Anguilla vs Antigua
 

Hi - we are thinking of taking a vacation to the Caribbean sometime in November and have narrowed it down to either Antigua or Anguilla but are having a tough time deciding.

Can anyone out there who's been to both islands compare and contrast them for us to help make our decision?

Thinking of staying at the Sandals in Antigua or CapJuluca on Anguilla.
Thanks in advance!

I would rethink the Sandals choice in Antigua for a number of reasons: poor service, crowded busy beach with lots of vendors. Antigua is a a classic West Indian island with a British/colonial flavor to it. It's hilly and has lovely beaches and water. Anguilla is more user friendly, has a definite US flavor to it. The beaches are gorgeous. It will be more expensive than Antigua.

Big difference between those two islands and the two resorts you are looking at.

Anguilla is flat, arid and has little natural vegetation but it boast 35 of some of the best white sand beaches in the Caribbean, over 80 restaurants (again some among the best in the Caribbean) it's uncrowded and has very friendly locals. Cap Juluca is one of the premier resorts in the Caribbean (do you sense a pattern here?). This is an A+ island for those seeking a quite relaxing vacation.

Antigua is hilly but not very lush, more crowded than Anguilla, has lots of smaller beaches (some the size of "postage stamps"), lots of night life and casinos. It's a typical Caribbean island that many feel is neither a standout or a disappointment. I'd give it a C+ or a B. As for Sandals, it's a typical AI that can be found anywhere - there's no comparison to Cap Juluca - it's not even close.

Thanks for the feedback. We were aware of the difference in price between the 2 resorts i mentioned - that is one of the factors we are considering, as well as the differences between the island.

I would pick Anguilla any day!

Cap Jaluca on Anguilla is high on our list of places to go, but not having been there, I cannot comment other than what I've read. ....

However I want to say we have always loved Antigua and have been 3 times, twice to Sandals. The beach was not crowded in August or December, but there were vendors who didn't bother us once we politely said "no thank you". We always got great service there, as well as at the Sandals on St. Lucia. Our food was served well, drinks made to order, they remembered our names and what we liked to drink, went out of their way to help us...Maybe it's because everyone loves my husband!! You think?

That said, Anguilla seems ideal, but Antigua is great too.

Toppy - have you stayed at the Sandals Grande on St. Lucia? If so how would you compare it to Sandals Antigua? We stayed at the Grande right after it opened and had a terrific time (though part of that may have been because the place was pretty empty and we had the resort largely to ourselves!) Thanks

We stayed at the Sandals Regency on St. Lucia and had a great time. We visited the Grande, using their shuttle, for 3 whole days of beach activities and water sports plus the pool and lunch. We had a great time there too, and also returned for a dinner on one of the nights. The Regency was great except the beach was red-flagged the whole time we were there due to rough waters, and that was the reason for going to the Grande.
To compare it to Antigua, I would have to say we liked Antigua Sandals better, although we received the same great service at both resorts. So I cannot really say why Antigua is our favorite...perhaps it is the beautiful beach. We had great meals on both islands, and especially enjoyed eating lobster in Antigua. We also really enjoyed taking a bottle of champagne and glasses back to our room around 5 or so, to enjoy on our terrace as we planned our evening. We also liked the fact that we could order more than one entree and customize our order any time we wanted to. (In other words, I would order 2 lobster tails instead of one, skip the corn on the cob, and add the vegetable that was usually served with the steak.)

We felt that at Sandals there was ample time for privacy and time for mingling and joining in activities with other guests too if we wanted to. We never felt that it was crowded. There was a main pool with a lot going on, but many quiet pools too, and the beach was quiet.
I hope this answers your question.