Antigua Here We Come

Antigua is our favorite place in the Caribbean. You will love it.
Easy/quick guide here:
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Antigua

Our favorite place on Antigua is Nelson's Dockyard within English Harbour.
I recommend either hotel here:
"Within the Nelson's Dockyard complex, there are two hotels, the Cooper & Lumber Store Hotel, and the Admiral's Inn."
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/English_Harbour

The Admiral's Inn is a beautiful, large old stone house where Admiral Lord Nelson stayed back when his ships were based there to stop smuggling and piracy.

Be sure and eat at Pillars Restaurant at Nelson's Dockyard.

You can't go wrong basing at Nelson's Dockyard/English Harbour.

As far as "as must dos/sees", Nelson's Dockyard/English Harbour is the Number One sight on the island.

I myself have never rented a car, as I spend all my time there.
We take a taxi from the airport.

It's a major destination for sailboats, yachts, regattas, and you will see boats there docked from all over the world.

Forgot to mention...as you stand at Nelson's Dockyard and look across the harbour....high on the hill is a white house, very fancy wooden beach cottage. It belonged to Queen Elizabeth II and was a favorite destination of her family. I suppose it is owned by The Crown, so King Charles no doubt still vacations there. Take your binoculars so you can see who's sitting on the porch.

If it's an ocean view you want, with a sandy beach and ocean waves, I recommend Galley Bay.
Lovely.
https://www.galleybayresort.com/

I have also stayed at the Copper and Lumber Inn. We loved it, but I can’t imagine being there without a car. Our favorite site beyond Nelson’s Dockyard was Shirley’s Heights.

We drove all around the island while we were there - stopping in at old forts, interesting churches, etc. It’s been a while, so I don’t remember all of the specifics off hand but do remember having a really wonderful time there.

Enjoy your trip!

Great post! We are heading to Antigua at the end of October, so I'm taking notes.

Thanks for posting the great feedback and advice!

I’d love to see a trip report if you have a chance when you return. I spent a day in Antigua on a cruise years ago and just loved it.