Lunch. Yums!!!
I had their grilled fish and this was the best! It was cooked perfectly-soft and juicy meat. I think this was a small snapper. It was served with some salad, bean and rice, and some baked mac and cheese. I should have asked what the sauce on the fish was. To be honest, it was hard to distinguish the taste.
Long Bay, Antigua.
It’s also a beautiful beach to sunbathe on.
My dinner: grilled chicken, salad, pasta salad and garlic bread. So juicy, so good!
JT’s fried fish plate with bean and rice, salad and pasta salad.
Dinner.
We couldn’t resist, we stopped a another one of these for dinner. This time we got fried fish and chicken.
Darkwood Bay, Antigua.
We spent the morning in Long Bay then drove west for Deep Bay. Unfortunately, Antigua lacks any detailed maps and roads are not clearly marked. We spent maybe 3 hours just trying to look for it. We settled on another beach just west of St. John’s that was unmarked and littered with trash. We got in the water and besides the poor visibility, the old coke can stuck in the weeds gave us a good laugh and we retreated. As JT put it, we saw Antigua at its best and worst. We gave up and drove south to Darkwood. By the time we got there it was sunset but we decided to go on a short snorkel. While the water was a bit cloudy, we saw more fish, larger sea urchin, and even a stingray!
It’s another nice beach to play on and the water is great as long as you don’t go too far. The drop is steep.
Lunch, St. John’s, Antigua.
When driving around the island, a common sight are these small tents with food warmer’s and a grill. There aren’t too many restaurants outside of St. John’s and resorts, and if there are any, they don’t look open. Instead, it seems that most Antiguans dine at one of these road side grills. They’re like the original pop up stands serving grilled fish, chicken, pork, and sides.
At first it they seemed like a private family barbecue but we saw some locals walk up to them an purchase dinner. Just ask if you’re unsure. JT and I’ve noticed that they’re pretty friendly around here. It’s a small island so I guess it’s best to get along with everyone. Also, it’s hard to be cranky with so many beaches around.
Anyway, it’s a great way to eat local cuisine that is not only delicious but budget friendly too. 25-35 ECD for the two of us (12-14 USD).
Long Bay, Antigua.
We heard from locals and reviews that some of Antigua’s best shore snorkeling could be found here and it’s true. We were delighted to see a wide variety of tropical fish, some that seem to be used to human visitors.
It was thrilling too since as we swam along we suddenly came to a drop off-first of 30 feet then another of 50. The poor visibility in the drop off made them even more mysterious. If a shark came for us, we wouldn’t know until it was 10 feet close. But no worries, no sharks up here, at least that’s what the locals say.
It’s a resort beach and family friendly. I want to go back and take advantage of the bars and drink my rum punch on the beach.
Lobster lunch a la Creole Cruise, Antigua.
It was grilled right on Bird Island and served with melted butter - yum!
The best rum punch in the world! True story.
I’ve been told it has Antigua rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, bitters, lime, brown sugar, and cinnamon tea. I must make this at home. I hope I can figure out the right ratio.
Lunch on Bird Island, Antigua.
Antigua us surrounded by little island which are great for snorkeling. The only way we could get out there is by boat so we decided to do one snorkeling tour cruise. We chose Creole Cruises’ Lobster Lunch Cruise.
We met them at Jolly Harbor and we zoomed around the north coast of the island, stopped a couple times to pick up more passengers and then landed for snorkeling an lunch on Bird Island.
We enjoyed it. I think $120 a person is a little pricey but that’s the going rate for these kinds of excursions and there’s no way we could have gotten a boat ourselves. The three men crew and their rum punch make it worth it.
Another view of Half Moon Bay, Antigua.
Half Moon Bay, Antigua
The water looks choppy in the photo but the beach stretches along the sides and is calmer. We snorkeled a bit here. There wasn’t much to see but we still had fun since it was the first time we were able to use the snorkel gear we’ve invested in for this trip and hopefully many more to come.
Wadadli and Carib beer. Wadadli is the local beer made in Antigua and tastes like Heineken. Carib beer is made in the region and tastes like a slightly more flavorful Miller Lite. Needless to say, we like Wadadli better.
It’s a short trip and we’ve only been here a day an a half and already I feel rejuvenated. We rented a car so we’re just going around snorkeling in different spots while seeing the island. Don’t get me wrong, those resorts look good, especially the ones that celebrities stay in, but I like staying more local and low key.
