Beach Help

I've had the hardest time choosing a beach in Antigua for our family, probably because there are so many choices. Hoping someone can help me on here.

We are looking for a quiet beach (there are 3 ships in port that day), with restrooms, clear water, and nice sand (not rocky). Snorkeling would be a big bonus. We don't need a bar/restaurant or loungers but shade at least under trees is important. I've heard that some beaches in Antigua are clothing optional which would be a big no no for this mom bringing her 2 teenage boys. :o TIA for any suggestions or even thoughts on where not to go.

Following.....

I've had the hardest time choosing a beach in Antigua for our family, probably because there are so many choices. Hoping someone can help me on here.

 

We are looking for a quiet beach (there are 3 ships in port that day), with restrooms, clear water, and nice sand (not rocky). Snorkeling would be a big bonus. We don't need a bar/restaurant or loungers but shade at least under trees is important. I've heard that some beaches in Antigua are clothing optional which would be a big no no for this mom bringing her 2 teenage boys. :o TIA for any suggestions or even thoughts on where not to go.

For good (but not excellent) snorkelling (at the top end), without any sun beds (bring towels), natural shade, no large bar/restaurant, and an empty beach, then consider half moon beach.

Possibly better to hire a car, as a taxi back can be unreliable.

Just returned from our trip. As an update, we had decided to go to Limerz on Turners Beach but the weather was not good and we were pretty tired from the two previous port stops, so we ended up just staying on the boat. It was a lovely peaceful day in the Solarium.

DARKWOOD Beach! We knew we wanted to spend the day here. As expected, our Taxi driver did try to take us to Valley Church Beach, saying it was "so much better," but honestly I don't know how it could be. Taxis, on Antigua, like many Caribbean Islands are a lot like the Hunger Games. Fortunately, we did not have to wait to fill our Taxi before leaving the port, although others in our group did not have the same experience on their way home. We did walk 2 blocks from the port to a back alley where we got in the van, it was all expected, but still sketchy non the less. Antigua, at least where the cruise port is, seems much more poor than I anticipated. We drove through some very run-down areas to get to the beach. It was $8/person each way from the cruise port.

Once we got to Darkwood, we were immediately in paradise. It cost $15 for 2 chairs and a large umbrella. We were in port with 3 other ships; we got to the beach around 930 and by 1030, most if not all umbrellas were taken. The beach is stunning, but has very little natural shade, so get there early if this will be an issue for you. There is a small drop going into the water that might pose an issue for those with mobility issues. There were maybe a few vendors, but all were polite and not all bothersome. All employees at the restaurant were very helpful and polite. We arranged for our taxi to pick us up at an arranged time, but there were a few taxis there in the afternoon for the ride back to port. This was easily one of the most beautiful beaches I have been to. I would definitely recommend.