Travel with the Twins to Antigua
This year, we gave our family the gift of travel, and we spent the holidays in Antigua. A sub-4 hour direct flight from NYC (a huge plus when traveling with kids) and consistently beautiful 80 degree weather, made this an easy & fabulous way to recharge before returning to work in the New Year.
When preparing for the trip we reached out to our friend Taylor at Coco Shop, a brand of dreamy dresses and separates that was founded in Antigua. Not only did we enjoy wearing lots of gorgeous Coco Shop pieces on vacay, but Taylor also tipped us off to some favorite restaurants, beaches, and activities. More of our recs below!
To Stay:
We rented a villa in Willoughby Bay: perfectly situated to our favorite beach at Half Moon Bay & to all the restaurants and activities in English Harbor. Check out Home in Antigua for great rental options.
To Eat:
The diversity of great restaurants on the island is so impressive; a few favorites:
- Dinner at Colibri for out of this world French Créole food (there was a fabulous live singer the night we dined there).
- Dinner at Cecilia's High Point Cafe (on Fridays and Mondays only!) We discovered the best cocktail list (in addition to great food & views) and spent Christmas night here, a meal we won't soon forget!
- Lunch at Catherine's Cafe for a very chic beachside scene and views of some major boats in Falmouth Harbor. Locals love nearby Pigeon Beach for a dip in the water before or after lunch (or between courses!).
- Sunset drinks and early dinner at Loose Cannon Beach Bar on Galleon's Beach. The sunset here was spectacular (as was the tuna tartare).
- Lunch at Casa Roots: Perhaps my favorite meal of the trip! We arrived by boat and walked up in bare feet. The setting is cool and beachy and the fish tacos are not to be missed.
- Incanto for Italian food. The setting is unbeatable (perched inches away from the water at English Harbor - perfect for yacht peeping) and what can we say, we love Italian, even in the islands!
- Check out Blossom's juice bar on dockyard drive for coffee with homemade oat milk and banana bread.
- Mauro's Famous Pizza: We stopped for croissants and focaccia and returned to pickup pizzas from their beautiful wood burning oven. We loved this spot!
To Do:
- Taylor of Coco Shop recommended we book a hike with Nick Hart of Happy Heights Antigua. He introduced us to the flora, fauna, and history of Antigua. He was a wealth of knowledge and gave us access to unbeatable views.
- Lounge all day at Half Moon Bay Beach, where you can rent a chair and umbrella and epic rum punches are sold out of a cooler (there's also a the "Beach Bum Bar" steps away so you can truly spend all day there).
- Visit Fig Tree Studio owned by Sallie Harker; We all came home with artwork to remind us of our Antiguan travels.
- Visit Rhythm of the Blue Art Gallery for blue pottery and lovely soaps and souvenirs.
- Visit Shirley Heights for the steel drum dance party and local barbecue on Thursday & Sunday nights. This is how we spent Christmas Eve & it was a night to remember!
- Traveling with kids? Make a stop at the Donkey sanctuary with rehabilitated animals.
- Book a boat trip with Barefoot Antigua. This was the collective favorite day of the trip: We saw sea turtles and learned so much about the island from our fabulous guides!
To Wear:
Coco Shop
Gigi Burris hats
Lisa Corti sarongs
Mara Hoffman bikinis
& Our favorite jewels!
