Antigua wasn’t Dawson Fearnow’s initial vacation destination, but with COVID-19 continually canceling his family trip to Tahiti, he pivoted. The PR pro and freelance writer, along with his wife and son, chose the tiny Caribbean island – located in the Lesser Antilles island chain about 300 miles east of Puerto Rico – to escape the crowds and relax. Fearnow and his wife, Maggie, who are avid scuba divers, didn’t even have time for the activity with all the things to do and places to visit on the island. “We just spent a lot of time exploring the island and hanging out at beach bars,” Fearnow says.
Cloggy’s
Located on the second floor of the Antigua Yacht Club Marina building, Cloggy’s is known for its amazing views, fresh seafood and live music. “It’s right in the harbor surrounded by all the sailing ships,” Fearnow says. “It’s just a really beautiful location.” cloggys-antigua.com
English Harbour
The area where the Fearnow family stayed had a cool backstory. British new wave band Duran Duran filmed the music video for its 1982 song “Rio” in the natural harbor, which remains the epicenter of yachting on the island. “We all went to Google as soon as we realized that and were like, ‘Oh my gosh! There’s the boats and there’s the harbor!’” he says. “We got a kick out of that.”
The Inn at English Harbour
The Inn at English Harbour restaurant is in a hotel right on the beach and is only open for dinner. The menu boasts lots of specialties from Caribbean cuisine, such as conch and potato curry, roasted lamb and chicken kebabs. “It was also a beautiful location,” he says. “Once the beach flies flew off, we realized that beachfront locations are nice, but sometimes reality does intrude.” theinnantigua.com/dining
Darkwood Beach and Restaurant
The island’s oldest beach bar was one of Fearnow’s favorite places they visited. “We had an incredible meal there and day there.” But the best part, he says, was the water park that consisted of inflatable bounce houses tied down into the ocean floor off the coast of the beach. “My now-13-year-old son really loved it,” he says. “That was probably his highlight: throwing his dad off the mountain and into the water.” facebook.com/darkwoodbbr
