We stayed at Pink Shack Cottage for the week of September 20-27, 2014. We had such an amazing time here in Antigua! Sonja, the owner of the property, is the nicest person and is so accommodating. She is extremely friendly and cheerful and was very welcoming to us on our arrival and throughout the entire week. She took us on a tour around to the various beaches near the cottage. She recommended various restaurants and gave wonderful directions when we needed them. The cottage itself is so cute and cozy. It is impeccably clean and tidy. The porch has seats and a table great for having coffee in the morning and listening to the birds chirp and the tropical greenery and palm trees sway with the breeze.
Within 5 minutes driving time are many gorgeous beaches that are easily accessible to get to. These are: Hawksbill Beaches (4), Galley Bay, Armani Beach, Hideaway Bay, and Deep Bay. There is Fort Barrington at Deep Bay that you can hike up to for the most spectacular view of the bays and the mountains, as well as seeing the old fort and walking through it. Close by is also a great panoramic view of the Five Islands community that you can drive to most of the way and then walk the rest of the way up. The port city and capital of St. John is about 10 minutes away by car and that is where you can get groceries and supplies at the market, fresh fruits and vegetables, and where we ate most dinners. I highly recommend C&C Wine Bar, Big Banana Pizzas in Paradise, and Freds Belgium waffles and ice cream. They are all in Redcliffe Quay. I would recommend renting an SUV of some sort to have access to the other parts of the island. Some other beaches and places of interest are: Jolly Harbor area, Valley Church Beach The Nest Beach Bar, Ffrye Beach, Darkwood Beach, Turner Beach, Hermitage Beach, Shirley Heights, Devils Bridge.
We had such an amazing time here and did not want to leave. I have already recommended this cottage to multiple people we met on the trip who stayed in secluded resorts. They were quite jealous when we told them about Pink Shack Cottage, the beautiful area of Five Islands, and what other parts of the island we were able to see with a rental car. I will also be recommending this cottage to my other friends where we live in Texas. We cant wait to go back and visit again! We already miss Sonja and her cute little dogs!