This Caribbean Island Has New-Look Hotels, a Whole Month Devoted to Food, and 365 White-Sand Beaches

Sunset at Shirley Heights still stops people mid-conversation. Music drifts up the hill, the harbor below fills with sailboats catching the last light, and for a moment everyone is facing the same direction. Days in Antigua tend to start more quietly — long beach hours in Jolly Harbour, water flat and blue, the kind of afternoon where time stretches without asking anything of you. Evenings arrive slowly, often around a table, with dinner at Sheer Rocks unfolding over the sea, plates lingering, light fading almost imperceptibly.

That rhythm — beach, hilltop, table — is Antigua at its best. And this year, the island has more reasons than ever to step into it.

From new races and festivals to hotel transformations and fresh ways to explore the water, Antigua is having one of its most active, confident moments in years. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to return — or to finally see the island for the first time — this is it.

A Year That Feels Full

What makes Antigua stand out right now is how layered the experience feels. You can come for the beaches and end up staying for the calendar. Nearly every season brings a reason to be on the island, whether you’re drawn to sport, food, culture, or the simple pleasure of watching sails tack across turquoise water.

Spring opens with a new chapter in Antigua’s sailing story. The island, already home to legendary events like Antigua Sailing Week and the RORC Caribbean 600, adds the Antigua Racing Cup in April, a new multi-day regatta that leans into what Antigua does best: serious sailing set against a laid-back island backdrop. Even if you’re not racing, you feel it — the marinas buzzing, the bars filling at sunset, the sense that something is happening offshore.

An Island Built for Moving and Eating Well

Antigua isn’t just for watching. It’s for doing — and eating — and doing some more. April brings the AUA Rohrman Trail & Swim Fest, a two-day celebration of movement that blends trail running through Antigua’s interior with open-water swims in clear coastal bays. It’s designed for everyone from seasoned athletes to travelers who simply like to explore a destination on foot and in the water.

By May, the island shifts into flavor mode. Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month returns with a full slate of events built around local ingredients and Caribbean cooking, from “Eat Like a Local” experiences to a two-week-long Restaurant Week and the signature Food, Art and Beverage Festival. Visiting chefs with Antiguan roots join local talent, reinforcing what many travelers already know: Antigua’s food scene has quietly become one of the most interesting in the Caribbean.

Running the Coast, Celebrating the Streets

May also marks the tenth anniversary of Run in Paradise, a coastal running event that takes you along the island’s shoreline and through neighborhoods before finishing at Fort James Beach. It’s less about personal bests and more about seeing the island unfold step by step, with the sea never far from view.

Later in the summer, Antigua turns up the volume. Carnival season arrives from late July into early August, bringing steel pan, calypso, soca, and the iconic Parade of the Bands. For nearly two weeks, the island becomes a moving celebration — colorful, loud, joyful, and deeply rooted in history. Even if you don’t plan your trip around Carnival, being there as it builds is part of the fun.

A Cultural Scene That Keeps Expanding

Antigua’s creative energy now stretches well beyond music and festival season. In November, Antigua and Barbuda Art Week transforms the island into an open-air gallery, with exhibitions, studio tours, workshops, and live performances featuring dozens of local artists and returning members of the diaspora. It’s immersive and approachable, giving you a reason to explore neighborhoods and spaces you might otherwise miss.

At the same time, heritage experiences are getting new life. Friday evenings now offer more ways to see English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard through food, music, rum, and storytelling. Sunset at Shirley Heights has expanded beyond its famous Sunday gathering with a new Friday night party, giving you another reason to time your visit around golden hour.

New Places to Stay — and Old Favorites, Refreshed

Antigua’s hotel scene is evolving along with its calendar. A new boutique property, Moon Gate, is set to open, adding a contemporary, intimate option to the island’s luxury mix. Meanwhile, established icons are investing heavily in renewal. Hermitage Bay has completed a comprehensive refurbishment of its villas and spa spaces, while Curtain Bluff has upgraded suites and transformed its Seagrape Beach Restaurant with expanded beachfront dining and a new sunken bar.

These changes matter because they reflect a broader shift: Antigua is not standing still. It’s refining what it already does well.

New Ways to Be on the Water

Unsurprisingly for an island shaped by the sea, some of the most interesting additions are water-based. New transparent boat tours and crystal kayak experiences let you explore calm bays while watching marine life beneath you, offering a different perspective without even getting wet. It’s the kind of low-impact, high-reward experience that fits perfectly with Antigua’s natural setting.

Galley Bay Resort & Spa
Set on a wide, calm stretch of sand on a private peninsula, Galley Bay is one of Antigua’s most luxurious adults-only, all-inclusive resorts. The setting is low-rise and relaxed, with rooms spread along the beach and gardens that keep everything feeling open and unforced. You come here for days that revolve around the water, long lunches, and evenings that don’t need much planning. It’s a good fit if you want an easy, all-in stay that still feels authentically Antiguan.

Hammock Cove Antigua
Hammock Cove leans modern and indulgent, with standalone villas, private infinity-edge plunge pools, and wide views over the sea. The experience is adults-only and intentionally unhurried, built around privacy, personalized service, and destination-driven dining. This is where you stay if you want Antigua to feel like a retreat — one you never want to leave.

The Inn at English Harbour
Tucked into a quiet corner near Nelson’s Dockyard, The Inn at English Harbour offers one of the island’s most romantic and understated stays. Suites are spacious and serene, many with balconies overlooking the water, and the mood throughout is calm, elegant, and quietly confident. You’re close to historic sites, sailing culture, and some of the island’s best sunset views, making it a strong choice for couples who value atmosphere over flash.

Admiral’s Inn
Right in the heart of Antigua’s most historic harbor, Admiral’s Inn places you inside the island’s maritime story. Housed in restored dockyard buildings, the hotel overlooks the marina and English Harbour, with an energy that shifts from calm mornings to lively evenings. It’s ideal if you like being able to walk to bars, restaurants, and events, and want your stay to feel connected to Antigua’s sailing and social scene. But most of all, there’s just a very cool energy here — like you’re somehow traveling back in time and enjoying a cocktail with Admiral Nelson himself.

Why Antigua, Why Now

Antigua has always offered space — physical space, breathing room, room to wander. What makes this year different is how much is filling that space: events worth planning around, hotels worth revisiting, and experiences that go beyond the beach without ever losing sight of it.

If you’re looking for a Caribbean destination that feels active without feeling crowded, polished without losing its personality, Antigua makes a strong case right now. You come for the wind, the water, and the views. You stay because there’s always something else unfolding just down the coast.