Antigua and Barbuda, beach by beach

Cades Bay Beach

A quiet local beach on Antigua's southwest coast near Old Road, with calm Caribbean water and famous Cades Reef lying just offshore.

79/100

Carlisle Bay

A long, palm-fringed crescent on the south coast at Old Road, framed by green hills and a luxury resort. Calm, protected water, good snorkeling, and a serene, upscale feel.

Photo: AntiguaAndBarbudaMedia via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Coco Point Beach

A remote, pink-tinged white sand beach at the southern tip of Barbuda, where the calm leeward coast meets the breezier windward side beside the former K Club estate.

Photo: CROIX via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

81/100

Darkwood Beach

A scenic roadside beach on the southwest coast with calm, clear water and views across to Montserrat. A local favorite for its beach bar, easy access, and reliable snorkeling.

Photo: CROIX via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

80/100

Deep Bay

A sheltered, horseshoe-shaped bay on the Five Islands peninsula with a shipwreck resting in the middle of the bay, snorkelable from shore. Calm water, a hilltop fort, and a quiet, scenic setting.

97/100

Dickenson Bay

Antigua's most famous beach: a long, gently curving arc of white sand on the calm northwest coast, lined with resorts, beach bars, and watersports. The island's liveliest and most developed stretch of shoreline.

Photo: Paul Kowalow via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Dutchman's Bay

The quiet north-coast beach closest to the airport, just a few minutes from V.C. Bird International Airport. A shallow, breezy bay where kitesurfers and windsurfers ride the steady trade winds.

Photo: docshiznit via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

88/100

Ffryes Beach

A picture-perfect southwest-coast beach framed by green headlands, with soft white sand and calm turquoise water. A beloved sunset spot anchored by the lively Dennis's beach bar above the sand.

Photo: Андрей Бобровский via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

78/100

Fort James Beach

The beach where locals go: a wide, shallow bay just outside St. John's, watched over by the ruins of an 18th-century fort. Calm water, weekend cookouts, and an authentic, unpolished vibe.

Photo: georama via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

83/100

Galleon Beach

A tranquil beach in Freeman's Bay at the mouth of English Harbour, with calm water and a reef where hawksbill turtles are often seen. Walkable to Nelson's Dockyard and Shirley Heights.

Photo: giggel via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

79/100

Galley Bay

A long, wild west-coast beach with a more dramatic surf than most leeward bays. A romantic, resort-fronted stretch known for spectacular sunsets and a bird sanctuary lagoon behind the sand.

62/100

Gravenor Bay

A wide bay at the southern tip of Barbuda between Coco Point and Spanish Point, where white sand meets calm turquoise water laced with snorkel-ready reefs.

78/100

East Coast

Green Island

An uninhabited offshore island reached only by boat, ringed with secluded white-sand coves and reefs. A protected, pristine spot for snorkeling, kitesurfing, and castaway-style seclusion.

Photo: Andrew Moore via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

92/100

East Coast

Half Moon Bay

A near-kilometre crescent of pale sand on the wild Atlantic east coast, protected as a National Park: surf and bodyboarding at the open end, calm swimming at the sheltered corner, and no resorts in sight.

Photo: Андрей Бобровский via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

74/100

Hawksbill Beach

Four calm coves in one, named for an offshore rock shaped like a hawksbill turtle's beak. The quiet Five Islands peninsula has good rocky-point snorkeling and Antigua's only clothing-optional beach.

Photo: Roger Green via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Hermitage Bay Beach

A hidden crescent of pale sand tucked into the green hills of Antigua's far west coast, where the Caribbean lies glassy and still and the sunsets glow straight off the water.

Photo: Fraser Hart via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

70/100

Hodges Bay

A calm, protected stretch of soft sand on Antigua's upscale north coast, with gentle Caribbean water that is ideal for families and an easy boat launch out to Prickly Pear Island.

72/100

Jabberwock Beach

A long, open ribbon of white sand on Antigua's breezy north coast, where steady trade winds make it the island's leading kitesurfing and windsurfing beach.

72/100

Johnson's Point

A calm, shallow stretch of white sand on Antigua's southwest coast near Crab Hill, with clear turquoise water and a couple of casual beach bars. A relaxed local favorite for easy swimming and sunsets.

84/100

Jolly Beach

One of Antigua's longest beaches: a wide, gently sloping ribbon of soft white sand on the calm southwest coast, with beach bars, watersports, and easy swimming. Lively but never overwhelming.

Photo: giggel via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

62/100

Little Ffryes Beach

A pocket-sized cove tucked just around the rocks from busier Ffryes Beach, with the same powder-soft sand and calm turquoise water, but a fraction of the crowd.

Photo: CROIX via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

82/100

East Coast

Long Bay

A reef-protected beach on the easternmost point of the island, where the Atlantic breeze meets calm, shallow, turquoise water. Excellent for families and some of the best shore snorkeling in Antigua.

Photo: Андрей Бобровский via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

62/100

Mamora Bay Beach

A sheltered crescent of golden sand on the St James's Club peninsula, where calm, glassy water laps a palm-fringed bay on Antigua's quiet southeast coast.

71/100

Morris Bay

A quiet, scenic south-coast beach near Old Road with soft sand, calm water, and views toward Curtain Bluff. A peaceful spot for swimming and snorkeling away from the crowds.

Photo: Thank You (23 Millions+) views via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

82/100

Pigeon Point Beach

An easy, family-friendly beach on Falmouth Harbour with calm, shallow water and two beach bars. The most accessible beach near English Harbour and a favorite for relaxed afternoons.

Photo: Dario Item via Wikimedia Commons · CC0 (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)

90/100

Pink Sand Beach (17 Mile Beach)

Barbuda's legendary pink-tinged beach: miles of soft, blush-colored sand and clear shallows, almost completely deserted. One of the Caribbean's most extraordinary and remote stretches of coastline.

Photo: Yan Renucci via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

75/100

Rendezvous Bay

A remote, undeveloped white-sand bay on the south coast, reached on foot, by boat or by four-wheel drive. The reward is a pristine, near-empty beach with calm, clear water and total seclusion.

76/100

Runaway Bay

A long, quiet stretch of pale sand just south of Dickenson Bay, with the same calm Caribbean water but a fraction of the crowds. A laid-back local favorite for swimming and sunset walks.

60/100

Spanish Point

A wild, windswept peninsula at the far southeast tip of Barbuda, where a thin ribbon of sand separates the glassy Caribbean from the open Atlantic surf, with reefs offshore and a ruined old stone tower a short way inland near the bay.

Photo: CROIX via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

80/100

Turner's Beach

A friendly, palm-backed beach on the southwest tip with calm water, good shore snorkeling, and the well-known Turner's beach bar. A relaxed spot with Montserrat on the horizon.

Photo: UpstateNYer via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

58/100

Two Foot Bay

A wild, windswept shore on Barbuda's remote northeast coast, where limestone cliffs and caves meet open Atlantic surf. This is a beach for explorers, not loungers.

89/100

Valley Church Beach

A dazzling stretch of powder-white sand and pale turquoise shallows on the southwest coast. Often called one of Antigua's prettiest beaches, with calm water ideal for families.

Photo: Roberto Faccenda via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

58/100

Willoughby Bay

A large, quiet bay on Antigua’s southeast coast with soft white sand and generally calm, partly reef-sheltered water. Undeveloped and uncrowded, it is a relaxed spot for swimming, snorkelling and paddleboarding.