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Guest Post by Sara Young
My boyfriend and I live in Antigua for the winter with our two young boys. We’ve done most of the attractions and activities that the island has to offer. From stingrays to ziplines, snorkel trips and helicopter rides, we’re tried it all!
With so much to see in Antigua it’s not possible to fit it all into one day. Also, it can be quite expensive to do all of the activities.
One of the best and easiest day trips from the cruise port is to visit English Harbour. Once you’re there you’ll find great hiking, fantastic beaches and also history at the naval dockyard. All within easy distance from each other. This makes it perfect for an Antigua 1 day itinerary.
It’s great as you just need to get a taxi there and then get a return taxi at the end of your day. There’s no need to take a tour and no need to ask the taxi to wait for you.
Visiting St John’s For The Day
When you cruise into Antigua, you’ll dock at the outskirts of St John’s, the island’s capital. Stepping off the cruise dock puts you right at the meeting point of both Redcliffe Quay, the original quay, and Heritage Quay, the newer duty-free shopping area.
St John’s is perfect for a casual wander; you can cover the two main streets of Heritage and Redcliffe Quays in under half an hour, giving you a sense of the town. If you fancy a drink or a bite, there are a few cool spots we personally enjoy, like Harbour View Cafe and Hemingways.
After a spin around St John’s, you might be in the mood to kick back on the beach for the rest of the day. In that case, the go-to move is to check out St James Fort for the views and then make your way down to St James Beach—a 45-minute walk from St John’s or a breezy 10-minute taxi ride.
Which beaches in Antigua?
Sometimes it’s nice just to head to one beach for the day and relax. There are 365 beaches to choose from in Antigua, with so many beaches that it can be tough to decide which ones to try.
The beaches near to the cruise dock in St John’s can get really busy, so I’d recommend trying the ones that are a little further away such as:
Half Moon Bay – this stunning beach is on the east coast and has a more relaxed vibe as there aren’t many facilities available. Perfect if you’re looking for somewhere a little less commercial. Set back from the beach is a great cafe called Beach Bum Bar that serves the most amazing fish burger (I’ve eaten quite a few in my time!).
Long Bay – this is on the north east coast and about 40 minutes from St John’s so it tends to be quieter. It’s got more in the way of facilities as it’s got these colourful little beach shacks that sell snacks, drinks and souvenirs plus a few different restaurants to choose from.
One Day In English Harbour
There are lots of shore excursions that you can do from St John’s, so it can be difficult to choose which one to select. As some of them can be a bit pricey so I wanted to put together an affordable itinerary that was still lots of fun.
The itinerary I’ve put together means that you’ll have lots to do within walking or water taxi distance from each other. It’ll also be a lot quieter on the beaches (even on busy port days) as they’re further from St John’s. Here is the perfect Antigua 1 day itinerary:
- Arrival at Nelson’s Dockyard
The best way to get to Nelson’s Dockyard is to take a taxi there, there are government regulated prices and it should cost about US$24 for up to 4 people.
Once you get there at the entrance you should ask the security gate to point you in the direction of Middle Ground Trail which is the start of the hike.
- Enjoy a historical hike and a swim
Middle Ground trail takes you from Nelson’s Dockyard and around the coast to Pigeon beach. It’s got some great views of the surrounding area including English and Falmouth Harbours. I do this trail a couple of times a week as it’s great for fitness as it’s reasonably hill.
I’ve put the trail as the first thing to do as it’s much more pleasant to do it first thing in the morning before it gets too hot!
Before you go, you will need water and a good pair of trainers, please don’t try this trail in flip flops as its quite rough terrain. It’s got a couple of reasonable inclines and some rocky outcrops to climb, but it’s pretty easy other than that. Allow a good 1.5 hours for the route.
If you enter Nelson’s Dockyard and ask at the security gate they’ll be able to point you to the start of the trail, it’s by the super yacht dock. Once you start you’ll also see Fort Berkley on the left, it’s at the opening of the harbour and has spectacular views of the harbour and of Galleon Beach.
After Fort Berkley you’ll follow the path along the coast and up, keep an eye out for white dots which mark out the trail. Also keep a look out for goats, there tend to be a lot of them, and the trail is nicknamed Goat Trail by the locals.
At the end of the trail you’ll get to Pigeon Beach which is good for a swim to cool down. After Pigeon Beach you’ll need to take the road back to Nelson’s Dockyard. If you need water or snacks then there’s a great little supermarket on the way back called Covent Garden. It’s got tables and chairs outside so that you can sit and enjoy a cold drink.
- Nelson’s Dockyard
By the time you come back from your walk the dockyard should have started to get busy with yacht crews and day workers.
Nelson’s Dockyard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – dating back to 1725. It was used to protect the island from invasion, and yes, at one point Nelson was based there early in his career. The story is that Nelson infamously declared English Harbour an “infernal hellhole” as he struggled to prevent smuggling from happening.
The dockyard fell into a state of disrepair and it wasn’t until 1984 that work began on repairing it and it was reopened as a tourist destination.
There is plenty to see and do here, it’s an open air museum with a small museum within it. We love to walk around it and imagine what it would have been like there all those hundreds of years ago.
It’s still an active marina and you’ll see lots of yachts coming and going. You can sit on the dockside at the Copper and Lumber Restaurant and it’s great for people watching.
There are a couple of options for lunch here if you are ready to eat after you’ve explored. Alternatively you could have lunch at our next stop on Galleon Beach.
- Snorkelling and Paddleboarding at Galleon Beach
To get to Galleon Beach you’re going to take a water taxi from Nelson’s Dockyard – it’s outside Copper and Lumber and anyone there should be able to point you in the direction of it. It’s far more fun to take a water taxi than a normal taxi!
You’ll arrive at Galleon Beach on the pontoon outside The Inn at English Harbour which is a beautiful hotel. There’s lots to do at Galleon Beach, but it also has an incredibly relaxed atmosphere. It tends to be less busy than some of the other beaches.
Snorkelling:
The best snorkelling is at the opposite end of the beach where there is a wreck you can swim out too. It’s where you’ll also see turtles! If you carry on walking around the coast then you would eventually come to Pillars of Hercules which is a stunning column style rock formation into the sea – it really depends on how much activity you’d like in your day.
Paddle Boarding:
You can hire paddle boards on the beach which is fun to do, I’d recommend contacting them in advance to make a booking. I often come here to paddle with our sons as it’s relatively calm in the bay. Unfortunately there are no lounges or parasols for hire, you’ll need to make use of the natural shade of the trees. There are some cabanas but they’re part of Loose Cannon Restaurant and can be quite pricey.
Lunch at Loose Cannon:
Loose Cannon is a great place to stop for lunch, it’s got some of the best burgers on the island on its menu (I’ve tried a few!) and the rest of the menu is fresh and delicious. If you come on a Saturday or Sunday then they tend to have a bit more going on as they have live music and a DJ. Think Ibiza vibes meets the Caribbean.
Rum Masterclass
If you like to drink rum then there is a cool rum masterclass workshop behind Loose Cannon. They run sessions between 60-90 minutes which includes rum tasting and blending your own rum. At the you’ll leave with a 750cl bottle of your own rum blended using a pot still in the traditional West Indian way.
- Back to St John’s
When you’re ready to head back to St John’s you can either take the water taxi back to Nelson’s Dockyard and take a taxi from there. Or, you can take a car taxi from Galleon Beach direct to St John’s.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this Antigua 1 Day Itinerary!
About the Author
Sara Young is the author of Big Adventures With Little Feet, a family travel blog with the key aim to inspire parents to travel with their kids. She loves exploring the world with her sons and giving them big adventures, whether that’s hiking or skiing, sailing or surfing. She and her family spend the winters in Antigua in the Caribbean, where her boyfriend works as a yacht captain. They spend their summers travelling the world to find adventures.
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