From the moment we disembarked in Antigua, I had a good feeling about the island. And it 100% did not disappoint. But why is it my favourite Caribbean island? Here are 7 reasons:

1. Beautiful scenery

There’s no doubt that the Caribbean is one of the most stunning places in the world. Every island has its own gorgeous vistas and beautiful scenery – Antigua did not disappoint. It felt like we’d stepped into a postcard. We travelled along the coast from the St John’s cruise port to Dickenson Bay and not once did we get bored of the scenery.

2. A great vibe

From the moment we stepped off the boat, there was such a great vibe in the air. We were greeted by a live steel drum band and as we headed to the high street of Heritage Quay, there were people everywhere, locals dressed up in costume and an endless flow of music. It give an amazing glimpse into how much fun the Antigua Carnival would be.

3. Gorgeous beaches

I’ve already mentioned the scenery, but the beaches were something else. Picture perfect, white gold sands stretching for as far as the eye could see. We spent our day relaxing on the sands of Dickenson Bay Beach and I never wanted to leave.

4. Crystal clear seas

Sometimes the water isn’t as clear as you first thought. Or it gets clearer a little further out but starts off pretty murky. Not in Antigua. The water was a gorgeous bright blue, crystal clear from the start.

It’s taken so many years for me to pluck up enough courage to get in the water – the fear of stepping on something or struggling to swim back to shore have always been my biggest concerns. But this time, I dived – not literally – right in and thoroughly enjoyed being in the sea. Just look at those colours – what’s not to love?!

5. Friendly locals

I was surprised by the number of Expats in Antigua – and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. But the locals were probably the most friendly of all the Caribbean islands. Wherever we went, we were greeted with a smile and friendly conversation. Coming from someone who feels uncomfortable in a store with no other customers, we were always made to feel welcome and I love it.

6. The slow pace

It’d be unfair to say Antigua was the only island where we got to enjoy the slow living that I love about the Caribbean – I think Barbados was the best for experiencing this – but we got to experience it at the small beer shack on the beech, the relaxed café by the harbour and everywhere we went. Just one of the many things I loved about Antigua.

7. So much to see and do

We’d only visited Antigua for one day as part of our Caribbean cruise, but as we sat in Harbour View Bar and Café with a great view of the cruise ship and browsed a local magazine, we were amazed at the number of activities that weren’t just sitting on different beaches – there’s only so much ‘relaxing’ I can do. We couldn’t believe how much there was to see and do, and so Antigua quickly made it onto the list of ‘places we want to revisit’.

If you enjoyed this post, take a look at what we did in St Lucia.