Family Holidays: Antigua family holidays

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

Antigua is one of the Caribbean’s most popular destinations. Famous for its beaches, (reputedly 365, one for every day of the year) and its cricket. It also has some very interesting and beautiful old towns, an abundance of forts, wonderful scuba-diving and snorkelling and an important bird sanctuary on nearby Barbuda. If all you want to do is crash out on a beach for a week or two, you'll find Antigua hard to beat. Although it is becoming increasingly developed, tourism is still fairly restrained and you can easily get away from the crowds. Accommodation is plentiful and should fit most budgets. Antigua's sister island Barbuda feels a world apart, even though it's just fifteen minutes away by plane. Despite its spectacular beaches and coral reefs, tourism is very low-key here and you can catch a glimpse of how the Caribbean might once have looked.

Top left: Antigua Taking a water ski break
Top middle: Antigua Relaxing at Jolly Beach
Top right: Antigua Shop on Fig Tree Drive

Bottom left: Antigua Riding at Sunset
Bottom right: Antigua Jumping in at Curtain Bluff

When

Temperatures range from 18-25 ° C between December and May, and 24-35 ° C between June and November, with July and August being the hottest months. June to November, (official hurricane season), sees the beaviest rainfall, with occasional tropical storms. Peak season, both busiest and most expensive is between the months of December and February, so a great time to go is a bit later on in March, April and May, when there are fewer visitors and whilst the weather is still gorgeous.

How

Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport has great air links with both the UK and the USA. It is a major international and regional hub serving the north-eastern Caribbean, making it one of the easiest Caribbean Islands to get to. Flights take around 8 hours. British Airways fly direct from Gatwick, and it's also worth checking Expedia Flights .

Stay

Antigua provides a wealth of great accommodation, with exemplary service. From a 3 Star hotel to 5 Star Spa Resorts with acres and acres of grounds; Choose from a room only basis to wonderfully luxurious all inclusive options. If you fancy something more active with fabulous kids clubs and brilliant activities for all ages, have a look at Sunsail's wonderful Club Colonna, where you can make the most of the deliciously warm water temperature and stunning location by trying sailing or loads of other watersports and activities. Check Expedia Holidays for loads of great holiday deals.

Do

It’s worth dragging the children away from the beach for a little exploring. From the early 18th to the mid 19th Century, Antigua served as a major sugar exporter, its slave population finally emancipated by the British in 1834. Take the kids on an educational tour round some of the crumbling ruins of old sugar estates like Betty’s Hope or to the forts built to protect the trade around English Harbour and Shirley Heights. Try and coincide with the annual Carnival, late July to early August, staged as a celebration of emancipation - one of the best in the Caribbean, your children will never have seen anything like it. St Johns, the capital, is well worth a visit, a charming town with a colourful quayside, some excellent restaurants and a definite West Indian character.

Eat

There is an excellent range of restaurants, small cafes and roadside bars to cater for most tastes. You can, of course, limit your family to western food in the hotels, but much better to try something a little more Caribbean. You can get excellent fast food like rotis or fried fish and chicken with fries, callaloo soup (a caribbean vegetable a little like spinach, served with crabmeat, salt beef and avocado). You can sit down for a feast of caribbean stew of salt/fresh fish, chicken or mutton or the ubiquitous jerk chicken, rice and peas. Fresh fruit is always a treat and wonderful juices include tamarind, coconut, passion fruit and soursop.

Cost

Prices do fluctuate with the range of accommodation availoable. In general, expect a two-week package holiday to start from about £750 on a room-only basis, or £1,100 all-inclusive. Remember that the busiest season will be between December and February, whilst March, April and May will be a little quieter, but are still great times to go. Flights only can be found as low as £400, but expect to pay from £600.