’s Dockyard
Nelson’s Dockyard, located in English Harbour, is Antigua’s largest National Park and is still used as a dockyard for ships. Full of cultural heritage and history of the island, this is must stop for anyone who visits the island. A hotel, museum, restaurants, old English phone booth and souvenir shops are all situated within the national park. Unfortunately, when we visited they were doing construction so pretty much everything was closed for the slow season, which was a total bummer. It was still worth a visit while exploring Antigua, as we were able to learn a lot about Antigua and see some amazing views of the water.
Shirley Height’s Lookout
You know how people say “don’t do the touristy things when visiting ____” well, if you don’t experience them once, how are you EVER going to know if they’re good or not? Shirley Heights in Antigua is that way! And listen, it really does live up to its hype. While we visited in the middle of the day, and it was super hot, the views were just as stunning as ever! We even grabbed lunch at the cafe. The fish burger and regular burger were both delicious! There’s also a huge party on Sunday nights, that we unfortunately missed. Nonetheless, don’t miss this spot. Whether you go once, or one hundred times, it’s worth the trip.
Explore the Rainforest
You technically can’t explore Antigua without going through the rainforest. Now, understand, it’s not a stereotypical rainforest. The massive area lining the southwestern part of the country is an intense tree lined area with so much beauty! We took our time driving through the hills (we were driving on the other side of the road, after all) and really tried to take it all in.
Cade’s Bay Agricultural Station – Home of the Antiguan Black Pineapple
Antigua is home to what many consider the sweetest pineapple in the world – The Antiguan Black Pineapple or Antiguan Blacks for short. We had the pleasure of tasting these sweet Antiguan Blacks at Sheer Rocks and it surely lived up to the hype! More golden in color than a normal pineapple, these delicacies are less acidic packing an even sweeter punch than this already wonderful fruit. Right off of the main road you’ll find this adorable sign that leads you to fields of these sweet treats. But don’t blink, we almost missed it. We also encountered a man yelling at us from within the plantation… We couldn’t figure out if he was telling us to come in the gates or to leave (probably the first, knowing how friendly everyone in Antigua was), but nonetheless, we were both so excited to have found this sign, and pineapple plantation.
Snow Cone at Gina’s Shop
After leaving Shirley Height’s we had about a 30 minute drive back to Cocobay through the Antiguan Rainforest. We were really craving a snow cone and along the way we stumbled upon a little shop on the side of the road called Gina’s Shop and to our luck they had snow cones! We decided on a lime snow cone to enjoy on the last bit of drive we had left. What a perfect little treat on our little road trip around the island.
Rum Bus Beach Bar
This super cool little bar is a must stop when exploring Antigua. We stumbled on it when we were almost back to Cocobay. We were actually just looking for a place to park to go down to the beach and when we saw the giant, double-decker buses, we knew we had to go in. Since it was the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, during slow season, there weren’t a ton of people there, but that made it all the more special. We got to stroll around the bar, got a private tour of the vacation rental they have (thats only $100/night) and so much more. Grab one of the delicious cocktails, sign your name on the bus and just relax!
If you’re even remotely thinking about visiting Antigua, stop thinking, and start booking! Antigua is the most beautiful country and there’s so much to do. After one visit, we’re hooked and dying to get back! If you do decide to jet off to this beautiful island, or even if you’re thinking about it, leave your comments or thoughts below!
