First, let's have a few good points and bad points of Half Moon Bay.

Good Points

• It's a natural area
• It's a nice beach and good for fun swimming
• You can get some food and drink at Smiling Harries or Beach Bum Bar, both highly regarded
• It's easy to park like everywhere in Antigua
• There are few if any beach sellers 

Bad Points

• There are no freshwater showers
• There is not much shade
• It's not toddler-friendly
• The surf is considered rough for many
• It can be tricky to find
• There is no public transport

General Info and Review

There are no umbrellas or beach beds so bring a towel! Sometimes you will be able to rent umbrellas and beds but not guaranteed.

Half Moon Bay is perhaps one of the roughest beaches in terms of waves in Antigua (Galley Bay resort can be too). It’s fun and nicely quiet. It does get busy with local Antiguans during the weekend. Towards the edges, there are some shady areas but you should come prepared to bake!
It’s a bit of a drive from many of the resorts (the closest is nonsuch) and if you get here on a Sunday then try to plan it by going to the Roadhouse which is a restaurant/bar and music venue of choice.

There is a snack shop and Smiling Harries a restaurant further up where you can get most things you need. The area is interesting also for wandering. Walking around the left side you get a bit of a lower cliff bluff area where the waves crash in. To the right side, there is an abandoned resort.

It’s not overly dangerous to swim here. Just respect the surf it's not so bad. It's not big enough for surfing or body-boarding unless you're a kid then you can have a lot of fun in the waves with a boogie board.

How to get there

You need to have a car or vehicle to get there via Freetown in the South East corner of Antigua.