| Jolly Beach Resort on the island of Antigua hugs a curved band of beach punctuated by Little Barbuda and slightly larger Antigua make up a two-island nation in the Caribbean. Follow your finger eastward and slightly south of Puerto Rico to find them. Scenic as it may be, Jolly Beach is only one of over 300 beaches on Antigua. In democratic fashion, each is open to the public whether you’re Eric Clapton or a T-shirt vendor. Mr. Clapton has a residence on Antigua and he also started a rehab center on the island. Apparently Christopher Columbus never set foot on Antigua. I was surprised to hear that, since so many of the islands rush to claim him. He selected the name and went about his business. Ah, what’s an explorer to do, so many islands, so little time!
I had jerk chicken from the grill, a dish I’ve attempted to reproduce at home, with little success. My jerk chicken was raw inside, yet charred on the outside. Theirs was done to perfection and spicy enough to make my lips tingle. It was necessary to sip two glasses of frozen pina colada to even out the flavors. Not a hardship. Morning coffee tastes infinitely better with an ocean view. Back home the colored leaves were falling fast, but not on Antigua, all plant life was abundantly green from brief, refreshing showers. Jolly Dive shop operates at the resort and frequents a spot called Cade’s Reef. The shop We arrived on the evening of November first, the date for their annual Independence Day celebration. Twenty-five years ago, in 1981, they separated from the British. Afternoon tea and cricket are still in evidence and a high percentage of visitors come from the U.K. Driving is on the left, another vestige of English Colonialism. In fact, British carriers have direct flights where you step on a plane in often-overcast London and step off into the brilliant sunshine of Antigua. That first breath of warm island air must be intoxicating. Island excursions usually include an area known as Shirley Heights on the south coast-named for a former Governor Thomas Shirley. The combination harbor-mountain-sky views can overload the senses. Throw in the fine yachts and sailing vessels moored in harbor, and it’s easy to imagine jet-setters (or maybe James Bond) popping in for Antigua Sailing week held in April. Our open-air jeep tour lasted from 8:30 to 3:00 including a meal and swimming stop. During lunch we happened to see four cows ambling along the beach. That was a new one! Forget the worry about stingrays, watch out for the cow pies in the sand. Local driver/guide Elmo was at the wheel. Elmo had a natural wit. He kept us laughing as well as bouncing along the narrow roads, calling out funny greetings to every female we encountered. The sound and light show at Dow’s Hill Interpretive Center (on the way to Shirley Heights) encapsulates Antigua’s entire history into a fifteen minute time span. Visitors sit on swivel chairs as the show moves around the room. Colors are definite in Antigua; nothing wishy-washy. The blues are profound, whether the aquamarine of the ocean or deep sky blue. Greens are the shade of new spring grass. History is an interest of mine, thus I was eager to see Nelson’s Dockyard. The Dockyard officially re-opened in 1961 however restoration appears to be on-going. The petite tour guide said Admiral Nelson didn’t care for the island and the feelings were mutual. He preferred his cramped quarters aboard ship. Nelson should have stripped off his thick military garb and chilled-out with a long, refreshing swim. One morning was set aside for a trip to the capital city of St. John’s. The resort has a shuttle to town and the drive takes about 25 minutes with the return at noon. Don’t expect to see any high-rise structures in this capital city; most are smallish, mom-and-pop style establishments. Once there, I trekked to the small cemetery outside St. John’s cathedral. The cemetery was quiet and soothing. A number of the grave markers were tilting or completely fallen over. Yet the picture they presented was exquisite, like Venice where decay is significant to the sum total. More like a city park, residents sat on tomb slabs as if they were park benches. A lime-green lizard draped himself upside down over the tombstone of Samuel Smith, who departed his island life in 1758. His round bead eyes watched me with the calm assurance of long-term resident who knows no threat among the souls in the churchyard. He held his spot, I left to explore. For more information go to: www.jollybeachresort.com Kathryn Lemmon is a freelance travel writer and regular contributor to The Traveler. Visit her website at KathrynLemmon.com Back to TheTraveler.
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palms on the Southwest coast. At either end, verdant peaks contribute definition, as nearby islands vie for attention. As a visual package, it’s the tropical daydream people imagine when they tune-out their boss on a bad work day.
The resort is an all-inclusive property offering a variety of water activities, plus five restaurants. Reservations are required for their three specialty options, but the international buffet is open daily, no reservations needed. Lunch time until mid-afternoon, the Coconut Grill operates poolside.
offers a “resort training course” for beginners or can take certified divers. The daily sea creature report from my diving spouse included an Eagle ray, large barrel sponges, shark, octopus and huge lobsters.