James53

I am planning a 6 night trip to the Caribbean of sometime in mid May and I am torn between Turks and Caicos or Antigua. I was wondering if anyone has some insight into these destinations. Which island is nicer overall (better beaches, food, resorts, weather, etc...)? Which one has more activities to do? I was thinking of staying at the Royal West Indes Resort in Turks/Caicos or Blue Waters Resort in Antigua. Thanks for the help!!

mymoosie

We've been to both islands and love them both. I would have to say Antigua has more activities to do, because it is a bigger island. The beaches in both islands are beautiful. You will have more beach choices in Antigua, they claim to have 365 beaches.
T&C is a smaller island and easier to get around. And I think generally there is a higher standard of living in T&C. Antigua has more local flavor and culture, if you are looking for that.
I have not stayed at either RWI or Blue Waters, so I can't comment on them.
Here are some photos from our 2004 Antigua trip
www.imageevent.com/kajugo/antigua2004
Website from our 2005 T&C trip
www.mymoosie.net

blamona

Been to both, completely different islands.
Antigua: hilly,beaches in coves, big caribbean "vibe", fun sunsets at Shirley's Heights with steel drum bands and rum punch. It has a nice capital, some shopping, and cruise ships stop here.
TC: Flat, arid and dry. Blinding white sand, bright turqiouse water. TC is all about the water and the beautiful beaches. It has some of the best restaurants in Caribbean, (after Anguilla and St. Martin) and the weather is consistently more sunny. I think the resorts in general are better here. Activities consist of being out in the water, snorkeling, scuba, boat and sail boat trips. TC has one of the best beaches in the world.

KVR

mymoosie,

Thank you for posting your picture web-site. We are going to T & C in May and having been researching. Your pics are great.

We are planning on Antigua for next year. We are Sandals Signature Guests and are waiting for them to complete their renovations. If it wasn't for that, we would have picked Antigua first. We are very much AI people, so doing our own thing in T & C have us a little concerned, but I'm sure we'll manage.

ziggy60

How are the constructions going on T&C? Is it a problem

diann

We have also been to both islands. I would choose Antigua. Although T&C is a gorgeous island with beautiful beach for my own personal taste it was just a bit to quiet, and not enough choices. Very little shopping. I purchased some gift at the airport on my way home. I went to Dickensons Bay in Antigua and really loved the beach there. I just enjoyed myself better in Antigua.

ejcrowe

As others have said, it depends more on what you're looking for. I assume when you say T&C, you're thinking mostly about Provo, based on your choice of RWI. Provo hands down has better beaches and is easier to get around, as almost everything you might want to do will be set along Grace Bay. It also will have an edge over Antigua for snorkeling.

Weather should be comparable in mid-May for both islands.

Where Antigua excels over Provo includes, as others have said, the topography of the island, the shopping, the variety of activities, hiking, the different types of resorts available, and the historical & cultural sites.

If you want to plop down on a beach all day and not do more than that, either island will fit the bill, with Provo's Grace Bay being superior to any Antiguan beach in terms of white sand, calm water, and for taking long walks.

Both islands have fine dining restaurants, casual beach bars, and everything in between.

Antigua is a cruise ship stop, so you'll have the types of duty free shops and activities available associated with developed islands like that. It also offers a small but lovingly put together museum on the history of Antigua & Barbuda, the town of St. John's for exploring on foot, various fort ruins for exploring and hiking, and Nelson's Dockyard, a Georgian-period historical site that has been restored. Antigua's beaches are beautiful in their own right and very nearly white in color, but not as spectacular as Provo's.

Blue Waters is a very nice resort on the northwest coast of Antigua. It's compact in area, the grounds are lovely, and the beach is quite small. If you're a beach person who doesn't intend to do much exploring beyond your hotel, you would be much better off at another location. If you want to use the resort as a very comfortable home base (albeit a home base with fine ameneties) to explore a different beach every day, it would be quite suitable.

Knowing

Antigua is one of our more favorite islands. We haven't been to T&C although we've looked at it a couple of times. We just can't find enough activities there even though we aren't huge nightlife people. We were happy with the beaches in Antigua, enjoyed the food, and had great weather.

James53

Thank you all for you help! I appreciate the input.

mymoosie

I just found some photos of Blue Waters at this site
f27.parsimony.net/forum67635/
This forum has a lot of Antigua info from folks that are actually in Antigua. There's a guy there named Mark who has posted excellent photos of a lot of places in the island.

belle1031

We have been both to Provo and Anitgua. Acutally going to back in match to the RWI on Provo. Stayed at the Sands last time. WE love Turks.... WE have also been to Antigua and stayed at Blue Waters. We love Turks hands down better then Antigua. As Blue Waters was nice....terrible beach infront, thought it was quote stuffy....We liked Antigua, we drove the whole Island and found a few beaches that we really liked...darkwood and turners. But if I had to make a choice I would say go for Turks....

4friends

I can't comment on Antigua but we stayed at the RWI on T&C and LOVED it. Would go back. Room was beautiful, restaurants are great, snorkeling good, and the beach is sublime...