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What to do in Antigua?

SheriNtexas

By SheriNtexas,
in Antigua

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SheriNtexas

SheriNtexas

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Will be going here on a cruise next January...never been here....the island doesn't seem to be very big, so not sure what there is to do...what are the things that shouldn't be missed? Is this an island to take a tour of, or just do a beach? I love going to new ports, and what to make the most out of the time we have there? Thanks for any suggestions!:D

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centralcalicruzer

centralcalicruzer

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We went to Stingray City and loved it! I had always read about the one on Grand Cayman and knew that if I ever went there that is what I wanted to do, and then when I found out there was one on Antigua I was so thrilled. Who knows if I will ever get to Grand Cayman, so I am really happy that I was able to do this on Antigua. The Stingrays are not captive, they come from the open ocean when they see the boats arrive because they are very friendly. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

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Summer35

Summer35

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If you are more a sightseeing type of tourist, you would like to see english harbour and nelson dockyard. we done the tour with Gordon, including 2 hours beach (i think it has been pineapple beach but not sure).the tour is def not to miss!!!

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Miss Vickie

Miss Vickie

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Will be going here on a cruise next January...never been here....the island doesn't seem to be very big, so not sure what there is to do...what are the things that shouldn't be missed? Is this an island to take a tour of, or just do a beach? I love going to new ports, and what to make the most out of the time we have there? Thanks for any suggestions!:D

 

I'd recommend any os Eli Fuller's excursions, http://www.adventureantigua.com. These are our all-time favorite Caribbean excursions, and we always choose one of them whenever we visit Antigua.

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OCruisers

OCruisers

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Sheri ... Since you have the song "Some Beach, Somewhere ..." in your signature, don't miss going to a beach in Antigua! You'll find beautiful blue water and sugar white sand! Your big umbrella and an empty chair awaits you! :D

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  • 2 weeks later...
alex12_3

alex12_3

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We went to Stingray City and loved it! I had always read about the one on Grand Cayman and knew that if I ever went there that is what I wanted to do, and then when I found out there was one on Antigua I was so thrilled. Who knows if I will ever get to Grand Cayman, so I am really happy that I was able to do this on Antigua. The Stingrays are not captive, they come from the open ocean when they see the boats arrive because they are very friendly. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

We did Stingray City as well and it was an awesome time. However I'm not entirely sure the stingrays aren't captive. The area was clearly man-made and there were underwater "walls" around the area, but the walls might still have been low enough for the stingrays to come and go as they please. I never did find out for certain. Even if captive, the stingrays live better here than they do in many public aquaria. So I would still recommend it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Host Faith

Host Faith

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We've gone with Creole Cruises twice, both times we've visited Antigua. I have photos and details of our day in my Serenade review from 2010 (in my signature).

 

It's a lobster lunch cruise. They give you time for snorkeling and relaxing on Bird Island, where they grill fresh-caught lobster for your lunch. A beautiful, relaxing day and I highly recommend it. :)

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centralcalicruzer

centralcalicruzer

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We did Stingray City as well and it was an awesome time. However I'm not entirely sure the stingrays aren't captive. The area was clearly man-made and there were underwater "walls" around the area, but the walls might still have been low enough for the stingrays to come and go as they please. I never did find out for certain. Even if captive, the stingrays live better here than they do in many public aquaria. So I would still recommend it.

 

No, they are definitely not captive - the guides made a big point of saying that the fences are to keep US in that certain area, not the stingrays. I snorkeled out over the reef and got quite close to the wire fences, they are actually very open and the stingrays can swim under or in between the wires. Well, I am not sure exactly what they were made of, it might have been some kind of rope like used on ships, but it was basically strung between poles. You can see it here in this photo:

DSCN1712.jpg

At any rate, I agree the rays are well looked after, the guides truly seem to love caring for and working with them!

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Mr. Click

Mr. Click

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We did Eli Fuller's Eco Tour the last time we were in Antigua and it was a great day. Lots of sightseeing on the boat, lots of nature stuff, swimming and snorkle stops, a bit of beach time and a nice lunch. Great staff with lots of local information. The swim into the Hell's Gate and the climb up to the top of the arch is not for the feignt of heart....but I did it :). Highly recomend it you enjoy a day on the water

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Miss Vickie

Miss Vickie

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We did Eli Fuller's Eco Tour the last time we were in Antigua and it was a great day. Lots of sightseeing on the boat, lots of nature stuff, swimming and snorkle stops, a bit of beach time and a nice lunch. Great staff with lots of local information. The swim into the Hell's Gate and the climb up to the top of the arch is not for the feignt of heart....but I did it :). Highly recomend it you enjoy a day on the water

 

The EcoTour is one of our all time favorites. We've done it 5 or 6 times. We're booked on Eli's sailing excursion for the second time next January, and I can't wait. We've done Xtreme, too.

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jimbug

jimbug

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We've gone with Creole Cruises twice, both times we've visited Antigua. I have photos and details of our day in my Serenade review from 2010 (in my signature).

 

It's a lobster lunch cruise. They give you time for snorkeling and relaxing on Bird Island, where they grill fresh-caught lobster for your lunch. A beautiful, relaxing day and I highly recommend it. :)

 

Thank you for this recommendation!! I just checked out your review and their website and submitted a booking for our next cruise. Looks like the perfect way to spend the day there!

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centralcalicruzer

centralcalicruzer

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Stingray City is $50.00. But, from what I have read, it is kind of complicated to get there on your own from St. John's. We booked through our cruise line (Princess) and it was $59.00. The extra $9.00 per person for round trip transportation was well worth it, it took about a half hour or so from the port to get there. I know not every cruise line offers this excursion though.

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Miss Vickie

Miss Vickie

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Thanks! Just seems odd to have to put in a CC # to email him!:eek:

 

That's surprising to me, too, but looking at the FAQs on the site, I understand it. The Tour descriptions and FAQs on the site answer most questions, and luckily there are a lot of Eli veterans on Cruise Critic who have answers, too.

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JenMJM

JenMJM

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We did Adventure Antigua's Xtreme Circumnav and LOVED it! Everyone had a great time at Sting Ray City, except for me who about crawled up my husband's back to get away from them bumping into my legs. I'm a huge wuss, I know:)

 

I would do the Xtreme tour again in a heartbeat, but just know that the ride is VERY bumpy and very fast. Don't go on this one if you get motion sickness easily.

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  • 4 months later...
SteveinPhilly

SteveinPhilly

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Looks like Eli's in on a boat with not a lot of shade and we can't do heavy sun. (I hit the beach for 15 minutes in water max before I burn. Someone mentioned local markets and food stands (under "foodie tour"). Did anyone take an island tour (not sure how big the area is away from the port)? We are looking for a non-ship run one that is good value for the time spent. Probably won't snorkle and don't want to be left on a beach for an hour (as some tours do.) Any ideas?

Thanks!

Steve

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