Looking to escape your all-inclusive on your tropical getaway? This guide has you covered with all the best things to do in Antigua.
Updated November 2021
The beach is just the beginning.
Powdery white sand, azure waters and coconut laden palm trees. It can be difficult to imagine ever wanting to leave your sun lounger and explore one of the small roads that winds itself around this tropical paradise. Any yet, this is exactly what we implore you to do.
Certainly Antigua's 300+ beaches are stunning, but there is still much to excite the traveller on this small Caribbean island.
Here's our guide to help you plan the perfect trip, including 15 of the best things to do in Antigua and Barbuda.
Learn How to Sail
Our stay in Antigua happened to coincide with one of the biggest weeks for tourism on the island - Sailing Week. In fact, this annual seven day extravaganza (usually held around the end of April / beginning of May) is one of the most famous regattas in the world, known for its spectacular racing and, naturally, in a country of rum, its serious partying.
Should you plan to visit in one the other 51 weeks of the year however, do not fear - there's still plenty of opportunity to feel the wind in your hair and salt-spray on your face.
Why not get a group together and charter a sailing boat for the day?
If there’s only a couple of you, or you’d prefer to do a group tour, consider this full day (7 hour) catamaran tour which circumnavigates the entirety of Antigua. Includes time for snorkelling and swimming, a seafood lunch plus open bar and the chance to enjoy a beautiful sunset before heading back to shore.
Alternatively, this four hour private small boat charter allows you to customise your itinerary to your own personal interests - whether that’s having a beach side BBQ, snorkelling, swimming with turtles, diving or spear fishing.
Take a Road Trip
Naturally, most of us go to Antigua because we want a well earned rest; a chance to put our feet up, slap on some sunscreen and read a good book. However, even the most sun-worshipping of tourists will likely find themselves a little bored after a few days, and hopefully wondering what actually goes on on this little island outside of your perfect Antigua all-inclusive resort.
Whilst this is possible by taking a few well-organised tours, we think that an independent adventure is much more fun. With minimal public transport options in Antigua, the very best way to get out and about is with your own car.
Many of the island's hotels have car rental facilities, but we'd actually recommend renting directly from the airport (use AutoEurope for an overview of all the best deals from a variety of local and international rental companies) when you arrive.
Firstly, it's much cheaper to do it this way, and secondly, you could rent the car a little longer and then, instead of trying to squeeze all your sightseeing into a couple of days, you can spread it out - a morning by the pool and then an afternoon of explorations!
Driving in Antigua is very straightforward, and feels safe (and we say this having driven in places like Morocco and Sicily!)
Before you book anything, be sure to check out our article on '10 Things to Know Before Renting a Car in Antigua'.
Donate at the Donkey Sanctuary
We have promised each other that when we eventually lay down some roots in a small but perfectly formed country cottage in Europe, that a permanent house guest will be a rescued donkey.
A visit to the local donkey sanctuary in Antigua then was a no-brainer.
We were surprised to discover that, whilst no longer used for work, Antigua has a relatively large wild donkey population. And although many live their lives out happily roaming the island, illness and car accidents mean that this small sanctuary has a constant, and ever-growing, troupe of four-legged friends to look after.
Including around 150 donkeys, they also operate as a dog and cat shelter.
The Essentials | The sanctuary is located on the eastern side of the island near Bethesda (find it here on Google Maps) and is open Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. til 4 p.m. There is no entry fee however the sanctuary relies heavily on donations in order to survive. You can either simply put money in the donations box, or instead buy one of the many fund-raising items that they sell.
And if you happen to fall in love with one donkey in particular (or want to support the sanctuary but won’t be able to make it there on your holiday), they also offer the chance to ‘adopt a donkey’ - find out more here.
As ever, treat the animals with the respect they deserve when visiting - most are really friendly and love to be brushed by visitors.
Take in the View at Shirley Heights (especially on a Sunday)
Located 150 metres above the sea in what was once a military complex, Shirley Heights offers spectacular views out over the English and Falmouth Harbours, sometimes as far as the neighbouring islands of Montserrat and Guadeloupe.
It’s a wonderful place to visit even on a quiet Monday afternoon, but for a true slice of local culture, be sure to visit on a Sunday afternoon. Indeed, ask any local Antiguan what is the one thing you can't miss on the island, and a singular answer will be provided more often than anything else - Sunday nights at Shirley Heights!
From 4 pm until 10 pm, visitors will be treated to quite the party, with local food on hot barbecues, seriously good rum punch, steel drum bands, and a bloody good time! Be sure to bring your dancing shoes.
Tickets cost $10 per person.
You can find full details here on the Shirley Heights website - including how to reserve - or alternatively you can book a tour package here which includes transport and some alcoholic drinks (do note that this tour does not include the $10 entry fee, and if you have a large group, it would work out cheaper simply to arrange your own transport).
If a night at Shirley Heights sounds like something you’d enjoy but would prefer a slightly more relaxed evening, they run a similar but more sedate event on Thursdays.
Top tip | The viewpoint can also be accessed via a hiking trail that begins here (next to a villa named ‘Moondance’. The hike itself is not terribly difficult providing you have decent shoes and are in good health but there is a section that is very steep that you should be prepared for.
Indulge in an all-inclusive
Just like the beaches, whilst there is more to do in Antigua than maroon yourself on a lilo in your hotel pool, staying at one of the excellent all inclusive resorts is an absolute must do during your time on the island.
We were lucky enough to spend a week in the delightful Verandah Resort and can't recommend it highly enough. Fantastic food, a great cocktail selection (which even with a valiant effort we still failed to make our way entirely through), several pools, beautiful grounds, and probably one of the best balcony views we've ever had from our room.
Verandah is owned by Elite Island Resorts and they have a number of other equally excellent all-inclusive hotels on the island including Galley Bay, Pineapple Beach Club and St James' Club Antigua.
Want to find your own perfect resort? Then check out this post featuring six of our pick of the best all inclusive resorts in Antigua.
Set Your Tongue on Fire
It is no secret that one half of Along Dusty Roads has a serious hot sauce addiction (exhibit one: the 16 bottles from around the world currently taking up half a shelf in our kitchen), and so seeking out the best this little island had to offer was a no-brainer!
Served alongside pretty much every hotel buffet, street-stall and supermarket is the ubiquitous Susie's Hot Sauce but the island is home to a number of other small producers including Dennis' (from Dennis' restaurant) and the concoctions that can be found at Elaine's Culture Shop. Sold from her road-side shack, this woman drives a hard bargain but the sauces on offer are pretty darn incredible!
You can find Elaine's shop on Fig Tree Drive, the same road which takes you to the zip-lining centre (here on maps).
Top tip | If you’re keen to sample allll the flavours on the island of Antigua, that absolutely has to include rum! Antigua Distillery has an on-site tasting room where it’s possible to sample a variety of different rums, or alternatively they run distillery tours for those who’d like a deeper understanding of the process. You can find details by contacting them via their website.
Take a Hike
On an island famous for powder sand beaches, a go-slow mentality and all you can eat buffets, we were surprised to learn of the numerous hiking trails in Antigua.
Being the sort of travellers that are always keen to swap a pair of flip-flops for a sturdy pair of trainers and hit a trail, we jumped at the opportunity to join the local hiking group Wadadli Trail Blazers and sweat off some of the previous evening’s cocktails!
In bright pink t-shirts, they do hikes most Sunday mornings which members of the public can join - it was a lovely walk, and a welcome opportunity to see a slightly different side of Antigua. The Trail Blazers are also very fun company.
Contact them on their Facebook page for more information
If unable to meet with them on a Sunday, consider joining another group by the name ‘The 5 am Hikers’ who set out for epic sunrise hikes every Saturday. Their FB page has all the info.
Alternatively, you could also join small group hiking tour like this super popular one, or for the slightly more adventurous, this tour to the Pillars of Hercules.
If you’d prefer to go it alone, we’d recommend one of the following hikes:
// Mount Obama
Formerly known as Boggy Peak, Mount Obama is Antigua’s highest peak (405m), and the hike itself is considered to be somewhat challenging. The route can be found here, and should take a between two and three hours (both ways)
// Carpernter’s Rock Trail
A pleasant, moderately difficult hike with spectacular views along the way - this is the hike that we did with Wadadli Trail Blazers. You can find the start point for the hike here, from which you will head all the way up to Shirley Heights. The distance to this point is around two hours, and should no longer than an hour.
Once there, you have three choices for your return journey: The Lookout Trail (1 mile, easy), The Jones Valley Trail (2 miles easy), or simply following the main road to Galleon Beach Resort.
// Walling’s Dam Nature Reserve
Once a reservoir and source of water to nearby villages, the area underwent a rewinding process in 1912 and has since become a protected nature reserve. Either opt to follow one the simple trails through the rainforest (they can be found signposted on arrival), or alternatively hike to Signal Point or Rendezvous Bay.
You can find the nature reserve here on maps, and further details on their website.
Zip-Lining
Ten years ago, strapping ourselves to a metal wire suspended mid-air seemed like a wonderful thing to do. These days however, we've gotten a little cautious.
For those with similar sensitivities, zip-lining in Antigua may be a good compromise. Still high, and with enough variety as to keep you entertained (they have 10 zip-lines varying from 16 - 100 metres), we have it on good authority that the wires aren't nearly as far off the ground as those elsewhere in the world, and the amount of foliage keeps your eyes diverted.
For more information, or to book a tour, follow this link.
Top tip | Looking for other adventure activities? Consider a bike tour. This one (which also includes kayaking and hiking) has really excellent reviews as does this e-bike guided tour for those that would prefer adventure-lite!
Why we Don’t recommend swimming with stingrays
When looking into things to do in Antigua prior to our visit, beyond visiting beautiful beaches, another activity was very much front and centre: swimming with stingrays.
As you'll hopefully be aware, Along Dusty Roads sits firmly on the side of the fence that animal-based tourism should generally be avoided, or at least thoroughly researched prior to arrival.
Unfortunately, after much research, it became clear that swimming with stingrays in Antigua was not something we could endorse. And, after hearing some of the experiences of members of our group that did engage in it (tourists picking up stingray out of the water and posing for photos for example), our concerns were reinforced.
Instead, contribute to the Antiguan economy by going out on an eco boat tour, or snorkelling or diving to see Stingrays they way they should be - happy, wild and free.
If you’d like to read more about how we reached our decision not to endorse this activity, please take a look at these article by The Guardian, The Smithsonian, LiveScience and Travel4Wildlife.
Find your perfect beach
Okay, we know what we said at the beginning, but you don’t come to the Caribbean and NOT fantasise about the picture postcard slices of heaven here; it's just worth remembering that your very favourite beach in Antigua may well not be the one at the edge of your resort.
No, sometimes you have to go out and find it.
If you're not keen on checking out all 365 beaches on Antigua (one for every day of the year), and instead want to know exactly where to go for the most idyllic setting, whitest sand, or best water, then you'll be pleased to know that we've done the hard work for you. Yep, we undertook the painstaking task of driving to as many beaches as we possibly could to give our readers an honest opinion - what can we say, it’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it!
You can find our pick of the best beaches in Antigua in our complete guide (which includes how to get there and facilities etc), but as a sneaky peak, these are five that you absolutely can’t miss:
Carlisle Bay
Darkwood Beach
Coco Bay
Long Bay
Ffryes Bay
It’s important to note that if you truly want to explore the best beaches in Antigua, you will need a hire car.
Take a boat to Barbuda
Little Barbuda is the sister island to Antigua - and together they form the nation of Antigua & Barbuda.
Most visitors spend their time exclusively on Antigua, but it is very easy to take a day trip or spend a couple of nights over in Barbuda for an even more intimate Caribbean island experience. The island was badly affected by the 2017 Hurricane Irma, much more so than Antigua, and so its regeneration does depend on increased tourism. Twitchers will be happy to know that it’s one of the world’s best spots for frigates.
The Barbuda Express has departures every day of the week (7 am Monday to Saturday, and noon on Sunday) from the ferry dock in St John's harbour, costing $50 USD one way, or $90 USD for a return journey.
Alternatively, the same company also offers a day tour which includes transport there and back as well as a local tour guide, boat visits to Codrington Lagoon and Two Foot Bay, lunch at Hillside View Bar & Grill and a swim at Princess Diana Beach.
The tour departs on Tuesday and Thursdays, at 7 am.
You can find full details and schedules here.
Discover St John’s
The island of Antigua lives and breathes the go-slow mentality that we love about the Caribbean. However, there remains one place here with a bit more life and action; St John's, the colourful capital.
If you are driving around the island, then you'll inevitably pass through or by the city of just over 22,000 - so why not stop off for an hour or two?
You could discover much of what the city offers by simply strolling through its streets, but if you prefer to plot out a route for your wanderings, don’t miss these wonderful things to do in St John’s:
Museum of Antigua and Barbuda | Dating from 1747 and once a colonial courthouse, this grand portico building now houses the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, a source of ancient and relatively modern artefacts - including a cricket bat that once belonged to Viv Richards, considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time. The museum is open 8.30 am to 4.30 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Find it here on maps.
St John the Divine Cathedral | A short walk form the museum is St John’s Cathedral. With two previous buildings having been destroyed by earthquakes, this current church dates from 1845. Find it here on maps.
The Local Market | The hub of any city is its central market, and therefore a visit to St John’s is an absolute must-do! Take the opportunity to buy and try some of the island’s delicious fresh fruit and experience local living away from the all-inclusive resorts. Find it here.
Heritage Quay | In the mood for some duty-free shopping? Don’t miss Heritage Quay! Here on maps.
Hemingway’s Caribbean Cafe | Housed inside an early 19th century wooden house, Hemingway’s is a super popular lunch spot with great reviews! Find it here.
Papa Zouk | Widely considered to be one of the best rum bars on the island, with over 200 different rums to choose from - of you fancy trying a few, in a pleasant setting, this is the place to head! Find it here.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to join a guide to explore St John’s, there are a couple of excellent options that focus specifically on the city, including:
This 2.5 hour walking tour that takes in the main sties of St John’s
To get a little more flavour of St John, check out our photo journal.
Take A Cooking Class
We've learnt to cook authentic paella in Valencia, a mean tagine in Marrakech, and traditional Brazilian cuisine in Rio de Janeiro and handmade pasta in Bologna. In fact, we strongly believe that one of the very best ways to understand a country's culture is to learn how to prepare its food.
And Antigua is no exception!
There are a few highly-recommended cooking classes on the island, with Nicole's being particularly popular. Choose from a curry class, a rum-infused special (seriously, it even goes into the soup!), or a jerk extravaganza or a lesson in cooking from the sea.
And make sure you go to class with an empty stomach - you'll be doing a whole lot of eating!
The Essentials | All tours take place just outside of St Johns (transport not included), lat around four hours and involve small groups. You will enjoy a three-course meal as well as alcoholic beverages.
Head Beneath the Ocean
We’ve already explained why you should give the stingrays a miss during your visit to Antigua, however, for those still keen to get their feet wet, the good news is that the crystal-clear waters are a fantastic spot for sorts of other water-based activities - especially snorkelling.
Cades Reef Snorkel Cruise | 6 hour cruise to Cades Reef, one of the island's top snorkel sites. Lots of swimming, fresh fish lunch on the beach and rum punch! Click here for more information.
Guided Jet Ski Tour | This super popular 2 hour adventure offers a different spin on the traditional guided tour, and includes snorkelling time and gear. Find out more here.
Snorkel and Kayak Day Trip | Six hour excursion to Bird Island including snorkelling, kayaking and lunch. Click here for more information.
Scooter Snorkeling Safari | If you love snorkelling, but which you could cover a little more ground beneath waves, consider this highly-rated snorkelling tour where you use a small motorised scooter to propel you along. Departs from Galleon Beach and includes the Pillars of Hercules. Find out more here.
Reef Riders | Buddy up and take out your own 10 ft inflatable motorboat into the ocean and dive in for a snorkel whenever you fancy! Many of our friends did this activity, and still haven't stopped raving about it! Click here for more information.
Snorkelling and Island Tour | If you’d prefer to combine your snorkelling adventure with some of the island’s other land-based highlights, this 6 hour tour is the one for you! Find out more here.
Snorkel and Exclusive Beach Exploration | This small group tour (just six people) is perfect for those in search of a relaxing day out, with time to snorkel at a reef and then go in search of a secret beach. Find out more here.
Devil’s Bridge
In stark contrast the calm clear waters of the island's beaches, a stop at Devil's Bridge reveals a torrent of angry crashing waves against jagged rock; water so dangerous that surely the Devil must live beneath the surface - and so led to the bridge’s name
Located just outside the village of Willikies, this naturally formed limestone bridge is however a poignant part of Antigua's history, with urban legends reporting that a number of slaves came here to end their lives whilst the island was under British rule.
The Devil’s Bridge can be found here on Google Maps. You can visit at any time of day, but we’d recommend heading there for golden hour, either at sunrise or sunset.
Do note that the waters which swirl here remain dangerous and unforgiving, so please do exercise caution when exploring, especially between the months of September and November when the weather makes this spot particularly unsafe.
Top tip | If you’d like to understand a little more about Antigua’s past - the indelible mark that colonial British rule and the barbaric slave trade has left on the island - we’d highly recommend heading out on a specific cultural tour, such as this one.
We’d also suggest that all visitors read a little surrounding Antigua’s history. The following are articles we have have found particularly useful:
/ Unearthing Antigua's slave past
/ Antigua’s Disputed Slave Conspiracy of 1736
/ Making Freedom in Colonial Antigua: An Interview with Natasha Lightfoot
Hang out in English Harbour
Although St John's is the capital, most visitors to Antigua will spend much more time in and around English Harbour. It's got Antigua's most famous attraction, the yacht-filled harbour, plus a number of tourist focused facilities and businesses in its small centre.
Enjoy a drink at one the marina-side bars, do some souvenir shopping, take in the view from the ruins of Fort Berkley, or visit the restored 18th century bastion of Nelson's Dockyard (a UNESCO World Heritage site).
If you won’t be in town for Sunday nights at Shirley Heights, we’d also recommend making your way to the beautifully restored Copper and Lumber Store Historic Inn for the weekly fish fry (the hotel serves as a backdrop for this street even, rather than being in the hotel itself). Held every Friday from 6 pm, it’s popular with locals and tourists alike and is a great place to try local seafood treats - plus the well-stocked bar and live music mean it’s an excellent spot have a dance and make some new friends!
You can find out further information from the official Facebook group.
Abracadabra is the most popular night spot in town.
Looking for a shore excursion whilst in Antigua?
Whilst you may have a limited number of hours to explore the island if docking for the day, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of time!
Consider joining one of these shore excursions:
Round Island Tour | A 3.5 hour tour which serves as the perfect introduction to the history and scenic beauty of Antigua. Includes stops at Nelson’s Dockyard National Park and Shirley Heights.
City of St John's Sightseeing Tour | A 3 hour excursion to the colourful town of Saint John’s, including a local vegetable market and then time at Heritage Quay shopping centre to do some duty-free shopping.
The move two tours come with a guarantee to be back at the boat before it sets sail, and includes round-trip transportation from the port and all entrance fees.
All-Inclusive Jolly Beach Resort and Spa Pass | All day access (10am to 6pm) to one of Antigua’s all-inclusive resorts. Includes all-you-can-eat food and drinks, beach, pool and lounger access as well as a number of watersports.
