Antigua is a rather small island, so it’s rather hard to find places that do not primarily cater to tourists. However, the following places and activities (though maybe a farther trek than popular destinations) promise a far less crowded experience and taste of a more genuine, down-to-earth Antigua .
Fig Tree Drive is a scenic road that winds through the middle of the island. One of the few places to see Antigua in all of its former tropical-forest greenery, the road also takes you around some of the few “mountains” in an otherwise flat plane. Just a note, the fig trees for which the drive is named are actually bananas, a misnomer that came about when the two words were mixed up. The drive takes you away from tourist lodges to a bunch of smaller villages that are as far away from town as you can get.
Jumby Bay is a small island just a short boat ride off the coast. It boasts beautifully white sand, and crystal clear water visible to depths of over 12 feet. Because the entire island is privately owned, it offers tourists a surprising amount of isolation, but also boasts a hefty fee.
The Nook is a tiny local eatery in St. John’s that makes “the best meat patties on the island.” For those who do not know what a meat patty is, order one and find out.
One of the benefits of the fact that mass tourism has not yet come to Antigua is that there are relatively few tourists there. The beaches are very clean and usually not over crowded.
For more information about the above destinations, please refer to the following websites: