Antigua

My husband and I recently returned from Sandals in Antigua. Luck was on our side because in the last couple of days they are talking about union strikes there. However, we made it back just in time to miss all that. Before we left for our trip I did some research about the resort. I was mostly looking for pictures—I’m a visual person. And to be honest, I wanted real deal images not the Sandals pictures. My search turned up very limited information and/or pictures. So I thought I would do a blog post with some photos and opinions of our experience at the resort.

So a just a small backstory. We chose Sandals because we went to Sandals in St. Lucia (on our honeymoon 5 years ago) and had such a wonderful experience we wanted to venture someplace new but keep the quality that we had experienced with the resort chain. So after much deliberation we picked Antigua. We wanted a beautiful beach with clear water and Antigua had come highly recommended.

When we arrived in Antigua it was a short 15-20 minute van ride to the resort. We were greeted by Sandals staff and given champagne while we completed our check in. Staff showed us to our room and provided us with some resort restaurant information. We spent the night checking out the resort and walking on the beach.

My husband and I spent most of our time at the beach and by the pool. We were looking for relaxation-we have a two year old-what else is there to say?? Both of these spots are fantastic at this resort. The beach is gorgeous. FYI- It is a public beach so anyone can be on it. However, it was never crowded and the locals were respectful and accepted no for requests about purchasing goods or excursions. The water on this beach is so clear, warm, and salty. A beach lovers dream. The sand was white, cool, and soft. To date this is the most beautiful beach I have ever been on.

Our pool experience was equally as great. The pool at this resort is massive (they have 3 smaller pools in addition to the main pool). We spent most our time in the main pool. There was plenty of lounge chairs so we were always able to get an umbrella if we wanted one for shade. The pool staff were always coming around asking if we needed a drink. The pool was clean and cool. And the swim up bar was fully stocked and made some great frozen drinks. My favorite drinks were Miami Vice & Hummingbird.

We also did some excursions on the island through Island Routes. One was an Eco Adventure Tour where we did snorkeling, caving, a small hike, and swimming. This was such a great way to see some of the island. I would highly recommended it. They also served us lunch and my husband said that was the best meal of our whole trip!!

Our other excursion was zip-lining. Sorry – no photos from this one. I didn’t want to risk losing my phone. It was a fun time but I though zip-lining in St. Lucia was better. I feel like St. Lucia had better scenery and longer zip lines.

Our trip was great overall. We were looking to relax and spend some quality time together and I think we achieved that. Our only thoughts at the end of the trip ( when comparing this to our last Sandals vacation) were that we did not think that the staff at Antigua were as friendly and accommodating as the staff in St. Lucia. In addition, the restaurants at Sandals in Antigua where not as good as the Sandals in St. Lucia.  The menu options were not as appealing to me and the freshness and preparation of the food was lacking. I would not trade the time or experience I had in Antigua. This world is to vast and beautiful to go the same place twice.

Pink Thoughts & Espresso Shots xoxo

All experiences, thoughts, and opinions are my own~No endorsement of any kind.