Check Out Top Tourist Attractions In Antigua And Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda have outstanding Caribbean beaches. Antigua has “a beach for every day of the year,” and Barbuda, its tranquil sister island, offers some beautiful pink-tinged beaches with stylish resorts.

Antigua attracts most travelers with its many gorgeous resorts. The colorful capital of St. John’s, with its cruise ship port, attracts travelers with shopping, museums, and historic structures. Animal lovers can swim with friendly stingrays.

Less than 2% of the islands live on peaceful Barbuda. Birders love the frigate sanctuary, while nature lovers enjoy the peace.

Diving, swimming, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, and golfing are popular on both islands. Antigua has two gorgeous courses.

Our list of Antigua and Barbuda’s top tourist attractions can help you plan your Caribbean vacation.

1. Shirley Heights Lookout

Shirley Heights Lookout, over Antigua’s southernmost point, offers the greatest view. Tourists can see the “best view in Antigua.” from this former military outpost 490 feet above sea level. English and Falmouth Harbors are visible below.

It also has a restored gun battery, guardhouse, parade grounds, officers’ quarters, and other historical sites. The restaurant attracts folks who like fresh local food and steel drum music.

Head here before dusk for romance on your couples’ trip. This is the nicest sunset spot.

Sunday evenings at Shirley Heights Lookout are one of Antigua’s best family activities. From 4pm to 10pm, locals and tourists celebrate the new week with live music, great cuisine, and boundless fun. It’s so popular that Reggae Heights, a Thursday afternoon food and music event, was added.

2. Fig Tree Drive

Fig Tree Drive goes through jungle, farmlands, and fishing communities on Antigua’s south coast. This scenic drive shows rural life. The environment has sugar mill ruins, banana trees (called “figs” by locals), mango trees, and coconut palms. Find roadside booths selling fresh fruit, especially luscious pineapples.

The Fig Tree Studio Art Gallery showcases vivid local art, while Antigua Rainforest Zipline Tours offers thrilling canopy tours.

3. Dickenson Bay

One of Antigua’s most popular and scenic beaches is Dickenson Bay in the northwest. Here’s everything you need for a relaxing or exhilarating beach day.

Try a variety of water activities on this mile-long strip of pristine white sand with resorts and restaurants. The bay, protected by an offshore barrier, is perfect for swimming, and activity booths on the sand rent jet skis, snorkeling, and kayaks. Antigua’s windsurfing scene centers around the bay.

Rent sun loungers and umbrellas to relax on the sand and admire the beautiful water. Many tourists take Instagram photos of Dickenson Bay’s red phone booth.

After a day in the sun, enjoy fresh seafood at a beachside restaurant or a massage. Some of Antigua’s best resorts are at Dickenson Bay, including Sandals Grande and Siboney Beach Club.

4. Betty’s Hope

Betty’s Hope will delight history aficionados. A former sugar plantation, this site has mid-1600s ruins.

Two stone windmills, one of which has been fully restored to its sugar mill state with upgraded sails, are included. It was the island’s largest sugar plantation, and some of the remaining structures are impressive.

These structures and museum recognize the hundreds of slaves who labored here before liberation. A visit will teach tourists about colonial times.

The cotton house storage museum is intriguing and worth visiting. It’s on a hill outside Pares Village. The museum is closed Sundays.

Location: Pares Village, St. Peter’s, Antigua

5. Valley Church Beach

It’s clear why Valley Church Beach is one of Antigua’s top destinations. This gorgeous beach on Antigua’s southwest coast, near Jolly Harbour, has sugar-white sand, turquoise seas, and huge palm trees that shade you on hot days.

Tourists enjoy swimming in the clear sea, lounging on the sand, and eating at beachside eateries. On-site restrooms, chair, and umbrella rentals make it convenient to spend a day.

Visit the beach off-season to add romance to your couples’ vacation. Arrive around 11am or after 4pm to avoid cruise ship customers.

6. Stingray City

This enjoyable face-to-face trip should eliminate your lifelong stingray fear.

Stingray City is a tiny lagoon with a sandy bottom in a tropical reef five minutes by speedboat off the island’s east coast. Hundreds of friendly southern stingrays swim through the crystal-clear waters ready to be fed. Stingray City is a top Antigua attraction.

Explore the coral reefs after standing, swimming, or snorkeling with stingrays, depending on your comfort level. A highlight of this thrilling trip is feeling their satiny bodies brush across your flesh. This is a great family attraction, so bring the kids.

7. Nelson’s Dockyard National Park

Nelson’s Dockyard National Park in English Harbour attracts travelers with its many attractions. This Georgian dockyard is home to Antigua’s historic 18th-century British Naval Dockyard, which was listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in July 2016.

Visit The Dockyard Museum in the former Admiral’s House Museum to learn about the dockyard’s rich history. But you may also enjoy the atmosphere by exploring the marina’s wonderfully renovated stone warehouses, which contrast with the lavish superyachts. Many of these old buildings now house hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and galleries.

If you want to venture further, the island’s best nature trails lead to medieval forts with panoramic vistas. Fort Shirley on Shirley Heights has the best views (bring your camera), and you may trek to Fort Berkeley at the harbor’s west entrance.

The Dow’s Hill Interpretation Centre on the Lookout Trail near Shirley Heights offers a fascinating multimedia display on the island’s history, and 18th-century Clarence House, constructed for King William IV, is in the park.

8. Devil’s Bridge: Indian Town National Park

Nelson’s Dockyard National Park in English Harbour attracts travelers with its many attractions. This Georgian dockyard is home to Antigua’s historic 18th-century British Naval Dockyard, which was listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in July 2016.

Visit The Dockyard Museum in the former Admiral’s House Museum to learn about the dockyard’s rich history. But you may also enjoy the atmosphere by exploring the marina’s wonderfully renovated stone warehouses, which contrast with the lavish superyachts. Many of these old buildings now house hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and galleries.

If you want to venture further, the island’s best nature trails lead to medieval forts with panoramic vistas. Fort Shirley on Shirley Heights has the best views (bring your camera), and you may trek to Fort Berkeley at the harbor’s west entrance.

The Dow’s Hill Interpretation Centre on the Lookout Trail near Shirley Heights offers a fascinating multimedia display on the island’s history, and 18th-century Clarence House, constructed for King William IV, is in the park.

9. Half Moon Bay

One of the Caribbean’s most gorgeous beaches borders Half Moon Bay in Antigua’s southeast. This lovely crescent of fine white sand and azure sea is named after its reef-protected crescent moon shape.

Families enjoy snorkeling on calm days at the beach, which is backed by vegetation. Keep children close when the wind is strong because the waves might be rough.

This charming region has 132 acres of seashore, 3,200 feet of white sand, and a green national park. A little café off the beach rents chairs and umbrellas and provides snacks.

The beach is hard to find, so bring a GPS. Its remote location means less tourists on the beach, making it romantic and restful. To securely return to your accommodation, leave before sunset.

10. Darkwood Beach

Darkwood Beach is ideal for a day at the beach. One of Antigua’s major beaches on the southwest coast, its beautiful tan sand and offshore coral reef make it popular.

There’s lots of space to relax and a restaurant serving great food and drinks. Rent sun loungers and umbrellas on-site. Do not expect to eat quickly. Since it’s the Caribbean, things move slower.

Kids will like the inflatables course and the many sea creatures when snorkeling near shore. The tranquility and soft sand will please couples. In the morning, the beach is mostly yours.

Insider tip: Locals compete for spots on this lovely beach on weekends, so visit during the week for a quieter, more romantic experience.

11. St. John’s

Antigua and Barbuda’s capital and cruise liner port, St. John’s, is a rainbow of candy-colored colonial houses and market stalls full of tropical fruits and flowers.

A municipal landmark, St. John’s Cathedral’s white neo-Baroque towers rise over the skyline. It is being extensively restored.

The little Museum of Antigua and Barbuda in the 18th-century Court House provides an overview of the island’s history. To learn more, visit Betty’s Hope, the 17th-century ruins of the island’s greatest sugar plantation. A tiny museum honors the slaves who built it.

As a cruise ship stop, St. John’s, Antigua’s capital, is a popular shopping destination. Visitors can find duty-free shopping at Heritage Quay, souvenir vendors at Redcliffe Quay, and busy harborside public markets on Fridays and Saturdays.

Hike the steep climb to Fort Barrington, built to defend St. John’s from the French, for city and harbor vistas.

12. Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

Visit the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda to learn about these lovely islands’ history.

Here, you require little time. The exhibitions cover the island’s geology, colonial history, slavery, archeology, sports, and 1981 political independence in one space.

A full-scale Arawak home, pottery, weaving, tools, and Island ecology exhibits are highlights. Former 18th-century St. John’s Courthouse houses the museum. Address: Long Street, St. John’s, Antigua.

13. 17 Mile Beach

Some may never see a more beautiful beach than Barbuda’s 17 Mile Beach. This magnificent stretch of pink-tinged sand divides the Barbuda lagoon from the Caribbean Sea and delights even the most jaded beach connoisseurs.

Walking along these beautiful shoreline is a popular Barbuda activity. The sand is flour-soft, and its secluded position lets you walk for kilometers without seeing anyone.

17 Mile Beach can be reached by boat or helicopter. Beach tours often include a great lunch. A nearby frigate bird colony can be visited alongside this site. Both sights are popular Antigua day outings.

Insider’s Tip: This beach has no facilities or shade, so bring food, water, and sun protection if you’re not on a tour.

14. Frigate Bird Sanctuary

The Frigate Bird Sanctuary in Barbuda is a birder’s paradise. The bird sanctuary, which is only accessible by boat, is located in Barbuda’s northwest lagoon and is home to one of the Caribbean’s largest nesting colonies of frigate birds.

These big seabirds are distinguished by their vivid red gullets and 1.5-meter wingspan. The area also attracts over 150 additional bird species, including herons, cormorants, and pelicans.

15. Darby Cave

Darby Cave, formed by limestone dissolution, is one of Barbuda’s most remarkable natural features. Although it is commonly referred to as a cave, the site is actually a sinkhole with a diameter of more than 100 meters.

The lush vegetation blooming inside, in contrast to the dry surrounding bush, resembles a rain forest, with ferns, tall palmetto palms, and dense lianas wrapping around the tree trunks. Several birds can be seen among the vegetation. Under the overhang, dripping water has also formed stalagmites.

16. Martello Tower

Martello Tower, Barbuda’s tallest building, is a landmark at 17 meters. The British built these defensive buildings across the Empire, and this one is the oldest in the Caribbean.

A Spanish fort was likely built on the beach at River, a few miles south of the settlement, where the British built the tower in the early 19th century.

Hurricane Irma destroyed 90% of Barbuda’s structures in 2017, testing the tower’s strength. Martello Tower was one of the few remaining.

This modest defensive fort’s thick stone walls and gun platform are mostly intact, and the ruins are linked to the prior fort. The tower is inaccessible, however you can climb the back half for coastal views.