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Antigua and Barbuda / Villas & Villa Living

By James Henderson

There is quite a good selection of Antigua villas available for rent, but the villa rental industry itself is still not as developed in the island as it is elsewhere in the region and things are sometimes a little uneven. To begin with, some of the nicest houses are not easy to find out about as they are not widely marketed (often the owners deal directly with clients), and this can make it hard to locate the place that’s right for you. Also, on the ground in Antigua there is often a certain lack of good management and staffing although it is getting better. In order to get the best of an Antigua villa holiday you need to know what to expect and perhaps get some help with pinning down the best options for you.

While many villas are represented by rental agencies, many are not successfully managed, which means that again standards can often be patchy. In addition to this, the biggest issue perhaps is staffing, which in many cases is not what you might expect by comparison to other Caribbean islands. There are exceptions of course, but maid service tends to be along the lines of hotel service, with a visit generally once a day. Only a few villas have a housekeeper, even fewer have a cook.

All this said, there are some good houses available for rent and of course Antigua itself offers lots of interest for those suited to an independent life on holiday, with excellent beaches to visit with good beach bars and a lively restaurant and bar scene. The houses themselves are scattered around the island, some in spectacular and quite remote settings, including above or near their own secluded beaches. The biggest concentration of independent villas is probably down in the south-east of the island, around Falmouth and English Harbour and east of there. The whole area has a great independent atmosphere. There are other villas in the north of the island, on the hills behind Dickenson Bay.

Another option to consider is staying in a villa within a development or in a villa resort. Both Jumby Bay and the St James’s Club have some private villas for rent, but some of the best villas can be found around English Harbour within the area, particularly around Galleon Beach. Set high on the hillsides they have fantastic views over the yachts in harbour and over Nelson’s Dockyard and then there is all the activity, the restaurants and bars, of English Harbour itself.

Please see below for our Antigua & Barbuda villa recommendations and listings.

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Looking for inspiration?

  1. Visit Nelson's Dockyard, the oldest functioning naval facility in the world
  2. Party at Shirley Heights Lookout on Sunday at sunset followed by barbecue and live music
  3. Stay at the spectacular Jumby Bay
  4. Hop over to Barbuda for stunning beaches and excellent birdwatching
  5. Race a yacht to nearby Montserrat for the day

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