Which beach should I choose?

[rjack22]

I am considering Gordon Tours in Antigua. He has two tours nearly identical with one going to Valley Beach and the other to Longbay Beach.

 

Can anyone tell me more about these beaches? Are they crowded, are there chairs and umbrellas, a place to eat, etc. Is one prettier or more scenic than the other?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[blkspy]

I am considering Gordon Tours in Antigua. He has two tours nearly identical with one going to Valley Beach and the other to Longbay Beach.

 

Can anyone tell me more about these beaches? Are they crowded, are there chairs and umbrellas, a place to eat, etc. Is one prettier or more scenic than the other?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Not to burst anyone's bubble....I find the people in the town at the port to be very aggressive and rude.......Having a tour set up in advance is desirable. ....Antigua has had its cruise passenger problems the past 4-8 years.......There have been robberies to murders......just be careful as you always are. For these reasons I take the ships beach tour on this island.....its always at a great beach and you're back on the ship early and only a 10 minute ride away....As a tourist reminder.....I always check if there are any travel advisories for any of the places I travel to.......fun and safe vacation is the main thing.

 

Roland

[icequeen]

My husband and I have been to Antigua several times. Our favorite beach is Darkwood Beach and we take the local bus to get there as it is so much cheaper than taking a cab - $1.50 per person each way. I finally got around to blogging about our day on Antigua, if you want to check out more details. I agree that there are dangers to be aware of but that is true of every island. Being aware of your surroundings and not wandering into less populated areas of town are all well advised, no matter what island you are visiting. We have walked through St. John's several times on the way to the bus station and have not felt unsafe. We stick to the main streets and get to experience some of the island culture at the same time. I do agree that the vendors in the tourist market can be very aggressive and we don't tend to go there since it is somewhat tiring to keep fending them off.

[KPfromCT]

We were in Antigua last year, and spent the day at Valley Church Beach. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some pics if you are interested.

Beautiful water, sand was like baby powder. Just a great day!!!!

Agreed with above poster that the cruise port is a sea of orange, aggressive shirts. My 14 yo DD was terrified. It really was overwhelming. But again, it's a beautiful beach.

[newcruiser1573]

My husband and I have been to Antigua several times. Our favorite beach is Darkwood Beach and we take the local bus to get there as it is so much cheaper than taking a cab - $1.50 per person each way. I finally got around to blogging about our day on Antigua, if you want to check out more details. I agree that there are dangers to be aware of but that is true of every island. Being aware of your surroundings and not wandering into less populated areas of town are all well advised, no matter what island you are visiting. We have walked through St. John's several times on the way to the bus station and have not felt unsafe. We stick to the main streets and get to experience some of the island culture at the same time. I do agree that the vendors in the tourist market can be very aggressive and we don't tend to go there since it is somewhat tiring to keep fending them off.

 

Thank you for this. My sister and I will be the same for St. croix, St. Lucia and Antigua. We are glad to see that we made good choices based on your blog. We planned to just stay in the port at St. lucia after reDing your blog it seems that we will have enough to see there. Can you give me a clearer idea of what's in port to see and do. Thank you.

[icequeen]

Thank you for this. My sister and I will be the same for St. croix, St. Lucia and Antigua. We are glad to see that we made good choices based on your blog. We planned to just stay in the port at St. lucia after reDing your blog it seems that we will have enough to see there. Can you give me a clearer idea of what's in port to see and do. Thank you.

 

Actually, the only reason we didn't do much on St. Lucia is because we were focused on a very low-key cruise with lots of down time. Since we had been to St. Lucia seven or eight times, we knew most of the best things were an hour's drive to the south and weren't up for the time or money commitment but if you have never been to St. Lucia before, I would really encourage you to take a tour down to Soufriere and the Pitons. It is the most beautiful part of the island and not to be missed. We just stayed around Castries the very first time we were on the island and thought that was all there was to see but we missed all of the beauty that is to be found farther south. If you read my very first post on St. Lucia, it has all sorts of information about what to see and do. We always tour with Herod every time we visit the island and it is a wonderful experience.

 

If you still want to stay around town, you could catch a cab to a beach or walk/cab over to the markets on the waterfront. One market is a farmer's type market with lots of food and spices and the other is a vendor's market with crafts, clothes, etc. Enjoy your cruise!