Family Days Out in Antigua and Barbuda
What suits a family in Antigua depends mostly on how old the children are and how well they swim. The ideas below are grouped that way. Prices are in US dollars where operators quote them, and the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) is fixed at EC$2.70 to US$1.
Small children
Antigua Donkey Sanctuary. The Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society keeps about 150 donkeys at Bethesda. Entry is free and donations are welcome. The paths are flat and children can brush the animals. Hours are 10am to 3pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and the number to ring first is 268 461 4957.
Wadadli Animal Nature Park. At Lower Lyons in Saint Philip, near Potworks Dam, visitors see monkeys, deer, peacocks, parrots and iguanas. It must be booked 48 hours ahead on 268 736 2895, so check that visits are running before you promise the children a trip.
A shaded harbour walk. Nelson’s Dockyard National Park at English Harbour has a museum in an 1855 building and a short walk to Fort Berkeley. Adults pay about US$15 (EC$40) for the heritage pass, and the gates are open from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Children who swim well
Stingray City Antigua. A boat from Seatons Village on the north-east coast reaches a sandbar where an adult stands in waist-deep water. The guides feed the rays and show how to touch them. The operator decides the minimum age, so ask when you book, and ask for life vests for smaller children. Resellers list the tour from about US$100 a person with a transfer, so check what children pay.
Bays on the Caribbean side. Valley Church, Ffryes and Dickenson Bay are generally calm. Pigeon Point Beach at English Harbour is a popular family beach with a few beach bars. No beach is certain to have lifeguards or flags, and drownings have happened at calm bays too, so keep children within arm’s reach in the water.
Manchineel trees. These grow along beaches. The sap burns skin, rain dripping from the leaves can blister, and the small green apples are toxic. Many trunks carry a band of red paint, and children should be taught to stay clear of them.
Older children and teenagers
Wallings Button Pond trail. The easy trail is about 3 miles and 1 hour. A ranger must go with every group, with no exceptions. A child pays US$15 and an adult US$25. A picnic area on the reserve costs US$4 (EC$10).
Great Bird Island. Eco tours and catamarans go to this island off the north-east coast. The day usually includes a snorkel and a short hike. Antiguan racer snakes live here, but a sighting cannot be guaranteed.
Devil’s Bridge
Devil’s Bridge, at Indian Town Point on the east coast, is for looking at only, from behind the barriers. The rock is slick, and waves burst through the blowholes without warning. Three people died here in 2023. Keep every child well back from the edge.
Rough water on the Atlantic side
Atlantic-side shores on the east and north-east have heavy surf and are poor choices for paddling with children. A hotel on the west or south-west coast gives calmer water.
Read more: Animal activities in Antigua and Barbuda . A 2-day Antigua and Barbuda itinerary is a gentle starting point.
Trail details are published by Wallings Nature Reserve , and official safety advice is at GOV.UK . To compare family boat trips, search Viator .