Staycation Weekend in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua – Hotel & Restaurant Reviews

In this article:

• Where we stayed: Antigua Yacht Club Marina Resort
• Where we ate:
  • Trappas
  • Island Fusion Cafe
  • Sweet T’s
  • Cloggy’s
  • Bar-B’s
• What we did: relax and visit the beach (Pigeon Point and Windward Bay)

COVID anxiety is real, and many persons may not be rushing to travel although fully vaccinated and country restrictions are being relaxed. There’s always that “what if?” factor at play. However, if you’re unsure of travelling out of your country, you should definitely give the staycation experience a try. Usually I’d opt for an all-inclusive resort, but we decided to try something different this time around. I wish the weather was a little better but next time we’d be sure to include other activities. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast hotel in Falmouth Harbour which is a little town on its own. Everything you need is basically right around you so we didn’t have to leave the area for anything. This weekend was basically for relaxing, spending time with each other, and living out my foodie dreams. Let’s get into the details!

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WHERE WE STAYED

It took us a while to decide on a place after searching AirBnB for days; finally I decided to give Booking.com a try and came across Antigua Yacht Club Marina Resort. To be honest, I didn’t know it existed beforehand, but it looked like a decent place, with a great location and the price was right. After further debate on whether we wanted the comfort of an All-Inclusive resort (mostly me) or the opportunity to try something new, we finally settled on a decision and booked a King Room at the resort.

Antigua Yacht Club Marina Resort is located in the heart of Falmouth Harbour perched on a hill, with gorgeous views of the harbour and within walking distance of anything you’ll need.

Given our schedules and the drive to get out to Falmouth Harbour, we got there around 6:00 P.M. Check in was fairly simple and the staff were pleasant. When I got to the room, I was a little shook because it wasn’t exactly how it looked in the pictures. Either the shots were staged for photo purposes or there are many different types of rooms. Anyway, I wasn’t going to let that ruin my weekend. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom was spacious, there was hot water, a television (with cable, I didn’t get Netflix to connect), a fridge AND air conditioning; what more do I need? However, I wished there was a microwave, an iron, thicker sheets (I love comforters) and because I love aesthetics, a little decor. They could have easily placed a magazine or coffee table book on the side table/desk, a nice indoor plant (even if it’s fake), a wall painting, the room missed something which I thought would make it more welcoming to guests. Additionally, I wish there was a pool, although I prefer the beach it would have been something different.

I was most grateful for the balcony views. There is something about being close to the water that makes everything calm and peaceful. Also, on this particular weekend the harbour wasn’t full as it usually is with vessels but many people were definitely around the area. Thankfully, curfew is still in place (11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.) so we didn’t have to worry about experiencing difficulty sleeping; by 10:30 p.m., the cops were already patrolling the area.

Rating: 3/5

WHERE WE ATE

Now for the fun part! It’s the food for mee.

Remember how I said it was Bed & Breakfast? Well, we actually didn’t pay the extra for breakfast because I believe Booking.com said it was Continental and I wasn’t about that life for an extra US $16 pp. So, we decided to take our chances with restaurants around the area. Before coming to the resort, I already had in mind what I wanted for dinner but I couldn’t figure out places for breakfast so we literally decided the morning of/night before with a little Google search and signs we saw. Obviously I was really trusting at this point, because if you know me you know I’m picky (but still a foodie 💀). P.S. dinner was the star of the show!

Breakfast

Day 1: Island Fusion Cafe

We discovered this while looking on Google maps. My boyfriend was happy with getting local food from a vendor nearby but I was not. This restaurant is located on Dockyard Drive, you could walk if you feel like but we drove. The menu had your usual stuff, pancakes, eggs, bacon, french toast etc. I opted for the omelet with onions and sweet peppers with bacon, while my bf had French Toast with bacon and sausage. After ordering we decided to dine outside, and once again you got views of the harbour from a different angle, yay!

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When the meal arrived, I was impressed but after digging into it, that went out the window. Remember what I said about being picky? I was undecided on what to eat and I felt like eggs would be an easy option, but I also assumed everyone prepares eggs how I do or how they do it at hotels, well I was wrong. It wasn’t my favourite experience but I ate as much as I possibly could. On the other hand my bf’s french toast wasn’t bad, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Day 2: Bar-B’s Restaurant

Literally right next door to the hotel, I noticed the sign after returning from dinner and decided we’d eat here the next morning. Again, I was putting my trust in a new place and praying to the food gods it would be worth it. This would also be our last meal before leaving Falmouth Harbour. The menu was very extensive with a lot of options, we didn’t even know where to focus. However, the breakfast platter stood out to us and after inquiring with the waiter if it was shareable, we decided to go with it.

Breakfast platter: your choice of eggs, french toast, pancakes, waffles, sausages, bacon and sauteed potatoes.

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This time we went for scrambled eggs and it did NOT disappoint! They were buttery just how I liked them and not overcooked (dry). I wasn’t completely sold on the French Toast because I prefer when they use a thicker slice of bread (again, picky) but everything else was perfect and my tummy and I were happy. The ambiance was also nice, it’s a pretty open restaurant, with views of the harbour.

Lunch

Day 2: Sweet T’s

On our one full day, we wanted something to just get by until dinner. Sweet T’s is located on Falmouth main road, so we did have to drive but not very far. We both got wings and fries, BBQ and Fried. It did what it needed to do while saving space for dinner.

Dinner

Day 1: Trappa’s Bar & Restaurant

A constant favourite. I haven’t been to this restaurant and left disappointed, so it was a safe option. We decided to sit outside, which was weird at first because it’s right on the roadside, but it was also nice and breezy. All starters are XCD $30, and all entrees are XCD $60, they also had a new summer menu. I was disappointed in the absence of calamari, but got battered shrimp to start and Grilled Mahi Mahi with fries and a salad for my main course. My BF got the Antiguan Jerk Chicken with Mashed Potato and Side salad.

I’m not a big fish lover, but fillet fish I adore. This mahi mahi was cooked and seasoned to perfection! Although I was getting full, I made sure to finish it (mostly because we didn’t have a microwave back at the hotel). 

Day 2: Cloggy’s Restaurant

The star of the show. I’ve been seeing people go to this restaurant quite frequently lately, and given we were in the area I knew this would be the weekend to try it out. Let me just say, I’m happy to report that it lived up to its hype. I was sad at first because all of their outdoor seating was booked, but when we got there, the inside was just as great and I could still see the sunset through the door. The ambiance of the restaurant was exquisite!  We were greeted by the staff in such a welcoming manner and we were always checked on throughout the evening.

I felt for wine this evening, and I usually like it sweet. However, the waiter told me they were out but said he could make me a sangria and I can let him know if I like it or not. One sip and I was hooked, which led to us ordering two more. We decided to go straight to the main course, where I had the seafood pasta and my BF had Mahi Mahi with sweet potato fries. *chefs kiss* Although a little spicy (which was new for me), the sauce was light and creamy and it was filled with shrimp, fish and calamari. I also ended up stealing a few fries from his plate and they were great too, the right amount of sweet and crispy. By the end of the night, I had a takeaway container but I also wanted something sweet, so we got dessert! My sweet tooth was happy with my choice of Chocolate lava cake and vanilla ice-cream. From the warmness of the chocolate to the sweetness of the ice cream, I wish I was having it again right now! What can I say, it was totally worth the experience and I’ll definitely return.

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WHAT WE DID

Honestly, we just wanted to relax and enjoy each other’s company. I wanted to beach hop over the weekend, but the weather had different plans. We made it to Pigeon Point beach on Saturday, which is a less than 5 minute drive away. Thankfully, it wasn’t crowded and the water was a bit cold but refreshing. Afterwards, I wasn’t ready to head back just yet and I also learnt there was another beach in the area so we went to explore. At the end of Pigeon Point, you can get to Windward Bay via a gate by Catherine’s Cafe restaurant. We couldn’t drive in given it was private property but the beaches are open to the public so we took our chance with walking (Google said it was 4 minutes away). Google was correct! It’s definitely not a swimming beach (or maybe there are calmer days), but it was beautiful to see with the rock formations. We chilled for a bit and of course took some pictures then headed back before it started raining.

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As I said before, we didn’t do much activities, I maybe would have done a hike, but we wanted to keep everything relaxed and went with the flow. I really enjoyed this weekend experience, because it was quite different from just going to a hotel. Looking back on it we would have supported many businesses as opposed to just one. Therefore, kudos to my BF for making this suggestion and if you made it this far, thank you for reading! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

Stay Tuned,