Kitesurfing & Windsurfing

Steady easterly trade winds make Antigua a genuine wind-sports island. The northeast and east coasts catch the breeze most consistently, and a clutch of reef-protected bays give you flat, shallow water that is ideal for learning and for flat-water freestyle. The season peaks in the windier months but conditions are rideable across much of the year.

Jabberwock Beach on the northeast shore is the island's best-known kite spot: a long, open beach with side-onshore trades and a sandy bottom, home to the local kite school. On the east coast near Long Bay, Nonsuch Bay offers a large, reef-sheltered lagoon that is a favourite for both windsurfing and kitesurfing, with butter-flat water inside the reef and a dedicated watersports centre.

Schools at both areas run lessons from first-timer taster sessions through to multi-day courses, and rent gear to independent riders who can show the right experience. Expect to spend several hours over a few days to become independent on a kite; windsurfing basics come a little quicker.

Bring or rent a helmet and impact vest, use plenty of reef-safe sunscreen, and never ride alone offshore. When the wind drops, the same warm bays are perfect for paddleboarding and kayaking or an easy snorkel.