Christmas in Antigua!

Christmas is slowly but surely creeping up on us! The supermarkets are playing Christmas songs, town is becoming a mad shopping frenzy and the marina is filling up with decorated boats! 

Morris Bay, Antigua

One of the best things about being in the Caribbean for Christmas is having the option to have your Christmas turkey on the beach! With sand in your toes, salt in your hair and an amazing view of the bright blue seas. Or if you're on one of Horizon Yacht Charters boat then what better way than to anchor off a secluded bay and enjoy the peace and tranquility on your Christmas vacation! There's nothing better than the Christmas atmosphere here in Antigua. The sun is always shining, everyone is happy, and the sweet smells of roast Turkey are coming from almost every kitchen! 

If you plan to be here over the Christmas Festivities then there are plenty of options for you! Perhaps you're on a boat you've chartered from us at Horizon!? You could head over to English and Falmouth Harbor. Nelsons Dockyard marina is a great place to stay as you are in a beautiful secluded lagoon marina which offers all of the facilities you may need over the holidays. There are bars and restaurants just a 5/10 minute walk away! Shops and a beach all within reach. I know this year I will be a 'champagne party' in Falmouth Harbor on Christmas Day around 12 o'clock! It's family day this year so this is a great excuse to go and drink champagne with friends before heading home to eat LOTS of turkey with the family! (Hopefully some apple pie too.. is that a festive desert!?).  

Photo taken by Andre Phillip at Darkwood Beach

Christmas is also a perfect excuse to relax on the beach on your Christmas vacation whilst the sun goes down with a cool, refreshing cocktail in hand! There's normally a 'lime' somewhere that one of our friends has organized. This normally means a lot of inflatables floating around in the sea, packed out coolers and lots of food and music! The most popular beach option for us is Darkwood. The water is always crystal clear and the beach is big enough for the ball games! It is also the perfect spot to sit and watch the sun go down - we've even seen the famous green flash there a couple of times! The sand is perfect for making sandmen.. much warmer than making snowmen.. no gloves needed! Another perfect place would be in Jolly Harbor on the mile long, white sand beach. Perfect if you're on a boat because you can grab a mooring buoy in the marina, dinghy to shore and walk down to South Beach which is where you will find Castaways, the beach bar and restaurant. They always have fantastic music and the bar man Keiron is always making amazing cocktails! 

Castaways - Jolly Harbor, Antigua

Everyone loves giving presents at Christmas as much as opening them! Well, I know I do! St. Johns is Antiguas city and the best place to pick up that silver bracelet for your mum or that standard, 'T-shirt' for your Dad! St. Johns has the shops where you can get both of these things. One of the best jewelry shops is owned by an English lady who makes her own jewelry out of shells. She sells the perfect charm bracelets, earrings and necklaces along with pictures and cute little collectables. You will find Silver Chelles in Heritage Quay behind C&C's wine bar and opposite the delectable home-made ice cream shop (give that a go too it's delicious!). In the main part of Heritage quay is a Sunseekers where you can get that t-shirt for your Dad! They also do board shorts, flip flops and bikinis too as well as anything else you might need for the beach! Right next door there is a jewelry shop where you can get your Pandora Charms and the like! You can't go wrong with those ;) I would also definitely recommend nipping up to Makai too which is a lovely little swimwear shop. The sell big name brands such as San Lorenzo and KC. My favorite shop and definitely worth a look at.

Lone dolphin in Five Island Harbor

If you're on a sailing vacation in the Caribbean then Antigua is the perfect place for sailing and Christmas is the best time for it too! We will have the 'Christmas winds' which normally blow from the East at around 15-20 knots. Turtle spotting is one of the best things to do whilst you're sailing! On the odd, lucky occasion you may even spot dolphins. The last time we saw one was when we were sailing through Five Islands. He was just a dolphin on his own but he stayed with us for a long time! I'm sure this is also the same dolphin who comes past our villa in the mornings to eat the fish in the marina!..

I'm sure that if you're in the Caribbean for Christmas then you will have an amazing time no matter what you do! Enjoy those mince pies with sandy feet, salty hair and wonderful ocean views! Happy Christmas!

Morris Bay - Antigua

We welcome the Orana 44 to our fleet!

We have recently welcomed 'Jioia 2' to our Caribbean fleet here in Antigua! She is a beautiful Orana 44'. With 3 double cabins, 2 single cabins and 3 heads she is the perfect Catamaran for you and your family.

Jioia 2 - The Orana 44!

Jioia is a 44 foot catamaran with a fridge, freezer and air conditioning making her perfect for those family adventures around Antigua. However if you wanted to go out into the beautiful blue Caribbean seas to go in search of Antigua's neighboring islands, Jioia will look after you perfectly. Her 3 double cabins are pure comfort with their light, open, airy spaces. Jioia also has 2 single cabins forward for those mischievous teenagers who like explore. They also have full access to the A/C so are just as light and airy as the double cabins! The large saloon offers you double doors out onto her spacious cockpit with a big saloon table surrounded with comfortable seats to sit back, relax and enjoy the views from, or alternatively, you can take a wander up onto her enormous fore deck and look out from her comfy trampolines with a yummy cocktail in hand and watch those delightful blue seas pass you by. Don't forget to turtle watch!

Another delicious sunset from Jioia's foredeck!

All in all if you're looking for that relaxing vacation with permanent ice in your drinks and the ultimate comfort Jioia is the Catamaran for you! With her spacious decks she is the perfect sailing boat to accommodate your kayaks, paddleboards and hammocks! Don't forget your snorkel gear either! Chartering a boat like Jioia will allow you to get in close to the shore to explore all of Antigua's underwater marine life! From shipwrecks to coral reefs, Antigua has it all!

If you're interested in chartering Jioia 2 don't hesitate to get in touch, either by phone or email and we will be happy to assist you!

Horizon Yacht Charters (Antigua)
Toll free:  +1 (866) 439 1089
Tel:  +1 (268) 562 4725
Skype:  jackieashford1

Our sailors supporting local donkeys in Antigua

At the beginning of each charter season we select an Antigua based charity for our very generous guest donations.  Most guests are happy to donate US$20 per charter towards the charity of our choice.  This year, we have decided to support the brilliant work of THE DONKEY SANCTUARY; part of the Antigua & Barbuda Humane Society.

Well cared for donkeys

I took a quick trip out to meet Carol, the Shelter Manager, and importantly to meet the real stars of the show - the donkeys!  They are located just outside of the village Bethesda - the countryside of Antigua.

There are a staggering 160 donkeys living at the Sanctuary, and each of them have names!  I was lucky enough to meet the rock star of all donkeys "Stevie".  Stevie is a blind donkey but his senses are so heightened he knows exactly when a new jenny (female donkey) comes to town!

Stevie the rock star donkey

The Sanctuary is set on around 35 acres of breezy land with it's own souvenir shop and donkey wall of fame - just a 20 minute ride from Jolly Harbour Marina and our base.  There is also an infirmary for those donkeys who need special love and attention.  As I was there during the hottest part of the day, some of the chaps were liming under the trees.  They don't seem to mind the sun but they get quite cross when it rains, apparently!

Chilling out under the shade of the trees

I was fortunate enough to see some young donkeys, too.  Donkeys live to the ripe old age of 50 - I believe this is twice as long as a horse.  They have a full medical check when they arrive and their teeth are the clue to their age and general health.  Donations go towards the vet bills, feed etc.

Relax - it's donkey land in Antigua!

If you are on charter with us in Antigua, I would encourage anyone with a love of animals to visit The Sanctuary here in Antigua; it's heartwarming to have a donkey lean up against you so that he gets a scratch of the head and a kind word.  Make it part of your island tour next time you are cruising Antigua.

Learning to sail without oilskins and four layers of clothing - hello Antigua!

I was recently back in the UK during Cowes Classic Week and boy did I know it!  Although I didn't get to race and enjoy the bracing (!) Solent breeze, I was amazed at the amount of clothing the crews were wearing just to keep warm.  The rain certainly didn't help, I'm sure!

That is not to say there aren't beautiful UK sailing days; I just got unlucky with my timing.  Now, this is all well and good for the likes of Musto and Slam; both doing a roaring trade with new oilskin sales and extra warm neck scarves (I know, I own about four!), it doesn't always offer the 'new to sailing' adventurers the best total experience.

Palm tree-lined beaches await you

Flying back to Antigua's steady temperatures of between 26 and 34 degrees Celsius, I thought I'd encourage more sailors from the UK (and possibly Canada who tend to get quite a short sailing season up there) to come and experience this kind of sailing with us here in Antigua.

The biggest difference, apart from the temperature of the air and sea, is the fact that it is non-tidal here. So, if that's always been a concern of yours, you will love sailing here.  We do get a range of about 12 inches which is nothing to the multiple feet you experience in places such as Chichester Harbour.

Racing in the UK - our craft - note blue sky!

At this time of year, the water temperature is a very pleasant 82 degrees I was told yesterday.  It doesn't quite feel bath-like, but it's certainly very pleasant for a splash around with your noodle and a cold Carib on a Sunday afternoon after a day on the water.

Some of you may have taken courses in the Med where you can get quite flooky wind.  I remember heading out to race a few years ago in Chichester Harbour and it was looking like a perfect Force 3. Well, by the time the hooter went for the start we were hanging on for dear life and pretending to have fun!

Here in Antigua, we tend to get around 15 - 20 knots and always from the East (ish).  It always makes people smile when I print the weather forecast for our charter guests and they see a steady stream of arrows from the right depicting the Easterlies.  Some people, new to the Caribbean, will ask me if the wind is greater in the morning or the evening and I have to say that it doesn't really change.

Sailing our Bavaria 33 "Vixen" from Barbuda to Antigua

I personally think that Antigua offers the best of all worlds if you are considering a 'new to sailing" or "discover sailing" charter experience.  You can choose to stay on the protected west coast which is the Caribbean Sea, you can also work on your passage planning skills by sailing up to our sister island of Barbuda, or you could even explore the coastline with a trip to the East coast of Antigua which takes you into slightly bigger seas at times.

Whatever you decide sailing Antigua, you won't need your cosy neck scarves or oilskins!