Which Beach? So Conflicted

[aeneas3]

not rocky made up from mostly shells but very nice.Took public bus there ($1.50 per person)maybe 15 to 20 minute ride

 

this is likely what we are going to do next week.

 

still ok to walk on i assume :) were the shells too much? 4 year will be with us so do not want a beach crazy shelly.

[Host Kewlguy]

this is likely what we are going to do next week.

 

still ok to walk on i assume :) were the shells too much? 4 year will be with us so do not want a beach crazy shelly.

 

You may also want to consider Jolly Beach which has many less shells.

[Lard Greystoke]

So I have a follow up question. My Husband now would like to go to Dennis' for lunch. Since it is located next to Ffryes Beach, would you recommend going to Ffryes beach? Or maybe one of the ones nearby with more stuff like Valley Church or Darkwood?

 

Maybe hit Valley Church or Darkwood in the morning, then Dennis', then Ffryes after lunch, or vice versa?

 

Would we need to arrange with a cab to go to there different spots in advance, or will we be able to find one when we need one?

 

We are in port from 7a till 6p.

 

--Janna

 

You have plenty of time. There are two Ffrye's beaches: Small Ffryes to north and Big Ffryes to south. Big Ffryes is better. The restaurant was on the north end of Big Ffryes last time I went. Both beaches were essentially deserted. This was several years ago, and I saw some construction underway behind Big Ffrye's. There were not taxis waiting at either beach.

 

Darkwood is immediately to the south of Big Ffrye's, around a headland. The beaches along this stretch are all separated by headlands, which mean you have to cut inland and walk a quarter to half mile around the road. Doable, but it tends to be hot.

 

There are (or were) more facilities at Darkwood.

[steve ch]

So I have a follow up question. My Husband now would like to go to Dennis' for lunch. Since it is located next to Ffryes Beach, would you recommend going to Ffryes beach? Or maybe one of the ones nearby with more stuff like Valley Church or Darkwood?

 

Maybe hit Valley Church or Darkwood in the morning, then Dennis', then Ffryes after lunch, or vice versa?

 

Would we need to arrange with a cab to go to there different spots in advance, or will we be able to find one when we need one?

 

We are in port from 7a till 6p.

 

--Janna

 

You can walk to Dennis' restaurant and both Ffryes beaches from Valley Church. Just go around the back of CocoBay Resort. It takes about 15-20 minutes from the south end of Valley Church beach to Dennis'.

[jannam]

Thanks! Getting ready to board the ship this morning. Thanks for the info.

 

--Janna

[jannam]

Just wanted to follow up with a report on our stop. We took a taxi to Dennis' and had a fantastic lunch. Both the Red Snapper and chicken and shrimp in Caribbean sauce were very, very good.

 

We were trying to decide if we should go to Valley Church or Darkwood and Dennis mentioned that we could just stay there at Ffryes and use the chairs and umbrellas they had there. This ended up being fabulous. I don't know how it compares to the other beaches, but it was beautiful and there were only 2-4 other people on the beach. it was like our own private beach.

 

Overall, it was a great day. Thanks for all the help!

[Host Kewlguy]

Just wanted to follow up with a report on our stop. We took a taxi to Dennis' and had a fantastic lunch. Both the Red Snapper and chicken and shrimp in Caribbean sauce were very, very good.

 

We were trying to decide if we should go to Valley Church or Darkwood and Dennis mentioned that we could just stay there at Ffryes and use the chairs and umbrellas they had there. This ended up being fabulous. I don't know how it compares to the other beaches, but it was beautiful and there were only 2-4 other people on the beach. it was like our own private beach.

 

Overall, it was a great day. Thanks for all the help!

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed your day in Antigua. You really can't go wrong with any of the beaches in that vicinity.

[aeneas3]

just wanted to give you guys a little run down on our experience at valley church. One word - awesome!

 

The port is very nice. We walked up to market street (careful - the streets are not always marked! - ask the locals if you have to) and took a right and walked to the bus station. The bus station is right next to the market. 5-10 minute walk.

 

We waited about 15 minutes as the bus #22 filled with other tourists and students. It is $1.50 each way per person, he collected when we were ready to go from everyone including the locals. We stopped at the state college and some other places for people to get on and off.

 

The total bus ride was about 25 minutes or so, maybe a little longer. We were dropped off right at the entrance to the beach and walked about 5 minutes down the dirt road and beach to nest. Prices have gone up! $20 for 2 chairs and an umbrella - this is more than st. maarten! The beach is beautiful!!!! The water was warm. The surf was rougher than I expected but just high waves, nothing crazy. It reminded me of an more gentle than average day on a beach in NJ where I grew up but rougher than the usual Caribbean. The water is MILKY so do not plan to snorkel here. The beach was shellier than most other beaches but no so bad that it hurt to walk on it. There is a shelf of shells in the water so be careful but that was not bad either.

 

Nest is more expensive that prior reviews suggest but still reasonable and very tasty. The jerk chicken was awesome.

 

All in all we had a great time and I would definitely go back if there were not so many beaches in antigua to check out!

 

Of note, we decided to take the taxi back so as to not wait out on the road in the hot sun for the bus for who knows how long- it was $8 per person.

[Host Kewlguy]

Prices have gone up! $20 for 2 chairs and an umbrella - this is more than st. maarten!

 

That's too bad about the price increase. It's now as expensive as Jolly Beach. It use to be $5.00 each for the chairs and umbrellas. I guess since the beach has become very popular lately that would explain it. If you get there early there are some shady spots under the trees, therefore you wouldn't need the umbrella and can save $10.00.

[petepie]

Went to Valley Church last week on a day when there were 4 ships in port (Celebrity Summit, RCL Serenade, Carnival Valor, Caribbean Princess) and it is not exactly a secret beach - there must have been 400 people there! The beach is beautiful and long, the water was calm & warm, and there were great piles of beautiful seashells that had washed up to look through. So it was a great day, but definitely not the secluded beach that we were expecting. We paid $8pp each way, and taxis were there all day long to take people back to the ships. The Nest was the beach bar, had chairs & umbrella ($20 for 2 chairs + 1 umbrella), bathrooms that were clean, and changing areas.

[dapaddo]

which of these beaches has calm waters so the will not knock over our mother.

[petepie]

Although Valley Church was calm, there was about a 18" drop right at the waterline that some people were having trouble getting over when trying to get out of the water. If it's like that all the time, someone with mobility issues would need help (a boost from behind or pull from above) to get out of the water.

[SASA13]

Although Valley Church was calm, there was about a 18" drop right at the waterline that some people were having trouble getting over when trying to get out of the water. If it's like that all the time, someone with mobility issues would need help (a boost from behind or pull from above) to get out of the water.

 

You are 100% correct. The drop down was unexpected, and the climb out was a little tough. Many Many people had to be pulled up, or they just crawled out on their hands and knees. I found the beach to be very beautiful, but the number of people trying to sell you their wares was insane. Every 5 minutes someone would walk by and start showing you their scarves, jewelry etc. etc. and even when you said no thank you the first time, they kept coming back. Snorkling was little to none. Next time, we are going to try another beach.

[Brumar]

Long bay is our favorite. when facing water go to the right side and rent your chairs from the small hotel on that side. Nice beach , place to sit and eat and also shade.

longer ride from ship but worth it.valley beach is our second choice..

[SomewhereBeyondTheSea]

It's been years since I travelled to Antigua. The last time I was there, I purchased the AI pass at Jolly Beach. I'd love to go back, but can I go without purchasing the AI? If so, what is the best way to get there? Are there places to eat on this beach other then the resorts? I only remember the Jolly Beach Resort and Sandles.

 

We are traveling with 3 young kids (ages 3-8) and 5 adults. Open to all suggestions.