Antigua – the land of sea and sun

Caribbean Destinations

When it comes to Caribbean islands, I have visited Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Playa del Carmen in Mexico. Antigua is a bit less known but can easily match all famous Caribbean destinations. A beautiful and lush nature, stunning beaches, friendly and easy going people, very low crime rate and a diversity of vacation packages for different tastes and wallets, should make every wanderlust want to visit Antigua as soon as possible. Fast facts The country is officially named Antigua and Barbuda, after two major islands which are also the only ones inhabited (apart from around 50 smaller ones which surround them). The capital St John’s lies in Antigua and the country has an estimated […]

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5 things to see in Antigua

Caribbean Trips & Tricks

Despite the fact that this lovely Caribbean island is relatively small and is mostly known for its gorgeous beaches, Antigua offers much more – thanks to its history and diversity of the area. Even if you are visiting the island for only a week, I suggest you take one of the trips, offered by local agencies, or – even better – hire a car and explore the island by yourself. Besides the beaches, I can suggest you these 5 things to see in Antigua: Fort Barrington This small fort is located on the top of the hill, rising above the beautiful Deep bay. You can only access it on foot and it will take you about 20 minutes of average walk […]

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5 things you shouldn’t do in Antigua

Caribbean Trips & Tricks

This lovely Caribbean island has stolen my heart and it will stay in my memory forever. Especially since it was one of those spontaneous vacations, where we decided to hire a car and just go with the flow. The island is so small that you don’t need any special preparations, however if you have limited time for exploring, these tips will help you save some time and money. Here are 5 things you shouldn’t do in Antigua: 1. Don’t hire a car in Antigua if you are not an experienced driver I am not kidding, driving on Antigua’s roads is far from normal. First of all they drive on the left side (British legacy), which can be quite challenging in […]

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5 things to see in Puerto Rico

Caribbean Trips & Tricks USA

Beaches. Rainforest. History. Shopping. Food. Puerto Rico has it all. If you are seeking for more than just beach and party time, I suggest you rent a car and explore the country as it has so much to offer. We did just the eastern part of the island, but from what I had read I believe it is fair to say that these are the best 5 things to see in Puerto Rico: San Juan old town The capital city is located in the north-eastern coast of Puerto Rico and it is divided into 18 districts. We found San Juan Antiguo (Old San Juan), which lies on a small island and is connected to the mainland by two bridges, the […]

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Hotel Review: Casa Grande Mountain Retreat (Puerto Rico, USA)

Caribbean Hotel reviews USA

We chose Casa Grande Mountain Retreat after we decided to head towards Batey Zipline Adventure park on our Puerto Rico road trip back in February 2012. After getting lost for several times (GPS somehow didn’t want to find the location) and arriving there in the middle of the night, we were pleasantly surprised by a welcome sign on our door with the instructions where to find the key. And that key made my Puerto Rico trip even more memorable. Location I was sure that the situation with GPS had gotten better in the past 4 years, but apparently I was wrong 🙂 Check this out: “We do not recommend using a GPS to get to the retreat as GPS directions have […]

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Hotel review: Jolly Beach Resort & Spa (Bolans, Antigua)

Caribbean Hotel reviews

We chose Jolly Beach Resort & Spa for our first visit to the beautiful Antigua island. We wanted an all-inclusive option for a hassle free vacation, but we knew we would be traveling around a lot, so we didn’t want to pay a fortune for it. Despite very mixed reviews on Tripadvisor, Jolly Beach Resort & Spa with officially 3 stars turned out to be a very good compromise for what we needed. Location The resort lies on Jolly Beach, which is indeed one of the most beautiful beaches of Antigua. The transport from the Airport takes around 20 minutes by car (let me point out that the roads in Antigua are a big headache, especially during the night when […]

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