The first thing that strikes me about Antigua is colour. As I travel through bustling capital St John’s, reggae music booms loudly through outdoor speakers.
Locals dressed in bright clothing gather outside their equally dazzling houses; a sugary mix of pistachio greens, rose pinks and lemon yellows, set against a sun-drenched blue sky.
Children play cricket using a branch as a bat, while a man sells coconuts from the back of a truck, expertly axing them open for anyone who flags him down for a cooling drink.
I wonder if this is the paradise location where they filmed the Lilt advert.
It’s a Thursday but every day feels like the weekend in Antigua with its relaxed vibe and happy-go-lucky islanders.
It’s no wonder so many A-list celebrities and tourists are attracted to the island. But despite the number of people who come each year – a figure likely to increase when a new $75million airport terminal opens next year – Antigua still feels authentic, with plenty of raw, untouched beauty to discover within its 108sq miles.
Better still, the option of staying in all-inclusive resorts means that paradise is now within easier and more affordable reach.
Any reservations I might have had about “wristband” holidays quickly evaporate when I check into the adults-only Galley Bay on the west coast, looking out to the Caribbean.
Defying the stereotype of mass market all-inclusive hotels, it’s a peaceful, romantic hideaway where breakfast and lunch is served a la carte by waiters who remember my name after day one.
By day three, they’ve even memorised how I like my eggs cooked.
Much to my excitement, the beachfront Galley Bay also shares its three-quarter-mile-long stretch of white sand with designer Giorgio Armani.
His Hollywood-style holiday home is perched high on the cliffs, and I’m told he frequents the hotel’s fine-dining Ismay’s restaurant, located conveniently in tropical gardens at the bottom of his private stairs.
It’s not surprising Giorgio manages to holiday relatively incognito in Antigua; if you really want to beat the crowds and get off the beaten track, it’s very easy.
Antigua’s hottest selling point is its 365 beaches – one for every day of the year. I set off on a boat journey to the more remote shorelines to visit picturesque cliffs, coastlines and smaller offshore islands, hoping to see local wildlife.
Frigate birds aren’t difficult to spot in beachside nests on Great Bird Island – the males are identifiable by the inflatable red throat pouches that they use to attract females during mating season.
In a remote setting at the extreme eastern point of Antigua, Devil’s Bridge national park is a spectacle of spouting surf and dramatic geysers. The wild sea water has carved out a natural limestone arch over the centuries, but I shudder when I hear the myth behind the name – that slaves leapt to their death as if possessed during Antigua’s period of slavery. Not surprising, swimming is not permitted here.
I spend my day exploring a number of sleepy, secluded coves, swimming ashore holding a rucksack aloft with one arm to keep it dry.
I see just two sun bathers on the virtually deserted beach of Rendezvous Bay; being a good 30-minute walk off the beaten track, few tourists come here.
Looking back to a land of rough, green terrain, this is the closest I’ve come to feeling shipwrecked.
The crescent-shaped Half Moon Bay has a similar desolate feel, making it an ideal spot for a picnic on the mile-long pink sands.
I continue to historic Blockhouse for another sheer cliff vantage point. Remains at the former military post date to the 18th century but visitors appear to be more captivated by clear views of Eric Clapton’s sprawling estate on nearby Jumby Bay than the ancient canons.
“We do have some more guests here today,” one of the hotel porters tells me, much to my disappointment. “One daddy, three mums and 14 babies.”
I’m relieved, however, to discover he’s referring to a family of red-footed tortoises.
Still, 14 is quite a high number!
“Come on my friend,” our porter laughs, “this is the Caribbean.” Quite.
Lisa Haynes was a guest of the Elite Island Resorts at the all-inclusive Galley Bay (www.galleybayresort.com). Seven nights in Antigua with Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3859/www.virginholidays.co.uk), including scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick direct to Antigua, accommodation at 4V+ Galley Bay Resort on an all-inclusive basis with transfers starts from £2,201pp. Price based on two adults travelling.