From beach to beach in Antigua
Silky sands, ribbons of aquamarine sea and a legendary harbour await at this stunning slice of paradise
Alex Nemetz was new to this Caribbean island. And he was setting up a roadside restaurant that potentially could eat into his neighbours’ profits.
“I’d go ask for something at the store and tell people what I needed and they’d say, ‘Oh, go here or go there.’ We got advice from people in the restaurant business, telling us which suppliers to use and which to avoid.” Nemetz shakes his head in wonder. “They were so helpful. I’m not sure that would happen everywhere.”
Nemetz and his wife, Ildi Nagy, are like a lot of folks who visit the Caribbean; they dreamed about chucking their lives in the dreary cold of Central Europe and living in what many people would call paradise. But they decided to act on it. Nemetz left his job in advertising-marketing in Vienna and he and his wife, who hails from Budapest, emigrated.
They took over a roadside place in southwest Antigua called Shell’s Fish and Chips. It came complete with a fire-engine-red 1959 British double-decker bus and a sign that resembles something from the London Underground, which says “Fish Stop.” There are funky, old seats you can sit in with tables if you want to be indoors. Visitors from Canada and California have taken the liberty of scrawling messages on the walls and ceiling of the bus, such as “I’m married to fish and chips.”
Nemetz said he went to London for nearly two weeks and ate fish and chips every day to find out what works. His shop makes a pretty good version, along with mushy peas and other treats. And, if you don’t want to sit indoors, he’s got a lovely, shaded area with picnic tables, palm trees, lovely flowers and white lights at night.
Antigua is a destination famous for its slogan: “A beach for every day of the year.”
When the next day dawns bright and clear, I hop in a rental car and take off down the left side of the road, passing homes painted in powder blue and mint green.
I’m determined to see as many of the 365 beaches as I can.
My plans are quickly dashed. Having “suffered” through a day-and-ahalf of inclement weather, I take advantage of the aquamarine surf at Valley Church Beach with a quick dip, then hop behind the wheel of my rental wearing nothing but a damp bathing suit and a T-shirt. This is my idea of a real driving trip.
I swing past a huge curve in the road in southwest Antigua and cross a narrow causeway, only to be confronted by Darkwood Beach. I get my second brief swim of the day and I only have 363 beaches left.
I turn past Turner’s beach and rumble toward the small village of Urlings. High on a hill, I look back and see a breathtaking display. On my right, far below my feet, past a thick growth of green, jungly-looking plants and pink flowers, and see a long beach pointing out towards the west in the direction of what I think is Montserrat. To my left is a sheer face looking down at a cliff. The coastline zigs and zags and forms hidden coves. Onward I drive.
I turn onto Fig Tree Drive and spot a sign for something called the Fig Tree Gallery. The parking area is about the size of a walk-in closet, but I pull in and spot a lovely green-white-and-orange sign pointing towards a small chalet in the same colours, surrounded by a beautiful garden with riotously pink wild ginger plants.
Sallie Harker, the gallery owner, tells me most of the paintings are from artists in Antigua. Other works are from the Dominican Republic, St. Vincent or other Caribbean islands.
I admire her work, which is somewhat abstract. I also notice some paintings of Canada geese.
“A lot of people come in and say, ‘Ugh, the geese are so messy,’ ” Harker explains. “But I just love the markings they have.”
My real destination, if I have one on this clear and warm and breezy day, is to see the harbour at Falmouth and the overview at Shirley Heights, where they have a legendary Sunday night sunset party. (I missed this the night before because of heavy rains and cloud cover.)
I’m determined to see it during the day, and I’m rewarded with great views of the harbour, one that legendary British naval hero Horatio Nelson made famous as his Caribbean base for years. I don’t have time for the video and the interpretation centre, but the clifftop views at the ruins of an old blockhouse are tremendous, with hugely impressive views of rolling hills to the north and towering cliffs to the south.
Over at Shirley Heights, I soak up what might be one of the most stunning views in the Caribbean, if not the world.
You gaze down at a jigsaw-puzzle of an island; all jagged bays and rumpled, green hills flanking ribbons of blue and aquamarine sea, with brilliant white yachts floating in the bays as if in a dream. To top it all off, someone has thoughtfully planted brilliant pink and purple bougainvillea near the lookout, which helps you frame your photos with another ridiculous splash of colour.
On the way back, I stop to admire the view at the old blockhouse. It’s hot and I’m tired so I stop at a small, covered market area where they’re selling Cokes and water and T-shirts. And jewelry. I spot a nice, red necklace and tell the saleswoman it’s for my wife, who’s stuck back in Toronto with a broken ankle.
She gives me change and a cold Coke and wraps the necklace in a bag. As I walk away she calls out to me, “Hey, darlin’, tell your wife to get better!” Jim Byers contributes regularly to Star Travel. Email him at jim@jimbyerstravel.com or follow him on Twitter @jimbyerstravel. His trip was subsidized by Antigua Tourism.