I have lived in Antigua for the last few winters, it is an incredibly romantic island popular for visitors enjoying their honeymoon. Who wouldn’t feel romance in the air when they are surrounded by 365 beaches with beautiful clear waters lapping at golden sand beaches? My fiance and I (he proposed at Shirley Heights last winter!) have enjoyed discovering the best places in Antigua for couples on their honeymoon.
I’ve chosen my 5 best things to do in Antigua on your honeymoon to help inspire you when you plan yours!
Rent a car and explore the island
Renting a car in Antigua gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace. We love nothing more than picking a beach or two and heading off for a beach day with lunch being either at a cafe or a beach picnic. If you’re driving around Angitua then you’ll want to make sure that you include Fig Tree Drive – possibly the most beautiful road on the island with lush rainforest on either side.
A couple of our favorite beach escapes are:
Half Moon Bay with lunch at Beach Bum Cafe – the fish burger is the best on the island
Rendezvous Beach with a picnic – you’ll need a 4×4 to get to this off-the-beaten-path beach!
Dinner at Sheer Rocks
This award-winning restaurant, voted best in the Caribbean, offers some of the most delicious food in Antigua with an amazing sunset view. Plus if you’re lucky like we are, you might just see a stingray or two from your waterside table.
The menu concept at Sheer Rock is locally sourced and sustainable ingredients are carefully crafted to create spectacular Mediterranean-inspired menus that complement the space perfectly.
If you’re looking for something a little “extra” then they also have experience pools with the same epic view over the sea. They offer a variety of packages.
Visit to Barbuda by Helicopter
There is nothing that says “romantic escape” on a Caribbean island more than flying by helicopter over to Barbuda for lunch at the world-renowned Nobu restaurant.
Antigua is the country of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbuda being the smaller, prettier and most remote sister island to Antigua. Taking a helicopter over Antigua is amazing enough, trust me we did it for my 40th a few winters ago, but to then have a meal at Nobu with their tasty blackened cod, on a remote beach is pure romance.
Dancing at Shirley Heights
Another sunset, but this time a much more energetic Caribbean-style one. Shirley Heights Lookout offers one (if not the) best sunset views in Antigua over Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour.
We often head up there for rum punch and sunset to listen to the steel drums that play there every Thursday and Sunday evenings – after all, you’re on honeymoon in Antigua so it’s fitting to add a little Caribbean flavour to your stay. After the sunsets the local band play cover songs and the dancing gets into full swing!
Enjoy a hike and a swim
As a couple we love nothing more than taking a hike to see some impressive island views and then cooling off with a swim. The best time to hike is early in the morning usually before 8am when the temperatures are cooler. This means that when you finish at the beach they’re usually empty so you pretty much have them to yourself.
There are two great hike and swim options:
Middle Ground (Goats) Trail finishing with a swim at Pigeon Point Beach. This hike starts at Nelson’s Dockyard and you’ll usually see lots of other people on this trail with some people even running it!
Shirley Heights Lookout Trail finishing at Galleon Beach. Some of the best views on the island are from the top of Shirley Heights. On the way up, you’ll get a chance to stop at the mermaid pools and wander through lush cactus woodlands.
Blend Your Own Rum
A fun (an alternative) way to celebrate and remember your honeymoon in Antigua is to blend and bottle your own rum. There is a fun Rum Masterclass workshop that happens at Galleon Beach.
You start with a rum tasting where you’ll decide which rums you like. After that you’ll get to the fun part of blending your rum. You use a pot still which is the traditional West Indian way to distil your rum. At the end of the class you will bottle and label your rum with it then finished with a beautiful wax seal.