Having been to Antigua a few times we need a new adventure. Today we aim to achieve five beaches, all near enough but a good walk nevertheless. As we leave we notice a school-group about to visit the neighbouring AIDAdiva - a great experience for them. We head out of town past the bus station we used last time - a bus to English Harbour - and turn right. Our path takes us right past Quest, parked just meters away, but yet inaccessible across the water, and continue around the headland.
We’ve found before that the people here are super-friendly, and within a mile a lady stops to offer us a lift, which we decline since the object of the day is to walk, but it speaks volumes. We follow the road past a ruined windmill left over from the sugar plantations and just keep on going to Pensioner’s Beach the first on the list. Now it’s much more countrified as we go off the main road.
Annoyingly two of the beaches we aim for are marked “no trespassing” where an hotel or housing complex has managed to claim the rights, but we continue as planned towards a fort I’ve identified as a destination.
Although named by Columbus much earlier, Antigua was colonised by the Brits in 1632 and for a long time it was a very important part of the empire. Briefly stolen by the French in 1666, it was soon recovered. Barrington fort was important to the defences of the island, and we clamber up the hillside to take a look around.
We wander down the Deep Bay beach knowing that the Royalton Hotel is built across the end, but maybe we can still get out. There are a lot of party boats at the public part before it becomes the hotel. A not-so-friendly security guard won’t let us use the exit, even though we’re already here - probably isn’t an Antiguan! So we walk back the way we came, it’s a nice beach-walk anyway.
Continuing round we arrive at Five Islands village, where the din of a school playground is very noticeable. From here we drop down to our final beach at Galley Bay. Here the attitude is completely different, there is a guard who explains that we’re welcome, but the Galley Bay hotel is very private and they don’t have a public bar or restaurant - which is fine as we don’t need anything.
We walk the length of the gorgeous beach and back, at the northern end we can see Giorgio Armani’s massive house looking down from the headland where a small collection of super-posh homes are built - and one is for sale on Savills for only US$3.5m - it would be triple the price in Tenerife.
Walking back through Five Islands we pass the local church, observe the football pitch has been invaded then head off back home having had a fabulous walk and earned some credits in the calorie bank for the day. It’s a good view of St John’s harbour - very deep and able to sustain quite a few ships in one go.
Quest has been like the Marie Celeste this afternoon. Absolutely no idea why, could it be everyone is exhausted? Or because we’re here until quite late there are several afternoon and an evening excursion to partake? Or maybe everyone is resting in advance of caviar in the surf tomorrow? Whichever way we’ve had our own pool, own jacuzzi and personal service from David, Richard and the bar team - wonderful!
The evening menu in MDR is good so we go for shrimp risotto and seafood tartare / squash soup and Dover sole / quail / cheese / banana split and pb & chocolate bar - all very good.
On deck tonight is the oldest / longest formed steel band in the world. Their energy and enthusiasm is incredible, the music is great and it’s quite a spectacle.
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