This Tropical Island Has 365 Beaches—One for Every Day of the Year

Plenty of Caribbean islands are known for their beaches, but blissfully beautiful Antigua beats them all. With 365 beaches rimming this island of just over 100 square miles, there’s a different one for every day of the year, the saying goes.

Pick an untouched beach and hide away for an afternoon; while nearby islands are all about seeing and being seen (ahem: St. Barts), vacationers in Antigua usually have a bit more privacy in mind. “Antigua is the perfect island for travelers who want a relaxed and chilled authentic experience,” says Andrew Hedley, director of business development at Tamarind Hills Resort and Villas, one of the island properties that gets what so many travelers are looking for these days: the luxury of seclusion.

All eyes are set on Antigua’s sister island of Barbuda as it awaits the new Robert De Niro-backed Nobu Beach Inn set for early 2026 and a Rosewood property coming a few years later. However, as several of Antigua’s award-winning boutique properties and private island resorts emerge from top-to-toe refurbishments and improvements, it feels like a better time than ever to escape to Antigua.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Jumby Bay Island, Oetker Collection

Few properties in the Caribbean are as famed or feel as exclusive as Jumby Bay Island, a private island resort perched just a short boat ride off the coast of Antigua. The island’s beach-wrapped shores unfurl to reveal a tropical paradise dotted with cottages, villas, and expansive private estates that feel fitting for everything from multi-gen celebrations to romantic getaways. Crisscross the tranquil, car-less island by bike to discover everything from recently updated dining destinations alongside multiple pools to a water sports center and sailing academy, sports courts, and a spacious spa. It was selected by Travel + Leisure readers as one of the best resorts in the Caribbean last year.

Curtain Bluff

Long one of the most beloved all-inclusive resorts in Antigua, Curtain Bluff is back and better than ever after a wow-worthy multimillion-dollar renovation that landed it on T+L’s coveted 2024 It List. In addition to upgrades to all 72 rooms and suites, the property now features an expansive new wellness center with its own infinity pool, yoga pavilion, and an expanded fitness center. Beachfront rooms are perennially popular, but views from rooms set on the bluff overlooking the sea are more memorable.

Tamarind Hills Resort and Villas

Clinging to the cliffs overlooking the white sands of Ffryes Beach, Tamarind Hills Resort and Villas is a luxe collection of studios, suites, and private residences. The property’s spaciousness lends peace and privacy that makes it perfect for intimate multi-gen getaways or group trips, though the 35 luxe one-bedroom studios complete with private decks revealing stunning sunset views over the Caribbean scream romantic getaway.

Hermitage Bay

A boutique adults-only resort so special it’s been a fixture on T+L’s list of the best places to stay in the Caribbean in recent years, the refreshed Hermitage Bay feels sleeker and sexier than ever. A brand-new beach club, an intimate spa, and seasonal, island-fresh dining complete the guest experience. However, it’s the property’s signature hillside and oceanfront villas, each offering expansive private outdoor space with plunge pools or direct beachfront access, that make it among the best honeymoon spots in the Caribbean.

Royalton CHIC Antigua

One of the island’s newest resorts, Royalton CHIC Antigua is an adults-only playground perched on the stunning Dickinson Bay Beach.

This Marriott-affiliated Autograph Collection all-inclusive property features seven restaurants, five bars, wellness spaces, a spa, and plenty of opportunities for water sports up and down the sand. Its most impressive features include the overwater Pescari restaurant and a collection of overwater bungalows that come complete with private butler service and plenty of perks.

Best Things to Do

Explore Nelson’s Dockyard.

Antigua’s English Harbour is one of the best natural anchorages in the Caribbean, drawing in generations of sailors to this scenic spot on the island’s southern coast. Today, the colonial-era port Nelson’s Dockyard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site complete with two boutique hotels, a museum, local craft shops, cafes and restaurants, and a marina filled with everything from stately sloops to gaudy megayachts. It made T+L’s locals-curated list of the best under-the-radar spots in the Caribbean.

Party at Shirley Heights.

High up on the hillside above Nelson’s Dockyard is Shirley Heights, a restored military gun battery that is part historic landmark, part breathtaking lookout offering sweeping views across the island and to sailboat-speckled harbors below. “The Steel Pan orchestra at sunset every Sunday at Shirley Heights is always great entertainment and a wonderful place to see one of the best sunsets in the Caribbean,” says Hedley of the weekly parties that draw locals and visitors alike for barbecue and beverages as the skies turn orange and pink.

Go beach-hopping.

Antigua is far from an island where you’ll want to stick to the beach in front of your resort for an entire vacation. Rent a car and spend a day exploring the island’s west coast, including Jolly Beach, Ffryes Beach, and Little Ffryes Beach, a stunning stretch of white sand named one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Check out some of the more windswept but quieter beaches on the east side of the island, too. Half Moon Bay comes to mind; though currents can make it more challenging for swimming, the sands are bare and beautiful, home to little more than a beach bar and eatery with local bites and beers.

Set sail.

No vacation in the Caribbean is complete without getting out on the water. Spend a day with Barefoot Antigua sailing to some of the best seaside spots on the island. Most visitors stick to the bay and inlets on the island’s west coast for a day spent snorkeling, swimming, and sunning, though cruises can circumnavigate the island on calmer days. Make sure to stop at Deep Bay on the island’s west coast to explore the shallow-water shipwreck of the Andes, even with just a snorkel.

Visit Barbuda.

Untouched, cotton candy-colored beaches aren’t the only highlight of a visit to Barbuda, Antigua’s little sister island. “For an ‘off-island’ adventure, a tour of Barbuda inclusive of the Frigate Bird Sanctuary—the only sanctuary of its kind in the Western Hemisphere—is highly recommended,” says Rob Sherman, managing director at Curtain Bluff. The beach club at Nobu Barbuda, on the white sands of Princess Diana Beach, has been another requisite stop on the island for the past four years. Come back and plan to stay in early 2026, when 17 bungalow cottages and a collection of world-class restaurants at Nobu Beach Inn are set to debut.

Best Restaurants

Sheer Rocks

Wind past the pool at Cocobay Resort and down toward the waterfront to discover Sheer Rocks, a cliffside restaurant and bar so impressive it made it onto T+L’s list of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. This hidden, out-of-the-way spot is perfectly perched for sunsets over the sea, made even better with a Caribbean-inspired menu of tapas and seafood specials with craft cocktails to close out the day.

Catherine’s Cafe

Tucked into a shady, palm-fringed corner of Pigeon Point Beach, Catherine’s Cafe is no basic beachside eatery. “It’s a must-visit and offers a French-inspired menu that utilizes fresh ingredients from the island’s fishermen and farmers,” says Sherman. Everything from leafy salads to grilled fish sandwiches served on authentic baguettes make for a perfectly light seaside lunch, though the real highlight is the fresh seafood tower, shared with a bottle of rosé or refreshing cocktails.

Papa Zouk

It’s heavy on the nautical decor and local flavor at the beloved St. John’s haunt Papa Zouk, where you’ll find just as many locals as visitors. Island-style conch and saltfish fritters are a must before ordering the fresh catch or grilled lobster. Wash it all down with a rum punch made from the restaurant’s extensive rum collection; with “over 250 distinct bottles, it is the largest on the island,” says Frederic Vidal, managing director of Jumby Bay Island.

The Hut, Little Jumby

Part of the appeal of Jumby Bay Island is its exclusivity, but even the locals love The Hut, Little Jumby, a new waterfront eatery and beach club that crowns neighboring Little Jumby Island. Take a small boat to the island from the mainland or the resort for elevated seafood dishes and craft cocktails alongside fan-favorite beach fare like sandwiches, fritters, burgers, and beers. Beach cabanas with sun loungers and larger, more comfortable beach huts are available, so plan on sticking around all day and well into the night for live music and festive parties.

Areas to Visit

St. John’s

Though many visitors skip right through Antigua’s capital of St. John’s on the way to the beach, the commercial heart of the island has a handful of colorful dockside buildings to explore, as well as a colonial-era fort and quaint museum that will interest history buffs. If you can, steer clear of the city and nearby beaches like Dickinson Bay when cruise ships are in port, as the area swells with visitors.

West Side

On a map, Antigua vaguely resembles an oblong circle, its jagged coastline interrupted by bays, peninsulas, and tiny inlets that hide each of its 365 beaches. While it’s hard to distinguish when the western part of the island gives way to the east, what is clear is that the Caribbean-facing west side of the island is the heart of Antigua, with most of the island’s resorts, shops, and restaurants stretching up and down the coast. This is where most visitors will want to spend the majority of their trip beach hopping, bar crawling, or blissing out poolside with a cocktail at Sheer Rocks.

East Side

The island’s less-visited, less-developed eastern side is where the Atlantic Ocean churns and foams, shooting sky-high from blowholes at Devil’s Bridge National Park and giving visitors a dramatic vantage point for Antigua’s raw beauty. Most beaches on the island’s eastern side aren’t apt for swimming, though stunning spots like Half Moon Bay are well worth a visit. Another attraction, Stingray City, draws visitors looking to swim with hundreds of rays that glide gracefully through the waist-deep crystalline waters near the coast.

Best Times to Visit

The best time to visit Antigua for bright blue seas and sunny skies is between December and April. Though this is the time of year when the island tends to swell with visitors and prices rise at resorts and restaurants, it’s simply unmatched for beach days and sailing excursions.

Looking for that sweet spot of nice weather and fewer visitors? You’re not alone. “Travelers have now discovered that the Caribbean can actually be really nice in the summer, so the high and low seasons of travel are not as defined as they once were,” says Vidal. Still, prices tend to drop in May and June, when nicer weather and fewer visitors give Antigua a private island feel in comparison. June through November is the warmer, wetter Atlantic hurricane season, with many hotels and restaurants shuttering entirely between mid-August and mid-October when tropical storms are most likely.

Plan an off-season visit for late July and early August to coincide with Antigua’s nearly two-week-long carnival, which celebrates the end of slavery. Though it isn’t one of the largest or most famous carnivals in the Caribbean, Antigua’s carnival is a great anchor for a culturally-minded vacation, featuring music, dancing, live performances, parades, and delicious local food.

How to Get There

Antigua’s V. C. Bird International Airport (ANU) may not be the biggest airport in the Caribbean, but it is surprisingly well-served with international flights from across North America and beyond. Direct flights arrive regularly from Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Newark, New York City (JFK), and Toronto. Longer, if more irregular, flights even cross the pond from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Frankfurt. A word of warning, however: “Flights tend to be reduced in the summer due to demand, so I recommend booking early,” says Sherman.

How to Get Around

Travelers can pick up a taxi just about anywhere in Antigua, making them the easiest way to explore the island. However, fares tend to be quite expensive; most travelers who want to venture beyond the bounds of their resort should consider renting a car for at least part of their vacation instead.

Pick up a rental car at the airport, or make an advanced reservation with a rental company for them to drop off a vehicle at your hotel when you need it. It’s important to note that a local driver’s license is required to operate a car in Antigua, but don’t fret: Rental companies can take care of all necessary paperwork and include the $20 surcharge in the reservation.