First Time in Caribbean, Antigua a good choice?
 

My boyfriend and I are heading to the Caribbean in late April. We both want beautiful, uncrowded beaches, friendly people, and good food.

He's an experienced sailor, so we thought Antigua might be a good pick?

We're not interested in All Inclusive resorts, we prefer simplicity and something that feels authentic to the Caribbean but is still clean, safe and nice.

Hiking or some sight seeing would be nice, or possibly surfing and we'd prefer a french speaking or english speaking island that is easy to get to from both the USA and Europe.

Is there anywhere decent to stay on Antigua that is affordable and not an All Inclusive?

It will be both of our first time to the Caribbean. Any help is much appreciated!

I should mention that nightlife isn't a big concern and I could care less about diving/snorkeling.

Wow, I know you two would love St. Barth. April 15th is the begining of their low season, and hotel and villa rates drop significantly. It's a sailors paradise, plenty to keep you busy. The French food and culture is magnificent, as are the people. Clean, safe, and really, really, really nice sum it up nicely. Only caveat, getting there is not easy or cheap. Requires a flight from the US to St. Marteen and then a small commuter aircraft over. There is also a connection through San Juan on Tradewinds Airlines, tres expensive, though. There is also a ferry option form SXM. Enjoy your trip!

Hmmm ... well, you have described Tortola in the BVI (some surfing, excellent sailing, safe, uncrowded beaches, no AI resorts, quiet). But it's hard to get there from Europe. The best bet would be to see if you could fly nonstop to St. Thomas, and then it's a fairly easy ferry ride to Tortola. And once you are on Tortola, there are myriad opportunities for beach-hopping, hiking, day-trips to other islands, etc. But it's certainly not a nonstop flight like Antigua.

St. John would also meet your requirements, and its just a tad easier to get to from St. Thomas.

The problem I see with Antigua is that it's primarily a package-tour destination that specializes in mass tourism and all-inclusive resorts (or elegant, ultra-expensive properties). While there are some nice smaller properties, they are not all convenient to the best beaches and can be very expensive. Safety can be a concern there as well.

If you want good food, friendly people, uncrowded private beaches then Jamaica is your best bet!

It is true that there are many A/I's in Antigua, but there are also places like Harmony Hall, which is a small hotel. There are also villa's that you could rent. We've had great vacations in Antigua and enjoy the magnificent beaches. Many times you will find beaches that are comletely deserted. It is easily accessible island.
The sailing is excellent, the restaurants are good and lots of history in Nelson's Dockyard. I have never felt unsafe in Antigua!

Thanks everyone for the input. I looked for Villas in antigua on vrbo.com and everything in our budget seemed to be booked up. There appeared to be a greater option of affordable villas/hotels on St. Barths with a nice aesthetic.

I'll look into Harmony Hall. I'd just like to stay on an island that is really comfortable to cruise around outside the resorts and feel safe.

St. Barths seemed like a good pic for this reason, but when I searched youtube, all kinds of plane crash videos came up! The other videos were of guys with gelled hair and girls with fake boobs on yachts. Not exactly our style.

Thanks also for the heads up on Tortola.