Things to Do in Antigua and Barbuda

October 30, 2026

Antigua is the hub of this two-island country, and Barbuda sits about 48 km to the north. Most activities are on Antigua, and the best ones are tied to a particular place: a sandbar, a nature reserve, a hilltop lookout or a harbour. Prices here are in US dollars where operators quote them that way. The local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), pegged at US$1 to EC$2.70, and US dollars are widely accepted.

Stingray City, Seatons Village

Stingray City Antigua is a boat-led sandbar tour that leaves from Seatons Village (Mercer’s Creek Bay) on the north-east coast. After a short boat ride you stand in waist-deep water while guides feed squid to the rays. Touching is guided, so follow the crew’s instructions and never lift a ray out of the water. Resellers list the tour from about US$100 to US$150 with transfer, and a combination with Laviscount Island, home to Aldabra tortoises, runs about US$150. Check the price with the operator or reseller before you go.

Wallings Nature Reserve

Wallings is at John Hughes in St. Mary’s, and its trails are walked with a ranger. Prices are per person in US dollars:

Button Pond: easy, 3 miles, about 1 hour, US$25 adult and US$15 child.
Signal Hill: medium, 5 miles, about 2.5 hours, US$30 adult and US$20 child.
Rendezvous Bay: hard, 14 miles, about 5 hours, US$50 adult and US$30 child.

The reserve’s picnic area costs US$4 (EC$10). Phone 268 727 0218 to arrange a guide.

Shirley Heights Sunday party

The lookout above English Harbour opens on Sunday from 9am. The party starts around 4pm with a steel pan band, followed by a live band, and runs to about 9:30pm. Entry is about US$10 per person, and food and drinks are bought separately. There is also a Thursday barbecue called Reggae Heights. The lookout is closed on Mondays.

Rainforest canopy tour

The Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour is on Fig Tree Drive, just past John Hughes village. Departures run Monday to Saturday at 9am, 10am and 11am, with zip lines, suspension bridges and rope obstacles. Reseller prices range from about US$99 to US$158, so compare before booking.

Antigua Donkey Sanctuary

At Bethesda, about 150 donkeys are cared for by the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society. Entry is free and donations are welcome. Visiting hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm, and it is sensible to phone 268 461 4957 first.

Kitesurfing

Jabberwock Beach on the north-east coast and Nonsuch Bay are the kite spots, and the season runs from about November to April. Nonsuch Bay has a school teaching kite and wing foil. Dickenson Bay is a flat, sheltered resort bay and is not a surf or kite spot.

Eco boat tour

Eli’s Original Eco Tour takes five to six hours, with two snorkel stops and a beach stop at Great Bird Island. Resellers list it at about US$125.

Water and weather

Beaches on the Caribbean side, west and south-west, are calmer than the Atlantic side, where surf is heavy. No beach is guaranteed to have lifeguards or flags, so swim with care. Hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and the busiest months are mid-December to mid-April.

Check Wallings trail details on the Wallings Nature Reserve site , the Sunday party schedule at Shirley Heights Lookout , and canopy tour departures at Antigua Rainforest . Compare boat tours on Viator .