Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is the beach Antigua kept for itself: a near-perfect kilometre crescent on the Atlantic corner, protected as national parkland after its lone resort blew away in 1995's Hurricane Luis and was never rebuilt. The sand runs white with a pink blush of crushed shell, the outer bay carries genuine surf while the reef-sheltered southern end stays swimmable, and on weekdays the crowd can be single digits. A snack bar at the car park and one beach vendor complete the infrastructure, which is to say the point.

What you actually see

• The crescent - the full sweep from the northern headland path.
• Pink-blushed sand - shell fragments colouring the tideline.
• The sheltered south end - the calm swimming corner inside the reef.
• Atlantic surf - bodysurfing the middle when the swell runs.

When to go

December to May for the dry season; the bay faces the trades, so the water is livelier than the west's calm - part of the charm. Weekdays are near-empty; locals picnic weekends. Sunrise here is the island's best.

Honest expectations

The middle of the bay has real waves and undertow with no lifeguards - swim the sheltered end unless you know surf. Shade is scarce; bring it. The access road is potholed and facilities minimal by design. Those wanting loungers-and-cocktails service should stay west; this is the antidote.

Nearby

Devil's Bridge, the Shirley Heights loop and the east coast's reef pools.