American Airlines Just Doubled Its Miami Flights to This Caribbean Island With 365 Beaches, Luxury All-Inclusives and Historic Harbors

American Airlines is now flying twice daily from Miami to Antigua, making it easier to plan a vacation around private plunge pools, white-sand beaches, English Harbour and some of our favorite places to stay in the Caribbean.

The private plunge pools at Hammock Cove. The colorful hillside cottages at Cocobay. The remarkable beachfront setting at Galley Bay. The historic stone buildings of Nelson’s Dockyard, where you can sleep in a centuries-old hotel overlooking one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful harbors. Antigua has an extraordinary variety of vacation experiences, and now American Airlines is giving travelers more ways to get there.

The airline began operating two daily nonstop flights between Miami and Antigua on Oct. 5, doubling its regular daily frequency on the route. That means more choices for South Florida travelers and more connecting opportunities for passengers coming through Miami from across the United States. It’s a particularly welcome development for an island where you can spend four nights at a luxury all-inclusive, explore a historic sailing town or discover a different beach every day.

American Airlines Now Has Two Daily Flights to Antigua

The new schedule gives American Airlines two nonstop departures every day between Miami International Airport and Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport, with flights taking approximately three and a half hours.

The additional frequency is especially useful for travelers connecting through Miami, one of American’s largest hubs. With two departures instead of one, there are more opportunities to coordinate connections and plan shorter Caribbean vacations, depending on the available schedule.

It’s part of a broader expansion of American Airlines’ Caribbean network from Miami, which is also bringing additional flights to destinations including St Kitts, Exuma, San Juan and Tortola.

And Antigua is particularly well suited to the added service. The island is relatively compact, its leading resorts are spread across several distinctive coastlines, and there are enough beaches, restaurants and historic attractions to make every visit different.

The Resorts We Love in Antigua

One of our favorite things about Antigua is the range of places to stay. The island has become one of the Caribbean’s most compelling luxury all-inclusive destinations, with everything from intimate beachfront cottages to private-pool villas and classic resorts set directly on extraordinary stretches of sand.

Start with Cocobay, the adults-only all-inclusive perched above the turquoise water of Antigua’s west coast. Its colorful wooden cottages climb a hillside overlooking the sea, and some accommodations come with private plunge pools and expansive decks. We’ve long loved the views here, particularly from the higher hillside cottages, where the water seems to stretch endlessly toward the horizon.

The resort is also home to Sheer Rocks, the celebrated cliffside restaurant with its own plunge pools and extraordinary coastal setting. It’s a destination in its own right, and another reason Cocobay is such an appealing choice for a romantic Antigua vacation. We recently featured Cocobay’s spectacular private plunge-pool accommodations.

Then there’s Galley Bay Resort & Spa, one of the island’s great adults-only all-inclusives. The resort occupies a beautiful stretch of white sand on Antigua’s western coast, with low-rise accommodations, tropical gardens and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. We particularly love the beachfront rooms, where you can step outside and find yourself just moments from the Caribbean Sea.

It’s the sort of resort where the beach becomes the center of the entire vacation, with long swims, leisurely lunches and evenings that unfold without much planning.

Hammock Cove offers another version of Antigua luxury. This adults-only all-inclusive near Devil’s Bridge is made up entirely of private-pool villas, each with its own terrace and sweeping views. The resort’s personalized ambassador service and ambitious culinary program are central to the experience, making it one of our favorite choices for a couples’ getaway.

We’ve included both Galley Bay and Hammock Cove among the standout properties in our guide to Antigua’s hotels, beaches and experiences.

English Harbour and the Magic of Nelson’s Dockyard

But Antigua isn’t just about its resorts. One of the island’s most rewarding experiences is a visit to English Harbour, the historic sailing community on the southern coast.

This is the home of Nelson’s Dockyard, the beautifully preserved Georgian naval complex that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old stone buildings, wooden shutters, waterfront restaurants and yachts moored along the quays create an atmosphere unlike almost anywhere else in the Caribbean.

You can spend the morning exploring the dockyard’s historic buildings and museum, stop for lunch overlooking the harbor and then head up to Shirley Heights for one of the most famous panoramic views in the region. From the hilltop, English Harbour and neighboring Falmouth Harbour stretch out below, with green hills, anchored yachts and the Caribbean Sea forming an extraordinary backdrop.

And one of our favorite places to stay is right inside the dockyard itself.

The Admiral’s Inn & Gunpowder Suites occupies restored historic buildings around Nelson’s Dockyard, combining centuries-old architecture with intimate accommodations, waterfront dining and a swimming pool overlooking the harbor. Staying here means being able to walk out of your room and straight into one of the Caribbean’s most fascinating historic districts.

It’s a completely different Antigua experience from a beachfront all-inclusive, and one we highly recommend. We’ve explored the property in our feature on the historic hotels inside Nelson’s Dockyard.

English Harbour is also one of Antigua’s great dining and sailing destinations, with restaurants, bars and marinas that give the area a lively atmosphere throughout the winter season.

The Southwest Coast and Sugar Ridge

Another part of Antigua we particularly enjoy is the southwest coast, where the hills rise above beautiful stretches of sand at Valley Church, Ffryes and Jolly Beach.

This is also the home of Sugar Ridge, the hillside destination that was once known for its boutique resort. The hotel itself is no longer operating, but the property has evolved into a residential community with an increasingly interesting dining scene.

Rokuni, the Asian-inspired restaurant from Rocks Group, has relocated to Sugar Ridge, while the newer Roca café and gourmet market adds another reason to visit the hillside. It’s an appealing stop during a day exploring the southwest coast, particularly if you’re combining lunch or dinner with time on the nearby beaches.

The setting is part of the attraction, with the hills overlooking one of Antigua’s most beautiful stretches of coastline. And with Cocobay, Valley Church Beach and Jolly Harbour nearby, it’s easy to make an entire afternoon of exploring this part of the island.

365 Beaches, and Plenty of Reasons to Explore

Antigua is famous for its 365 beaches, the wonderfully memorable idea of having a beach for every day of the year. And while the number has become part of the island’s identity, what makes Antigua special is the variety of its coastline.

There’s Dickenson Bay, with its long stretch of white sand, calm water and beachfront restaurants. There’s Half Moon Bay, a spectacular Atlantic-facing crescent framed by green hills. There’s Pigeon Point Beach near English Harbour, a favorite for swimming and relaxing after a morning exploring the dockyard.

On the west coast, Ffryes and Darkwood offer brilliant turquoise water and wide stretches of sand, while the northeast coast has its own beautiful coves and reef-protected bays.

We’ve long recommended exploring Antigua beyond the resort, because even a short drive can reveal another beautiful beach, a roadside restaurant or a completely different view of the island.

And that’s what makes the new American Airlines service so appealing.

Why Antigua Is an Especially Good Caribbean Vacation Right Now

Two daily nonstop flights from Miami give travelers more flexibility to experience an island that offers an unusually broad collection of vacations.

You can spend four nights in a private-pool villa at Hammock Cove, choose a romantic hillside cottage at Cocobay or settle into a beachfront room at Galley Bay. You can stay in the middle of history at the Admiral’s Inn, spend an afternoon exploring English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard or head to the southwest coast for lunch at Sugar Ridge and a swim at Ffryes Beach.

You can also combine experiences: a few days at an all-inclusive followed by a night or two in English Harbour, or a beach-focused vacation with a day spent exploring the island’s restaurants, historic sites and sailing culture.

We’ve been traveling to Antigua for years, and the combination of beaches, hotels and distinctive experiences continues to make it one of our favorite Caribbean destinations.

Now American Airlines is making the journey easier, with two daily flights from Miami that began Oct. 5.

The only difficult part may be deciding which Antigua vacation to have first.