antigua

 When the kids were just seven and three, we had the good fortune to visit St. James's Club & Villas. Friends of ours owned a timeshare in the Village Villas but weren’t able to use it that year and generously offered it to us. We were thrilled — the timing aligned perfectly with Ben’s March Break, and we were more than ready to trade our cold Canadian winter for sunshine and ocean air.

Set on a 100-acre peninsula on the southeastern coast of Antigua, the resort feels secluded and expansive all at once. It features two white-sand beaches: one on the calm waters of Mamora Bay, where the water sports take place, and the other facing the open ocean. The oceanside beach quickly became my favourite — ideal for long afternoons of sun lounging, early morning sunrises, and even a bit of stargazing at night.

The property also offers four swimming pools and several dining options. Our favourites included Rainbow Garden for a relaxed à la carte dinner, Coco’s for easy breakfasts and casual evening meals, and The DockSider for buffet dinners overlooking the bay.

After that very first visit, we were approached about purchasing the timeshare — and we jumped at the chance. It felt like an opportunity to secure a little piece of sunshine for our family. Since then, we’ve been able to return every second year to our villa for a week of guaranteed warmth and reconnection.  On our most recent visit, we were given the opportunity to switch villas — and now we have one directly on the beach, with walk-out access to the calm waters of Mamora Bay. Truly a dream come true.

Our days in Antigua follow a rhythm we’ve come to treasure: early mornings in the gym, breakfast overlooking the water, kayaking and paddle boarding in the bay, snorkelling and sailing before lunch. Afternoons bring drinks on the beach, reading in the shade, time in the pool, games of pool, cards on the terrace, long conversations, and the simple gift of uninterrupted family togetherness.

I can’t speak much about the rest of Antigua — we’ve only left the resort once! But on our most recent visit, with the kids now much older, we were ready to try something different. Ben did some research, and we set out on two significant hikes. Some sections of the trails were more challenging, but it felt incredibly rewarding to step off the resort grounds and push ourselves a little further.

We absolutely cherish our time together in Antigua, and in particular the St. James Club and Villas. It’s a place that allows us to slow down, reconnect, and simply be — and that, to us, is truly special.

St James Club and Villas : https://stjamesclubantigua.com/

Download the AllTrails app or check out hikes at https://www.alltrails.com/