Long Bay & the East

The east coast is Antigua's wilder, more natural face, where the island meets the open Atlantic. Centred on the village of Willikies in Saint Philip parish, this corner trades the sheltered calm of the west for trade-wind breezes, bigger skies and a rugged, windswept beauty. It is less developed than the rest of the island, which is exactly its appeal for travellers who want scenery, space and a sense of the real Antigua.

Despite facing the Atlantic, the swimming can be superb. Long Bay, just north of Willikies, is protected by a fringing reef that turns the water inside into a calm, shallow, brilliantly clear lagoon, ideal for snorkelling straight off the sand. Further down the coast, Half Moon Bay is a near-perfect crescent and a designated national park: a livelier surf at one end, calmer water at the other, and a beautiful, mostly undeveloped sweep of sand often rated among the finest in the Caribbean.

The east's signature sight is Devil's Bridge, a natural limestone arch on the windward point near Indian Town, where centuries of Atlantic swell have carved the rock and now blast spray through blowholes. Offshore, boats run to Green Island, an uninhabited nature reserve with empty beaches and excellent snorkelling, reachable on kayak and catamaran trips.

History sits close by too. The restored sugar windmill of Betty's Hope, one of the island's oldest plantations, lies a short drive inland and tells the story of Antigua's sugar era. Together these make the east a rewarding day's exploring even if you are staying elsewhere.

As a base, the east suits independent travellers with a hire car who value nature and quiet over nightlife and resort buzz. Accommodation is thinner here, so many people visit on a day trip from the north or the harbours of the south. Either way, the windward coast is worth a full day of your itinerary.