Day Trips Around Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua is small, so the real choice for a day out is how you leave it. A ferry takes you to Barbuda, a short flight does the same job faster, and small boats reach the islets and reefs off the coast. Montserrat needs separate planning. Prices are in US dollars where operators quote them, and the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) trades at EC$2.70 to US$1.

By ferry: Barbuda

Sea Bridge Ferries, formerly Barbuda Express, makes the crossing in about 90 minutes each way, with one-way adult fares from about US$65. The operator’s current schedule shows boarding at Jolly Harbour Marina, at the dock in front of Sea Dream Restaurant. Another page of the same site still mentions St. John’s Harbour, so confirm the departure point on +1 268 560 7989.

The Antigua departure is early, about 6:30am, and later on Sunday, at about 9am. Boats come back at 3pm or 4pm, which leaves roughly six hours on Barbuda. Times shift from early November, so read the schedule for your date. The card machine on board takes Eastern Caribbean dollars only. Sailings are cancelled when the weather is poor, and the crossing can be rough, so seasickness tablets are worth packing.

Once there:

  • Codrington Lagoon National Park holds the frigatebird colony, about 2,500 pairs. Only licensed boatmen from the Codrington jetty take visitors in.
  • Two Foot Bay National Park has caves. Indian Cave holds two small petroglyphs, and Darby Cave is a large sinkhole about 3.5 miles north-east of Codrington.
  • In the south, near the former ferry landing, a Martello Tower still stands.
  • The pink-sand beach at Low Bay has no facilities, so carry water, cash and sun protection.

By air: Barbuda

Flights from V.C. Bird airport (ANU) take about 20 minutes. Barbuda International Airport opened on 3 October 2024 and replaced the old Codrington strip.

By small boat: the north-east and the reefs

Great Bird Island lies about 2.5 to 3 km off the north-east coast, in North Sound. The critically endangered Antiguan racer lives there, though nobody can promise a sighting. Eco tours and catamaran trips stop for a snorkel and a short walk.

Green Island is an uninhabited islet off the east coast, near Nonsuch Bay. It is reached by boat only, and snorkelling is the draw.

Cades Reef is a barrier reef off the south-west coast and a marine reserve for snorkelling and diving. A boat is the only way out to it.

By car or taxi: Deep Bay

The Andes, a barque carrying pitch, sank here in 1905. The wreck lies in shallow water, under about 30 feet, and swimmers describe the paddle out from Deep Bay Beach as anything from short to a bit of a swim. Fort Barrington stands above the bay. Agree a taxi fare and its currency before you set off.

Montserrat

A ferry run by Montserrat and flights with Fly Montserrat and Winair, of about 20 minutes, connect the islands. Their timetables are built around departures from Montserrat, so a same-day return cannot be assumed. The ferry timetable is at ferry.mniaccess.com. Plan Montserrat as a longer stay rather than a day out.

Water and weather on any trip

Caribbean-side bays are calmer than Atlantic shores, and no beach is certain to have lifeguards. Hurricane season ends on 30 November.

Read more: Staying several days in Antigua and Barbuda . A 4-day Antigua and Barbuda itinerary has room for a Barbuda day.

The crossing times are on the Sea Bridge Ferries schedule , and the colony is described by the Caribbean Birding Trail . For boat tours, search Viator .