The thing is, while a lot of people know that Antigua is a Caribbean island, it doesn’t have a lot of signature fame beyond that. But I found out lots of things that make Antigua worth the trip.
Plenty of people looking for a Caribbean vacation simply want to find a decently priced flight and resort, fly down, and spend the next week drinking piña coladas on the beach. If that’s all you want, you’ll be happy on most Caribbean islands. Probably Florida, too.
Antigua excels at being a solid all-around island. It’s got beautiful beaches, it’s got great resorts, it’s got an interesting weekly market, it’s got some outstanding scenic views, it’s got a lot of interesting adventure activities, the travel infrastructure is pretty good, and the island is large enough to have variety but small enough to get around in one day.
(Quick geography note: Saying Antigua alone refers to its main island, while Barbuda is its small sister island. Barbuda was severely damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and became uninhabited for the first time in centuries; people are just beginning to move back to Barbuda now.)
Plus, there’s the ease factor. The island revolves around tourism. There are tons of flights from the US, including flights on multiple airlines from New York. English is the main language here, part of Antigua’s history as a former British colony. This Britishness is why you pronounce it like an-TEE-gah, not an-TEE-gwah like the city in Guatemala.
I didn’t find Antigua stood out strongly on any one element — the way the Cayman Islands stand out for diving or Jamaica stands out for music. And that’s fine — sometimes the best option for everyone is a strong all-around performer. But there were two areas where Antigua stands out for me: its outrageously delicious pineapple and the fact that I experienced pretty much zero street harassment.