Follow the herd; and then sail Antigua & Barbuda

There's something magical about being at an anchorage with just you, a good book and the lapping of the water on the side of the hull.  For many, the lure of the beach bars is a thing of the past as they are increasingly finding that a little bit of peace and quiet is good for the soul.

There are so many hidden gems like that when you sail Antigua & Barbuda that it's hard to know where to start.  For me, Great Bird Island in the North Sound is a special place.  I love watching the birds fishing and the wading birds standing like statues pretending to be invisible to their prey.

Where is everybody?  North Sound Antigua and a myriad of offshore island to explore.  

For the perfect sailing vacation, a trip around the south west and south east of Antigua should not be missed.  Many people are surprised how long it takes to sail along the interesting coastline of Antigua and enjoy the change of pace from cove to cove.  For some reason the perception is that Antigua is a much smaller island than it actually is!

A beautiful spot on the east coast of Antigua is Nonsuch Bay and Green Island.  Green Island is an uninhabited island that is perfect for a beach lunch. If you have any energy, you could try your hand at kite surfing as you will be on the Atlantic side of the island with great breeze but perfectly protected by the reef.

Nonsuch Bay, east coast of Antigua - home to Green Island

From Nonsuch Bay, you head out the way you went in and sail north up to Barbuda.  Call ahead to Uncle Roddy to make sure he has plenty of fresh lobster to serve you when you arrive.  That and a cold beer to stay hydrated!

Uncle Roddy preparing delicious lobster lunch

Low Bay, Barbuda - 11 miles of paradise awaits

When you sail Antigua & Barbuda you certainly feel like you are part of something special.  You'll be mixing with the locals and learning more about their culture and way of life.  I think that's what travel is all about; that and getting away from the herd.

Follow your own herd and sail Antigua & Barbuda.  We have a last minute yacht open for a Thanksgiving Week sailing charter so do get in touch.

Horizon Yacht Charters
Email: info@antiguahorizon.com
Tel:  +1 (268) 562 4725
Skype:  jackieashford1

What lies beyond the beach in Antigua & Barbuda?

Antigua & Barbuda has developed such a strong marketing position and earned a reputation for it's stunning beaches (all 365 of them, but who's counting?) that some of our sailing guests forget to explore beyond the beach when they come cruising these Caribbean islands.  If you've never sailed these waters, you might want to dip into a brief summary here.

So, what lies beyond?

What I personally love about living and sailing in Antigua is the wildlife and the rich heritage of these Caribbean islands.  The wildlife in particular is simply wonderful.  I've lost track of the number of pictures of hummingbirds I've taken in 9 years but I think this one below if my favorite.  This chap comes along every sunset when I get home in the evening to enjoy some sugar water - a bit like a hummingbird Happy Hour in Antigua!  You can buy hummingbird feeders right here in the Marina, so perhaps take one with you next time you are sailing Antigua.  You can pick one up with your provisioning when you're at the market here.

Hummingbird Happy Hour in Antigua

When I leave Jolly Harbour Marina to run errands in town, it's always rewarding seeing a farmer galloping along at speed on his preferred mode of transport - the Antiguan donkey.  I have a particular fondness for donkey's as a lovely lady I know in Australia used to breed them and had her own sanctuary.  We also have a donkey sanctuary right here in Antigua that is definitely worth a visit if you have enough time; especially great if you have kids on your sailing trip and they may not want to sail every day.  This picture below was actually taken in Nelson's Dockyard during the Antigua Yacht Charter Show last December.  Not sure of the relevance of a donkey at a Boat Show but it added some authenticity to the event!  He/She seemed totally ambivalent to the millions of dollars tied up on the dock.

Happy donkey ambivalent to the mega yachts around him.

If I photograph hummingbirds like they're going out of fashion, then lizards come a close second in my photograph albums.  What I like about lizards is that they eat mosquito's which makes them heroes in my book.  When you're sailing the Caribbean - in particular Antigua & Barbuda with its laid back charm - it's nice to step away from the computer, laptop, DVD, iPad and just watch nature at its best. If you're now tempted to explore sailing Antigua & Barbuda, do check our special offers from time to time as we quite often have some great last minute deals.  

Lizard keeping the mosquito population down in Antigua.

For my next blog, I'm going to share with you some of my "heritage-rich" photographs that I've taken around Antigua & Barbuda.  The heritage experience here is not like the States or the UK that is super polished; here you can be hiking on a trail and stumble upon an old sugar mill, or an old school dating back to 1879.

In Antigua & Barbuda, you don't have to step very far off the beach to enjoy wonderful wildlife and enjoy an experience that is uniquely Antigua.  Take a look at some of our sample sailing itineraries right here.