We'd return to this beach the next time we visit Antigua. The sand was nice and the water clear and blue. There was a small restaurant, water sports, changing area, and restroom. Two beach chairs and a bucket of 5 Carib beers was $25. For us, Darkwood's long stretch of perfect white sand and clean clear water, is the most accessible and best set-up beach for visitors looking for a beautiful spot to chill out on for the whole the day, without an attachment to a resort crowd. There were only a handful of others on the beach. We asked our rental car lady which was her favourite beach on the island, and she unhesitatingly told us Darkwood. We arrived there around 11am and stayed until 3pm. When she returned to pick us up, she said that she spoke with the person who gave us the initial fare quote and that we should have been told, "$8 per person one way or $16 per person roundtrip." We worked out a deal, but the lesson we learned is to repeat the price to confirm it. However, when we arrived, our cab driver told us that we were misquoted. We were expected to pay half when were arrived at the beach. There were 6 of us and we were initially quoted "$8 per person one way or $60 roundtrip". We took a cab from the cruise port to the beach. In general Darkwood is just a great all-purpose beach if you want simple pleasures and basic creature comforts, but don’t need water sports or crowds.We were in Antigua during a cruise vacation and planned a DIY beach day to Darkwood. On many days you can see Montserrat from the beach, and on really good days you can also catch St. I’ve actually never seen a ray there but know they exist in the region. (Jelly fish are more common in August-October, but just the moon jellyfish which are harmless if maybe a little painful.) Saw one jelly this trip. I always advise taking fins and a mask along, if for no other reason than to check for jellyfish or stingrays in the water. There are some rocks to the right that sometimes have fishies to see. Sometimes the shelling is good, especially on the left side. The water is almost always lovely and warm. I don’t do beach massages and we were leaving before the special events, and she was very nice when we politely declined. Prices were reasonable and she had some other special offers that were actually pretty good deals. On this trip there was a tiny massage hut onsite. We always take a few drinks with us to the beach but make a point of also patronizing the locals. Prices are about average for local lunch spots-for food maybe E$15-25 topping out at 50 for lobster-and they accept US or EC of course, as do virtually all places in Antigua. It’s not fancy but it always tastes good. The menu varies but usually includes fishburgers, cheeseburgers, the ubiquitous chicken and rice, lobster salad, and some local dishes. You just pull over and park.īeach chairs are available to rent for US$5 or EC$13 (October 2012 prices). Located just past Jolly Harbor, Darkwood is easy to spot as there is a big Darkwood Beach sign on the left and the snack shop on the right. Facilities: Toilets for customers at the Darkwood Beach restaurant where you can also rent sunbeds. It’s a popular beach for cruise visitors as the cruise port in St John’s is a short taxi ride away. I like it because it's easy to access, never crowded, has some of the calmest waters, a view of Montserrat (usually), chairs to rent, bathrooms, and a small but tasty snack bar. Location: Darkwood Beach is on the west coast of Antigua, just south of Jolly Harbour and is easily accessible by the coast road. I visit Darkwood every time I go to Antigua, which is often.
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