Two Foot Bay

Two Foot Bay sits on the rugged northeast coast of Barbuda, facing the open Atlantic inside Two Foot Bay National Park. This is one of the wildest stretches of shoreline in the whole country: low limestone cliffs rise behind a coarse, pale shore, the surf rolls in with real energy, and there is no resort, no beach bar, and almost no one else around. The appeal is raw nature and history, not easy swimming.

The bay is best known for its caves. Indian Cave, set into the cliffs above the shore, holds the only petroglyphs left on Barbuda by the island's First Peoples, carved among the stalactites and stalagmites of a multi-chamber passage that climbs toward ocean views. The dramatic Darby Cave, a vast collapsed sinkhole ringed by bush a few miles inland, is usually paired with Two Foot Bay on a guided walk, and a local guide is well worth arranging to find the petroglyphs and read the landscape.

Because this is the Atlantic side of the island, conditions are breezy and the water can be choppy, with currents stronger than on Barbuda's calm western beaches, and seasonal sargassum can wash up at times. It is a place for beachcombing, birdwatching in the surrounding bushland, and cave exploration rather than long swims, so take care and watch the surf if you do go in.

Getting here is part of the adventure. Two Foot Bay is reached by a rough track from Codrington, Barbuda's only village, so a 4x4 or a tour with a local driver is the practical way in, and there are no facilities, so bring water, sturdy shoes, and sun protection. Most visitors fold it into a wider Barbuda day trip, pairing the caves and cliffs with the famous pink-sand beaches and the frigate bird sanctuary on the lagoon. For travelers who want the empty, untamed face of the Caribbean, few places deliver as completely.