If you’re lucky enough to stay at Curtain Bluff (like we did), you’ll get to see Andrew Goodenough’s handiwork. In fact, you’ll be staying in it.

In 1979, Andrew walked away from his London practice to follow his dream of sailing to the Caribbean (we like guys like that). After cruising around for a year or two, he landed here in Antigua, which he loved for its rainforests and laidback lifestyle. Right away he met Howard Hulford (who founded Curtain Bluff) to do a “little” expansion project. That little project is the resort you see today.

Almost overnight, requests for residences and resorts all over the island started rolling in. And today, Andrew is the region’s premier go-to designer.

We caught up with Andrew and his wife Dina at their home, nestled among some palm trees. He has a few hundred he’s collected along the way. Andrew said sailing across the “pond” was the best thing he ever did (aside from marrying Dina, of course).

This is one Goodenough who’s more than good enough for us.

While staying at the Curtain Bluff Resort, we were lucky enough to meet some of the friendliest people around, including the Resident Manager herself, Wendy Woodhouse. Antigua-born and Canada-raised, Wendy returned to the island post-college for some sunshine. What was supposed to be a year or two staycation back in Antigua turned into a 26-year adventure with a great job and a family of her own.

During our stay we found that when the visitors are happy, Wendy’s happy, and nothing goes unnoticed. She goes above and beyond, and we know she’s a big part of why most visitors have been coming back for years. But her passion isn’t just for her job; it’s for her family and the island itself.

On her days off, Wendy spends every minute with her husband Mark and their daughter Katherine. For the Woodhouses, it’s the “simple life” that they enjoy most about their tropical home. Their ideal day is jumping in a friend’s boat and beach hopping with a picnic basket and cooler (count us in!). And with Caribbean waters, beach bars and coconut palms, we’ve got to say, the simple life sounds like the life for us.

Shannon Mendes grew up on the beach (365 of them to be exact...) before leaving the shores of Antigua for Canada and trading in her surfboards for snowshoes. After travels near and far, she decided to return home to teach at Island Academy, where island students (and some from all over the globe!) come together to learn and share experiences of a lifetime.

Island Academy International School isn’t just a school; it’s a community, where locals like Shannon provide support and opportunities to students who come from all different backgrounds.

We caught up with Shannon during gym class and got to know some of these amazing kids, many of whom go off to attend prestigious colleges in the US and beyond.

She told us that while she was away, she missed the warmth of Antigua. Not just the 90-degree days (we’d miss those, too…) but, most importantly, the warm-hearted people of the island. And it just so happens that she’s been lucky enough to chase her dreams and learn a lot of life lessons outside the classroom. But shhhh…don’t tell her students that.