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Size of beach
o
Length of shoreline
§
Approximately 2 miles
o
Distance from water to sand
§
50 feet
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Sand type
o
White
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Water Appearance
o
Blue
o
Transparent to how many feet
§
At least 10 feet depth- there are buoys which
denote where the water loses its transparency
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Cleanliness
o
The beach is completely clean. It is a marvel!
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Water Temperature
o
Warm, not even cold when you first enter
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Shade availability
o
Seating and Resting available
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Safety
o
There are no lifeguards but there are no
dangerous riptides. No dangerous animals either
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Available Activities
o
Swimming distances
§
YES
o
Free diving
§
YES
o
Surfing
§
No- no waves to speak of
o
Snorkeling
§
Yes
o
Scuba
§
NO
o
Partying/ beautiful women congregating
§
No. This is an intimate family beach
o
Food and drink/ disposal
§
Yes. The beach remains completely clean
o
Sports
§
Soccer and volleyball are both available and
arranged
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Level of Calm
o
Swimming great- no surfing possible light waves
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Animals
o
Are there fishing birds
§
YES
o
Are fish visible
§
YES
o
Jellyfish
§
NO
o
Sea eggs
§
NO
o
Crabs
§
NO
o
Horseshoe crabs
§
NO
o
Turtles
§
NO
o
Sea ants- other biting animals
§
NO
o
Barracuda
§
NO
o
Sharks
§
NO
o
Coral- sharp or otherwise
§
YES but not sharp
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Plant Life/ Other
o
Seaweed/kelp
§
NO
o
Sharp stones
§
NO
o
Sharp shells
§
NO
o
Coconut trees/ providing shade but also crabs
§
NO
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Access
o
Is it public/private
§
This is a public beach but it adjoins an
all-inclusive hotel and resort. I was staying at the resort and had ready
access.
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Price
o
Free
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Land Pests
o
None
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Other
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Overall Beach Vibe
o
This is my first beach review in years and I picked
the perfect beach. Jolly Beach is a delight! It is 2 miles of white sand and
truly transparent, calm, waters. This really is almost the ultimate cozy beach
and its natural beauty actually surpasses that of the beaches found in Tobago.
People wax poetic about the Mona Lisa or the works of Picasso or Raphael but
those works pale in comparison to what God created when he made Jolly Beach.
o
First, the sand is pristine. Despite the
numerous hotels abutting the coast, there is no trash anywhere on the sand or
in the water. The water is stunningly azure and once you submerge yourself, it
drapes over your body like a diaphanous gown.
o
When the sunlight hits this beach, you will
believe that you are in a computer simulation. Especially if you are unfamiliar
with Antigua, you will not believe that beaches can become this beautiful. This
beach is simply breathtaking.
o
I stayed here as part of an all-inclusive
resort. The beach is a 5 minute walk from my room and the hotel provides towels
and chairs. At any time, there are maybe 30 people sharing this 2 mile space so
this is almost an ideal intimate beach for families or lovers.
o
I want to give this beach an unequivocal 10 out
of 10; however, there are some small issues.
o
First, there are jet skis that sometimes
approach relatively close to the shore, and this can be annoying. Also, on the
beach there are solicitors selling jet-ski trips, trips circumnavigating the
island, horseback riding, and other similar eco-tourist opportunities, and these
solicitations get old fast.
o
However these are slight annoyances and ultimately
weigh little against the seductiveness and beauty of jolly beach.
o
PROS
§
Spectacular beauty that left me breathless and
happy to be alive for quite a while.
§
Easy accessibility from the adjoining resort.
§
Free for Antiguans and tourists alike
o
CONS
§
People trying to sell all kinds of stuff
§
Antiguans can be more blunt and aggressive than
tourists are used to.
§
There is a bit of competition between the resort
and local people who are competing to sell catamaran trips around the island and
shuttles to different places, which makes for awkward explanations when you ask
the hotel for details.
