Antigua and Barbuda / Special Interests / Beach

The majority of hotels in Antigua are on the beach making this a great destination if the beach is the focus of your holiday. Many beaches also have restaurants, bars and watersports available.

Although there is a calmer Caribbean side to the west, there are still good bays all round. On the north-west coast, Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay offer an out-and-out beach resort experience. Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa, Halcyon Cove by Rex Resorts and Siboney Beach Club are found on Dickenson Bay. Further north is Blue Waters hotel on Soldiers Bay which also includes the Cove Suites and a villa, Rock Cottage 

The beaches found around the St John’s area include Fort James, a locally popular public beach and Deep Bay which is across the bay at Five Islands, where there are a number of resorts.  Coconut Beach Club is located there, on Yeptons Beach. Galley Bay around the corner attracts surfers during the winter months and joggers during the evening and is of course the location for the adults-only Galley Bay Resort & Spa. The series of four crescent beaches at Hawksbill by Rex Resort are also highly sought after, one of which is the island’s only nudist beach.

The beaches of the hilly south-west corner of Antigua are generally less developed. On the road that winds along this coast are Ffryes Bay, Darkwood Beach and the beaches around Johnsons Point. The Jolly Beach Resort & Spa is situated in the south-west, on one of the best beaches in Antigua. Situated nearby is Hermitage Bay  Further south, near Old Road you will find Carlisle Bay and Curtain Bluff, both with beautiful beaches. From the beach at Carlisle Bay you can see Montserrat.

The remote Rendezvous Bay is both located on the central southern coast and worth the trek. Pigeon Point at the entrance of Falmouth Harbour, is a good beach spot after a day at Nelson’s Dockyard. Nearby is The Inn at English Harbour on Freeman’s Bay (Galleon Beach), with Moondance villa and it’s two cottages , set just above the beach at the opposite end - all part of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.

On the south-east corner of Antigua is Half Moon Bay with a good family beach. Long Bay, on the easternmost point of the island is another good family beach and is completely protected by its reef. The Grand Pineapple Beach Resort is here and just a walk away is the Verandah Resort &  Spa on Dian Bay.

Barbuda has some of the most incredible beaches in the world. Most of its  coastline is undeveloped and edged with long pink and white sand beaches protected by barrier reefs. The Lighthouse Bay Resort is on Low Bay with its endless stretch of sand along the western shore, which continues for more than 10 miles south beyond Palmetto Point. To the rear is Codrington Lagoon, home to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. The Atlantic coastline on the east is generally more rugged but equally beautiful. 

For more information see Antigua and Barbuda Beach Life and Beaches sections.