Antigua & the Leeward Islands
A cruising hub with heritage: the Georgian naval dockyard at English Harbour, reef-protected Nonsuch Bay, and the pink sand and frigate-bird colony of neighbouring Barbuda — and the centre of the Caribbean's charter-show season.
Antigua is where the Caribbean charter season is decided. English Harbour's Nelson's Dockyard is a working Georgian naval yard turned UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Falmouth Harbour beside it holds the region's densest concentration of superyachts each December. Barbuda, a short sail north, adds eleven empty miles of pink sand and one of the world's great frigate-bird colonies.
“Antigua is the only place where the dockyard Nelson built is still the marina you tie up in.”
The gallery
Signature anchorages
From the UNESCO dockyard to the reef-locked east coast and Barbuda beyond.
- English Harbour & Nelson's DockyardThe historic heart — a UNESCO-listed working Georgian dockyard inside a natural hurricane hole; walk to Pigeon Beach.
- Falmouth HarbourThe modern superyacht hub next door; home to the Charter Yacht Show and the Superyacht Challenge.
- Nonsuch BayA two-square-mile lagoon fully enclosed by barrier reef on the east coast; calm inside despite the trades, unbuoyed entrance best taken from the south.
- Green IslandInside Nonsuch Bay — Rickett Harbour for the fleet, tiny Tenpound Bay for one or two yachts; some of Antigua's best snorkelling on the reef.
- Barbuda — Low BayEleven miles of pink sand facing the Atlantic, separated from the mainland by Codrington Lagoon; empty, calm, and worth the crossing.
- Jolly HarbourSheltered west-coast base and marina, calmer leeward water, easy provisioning.
The scene
Heritage regattas, a Sunday institution, and the fleet that never quite leaves.
Shirley Heights sunset party
A Sunday tradition since 1981: steel pan from the Halcyon Steel Orchestra, jerk BBQ and rum punch over the best view in Antigua — English and Falmouth Harbours laid out below.
Antigua Sailing Week
Founded in 1967–68, once drawing 250-plus boats from 30 countries. The 2026 edition runs a shorter, point-to-point format, 22–26 April.
Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
Grew out of Sailing Week's end-of-season match races. In 1998 the J-Class yachts Endeavour, Shamrock V and Velsheda raced together for the first time in 60 years.
Superyacht Challenge Antigua
A regatta for the big fleet, based at Nelson's Dockyard. The 15th edition ran 4–8 March 2026.
Antigua Charter Yacht Show
The Caribbean's marquee charter-fleet showcase, spread across Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua Yacht Club Marina and Falmouth Harbour Marina. 2026 edition: 4–9 December.
Overflow from St Barths
When St Barths is full, English and Falmouth Harbours are the Caribbean's next stop for the largest private yachts — among them past winter visitors Symphony and Limitless.
Table & stay ashore
Catherine's Café Plage
Pigeon Beach, English Harbour. Beachfront French and Provençal cooking under the neem trees, a Rocks Group restaurant since 2006.
Sheer Rocks
Cocobay Resort, Ffryes Bay. Cliffside Mediterranean tapas over two plunge pools — ranked #5 on Caribbean Journal's 50 Best Restaurants in the Caribbean, 2024.
Copper & Lumber Store
Nelson's Dockyard. A restored 1789 Georgian warehouse; Friday Seafood Night once named among the Caribbean's top five fish fries by USA Today.
Hermitage Bay
All-inclusive hillside boutique resort, 30 cottage suites. Condé Nast Traveler 2026 Gold List, with the Triple Crown.
Jumby Bay Island
Oetker Collection. A private 300-acre island two miles off Antigua, boat access only, with its own RYA-certified sailing fleet.
A week, sketched
English Harbour
Base at Nelson's Dockyard, English Harbour; walk the UNESCO site and swim off Pigeon Beach.
Shirley Heights
Up to the Lookout for the view over both harbours — stay on if it's Sunday for the sunset steel-pan party.
Nonsuch Bay & Green Island
Round to the east coast; anchor inside the reef at Nonsuch Bay, dinghy to Green Island to snorkel.
Barbuda
Cross to Barbuda for the frigate-bird colony at Codrington Lagoon, then the pink sand of Low Bay.
West coast
Back to Antigua's calmer leeward side via Jolly Harbour; lunch at Sheer Rocks, Ffryes Bay.
Jumby Bay & Hermitage Bay
A slow day at anchor off the north coast, or back into Falmouth Harbour for the marina scene.
Depart
Disembark at Falmouth Harbour Marina, short transfer to V.C. Bird International (ANU).
The dockyard days
The heritage core only — English and Falmouth Harbours and Nonsuch Bay — without the Barbuda crossing.
English Harbour
Board at Nelson's Dockyard inside the natural hurricane hole; an afternoon on Pigeon Beach, dinner at Catherine's Café Plage under the neem trees, a Rocks Group room since 2006.
Falmouth Harbour & Shirley Heights
Round to the modern superyacht hub next door, then up to the Lookout for the view over both harbours — stay on for the Sunday steel-pan party if the day allows.
Nonsuch Bay & Green Island
East to the reef-locked lagoon; take the unbuoyed entrance from the south, anchor inside, and dinghy across to Green Island, rated among the best snorkelling in Antigua.
Nelson's Dockyard
Back to the Georgian dockyard for a slower day ashore, dinner at the Copper & Lumber Store's restored 1789 warehouse.
Depart
Disembark at Falmouth Harbour Marina, short transfer to V.C. Bird International (ANU).
Nelson's circuit
Every named anchorage from the dockyard to Barbuda, at a pace that leaves room for the history behind each one.
English Harbour
Base at Nelson's Dockyard inside its natural hurricane hole; walk the UNESCO site, swim off Pigeon Beach, and take in the yard where the J-Class trio Endeavour, Shamrock V and Velsheda once raced together again after sixty years apart.
Falmouth Harbour
A short hop to the modern superyacht hub, home each December to the Charter Yacht Show and, come March, the Superyacht Challenge.
Shirley Heights
Up to the Lookout for the best view in Antigua, English and Falmouth Harbours laid out below; stay on if it's Sunday for the steel-pan and jerk-BBQ tradition running since 1981.
Nonsuch Bay & Green Island
Round to the east coast; take the unbuoyed reef entrance from the south, anchor inside the lagoon, and dinghy to Green Island — Rickett Harbour for the fleet, tiny Tenpound Bay if it's just one or two yachts.
Barbuda
The roughly 30nm crossing north to the frigate-bird colony at Codrington Lagoon and the eleven empty miles of pink sand at Low Bay.
Jolly Harbour
Back to Antigua's calmer leeward side; easy provisioning and one of nine superyacht berths at the sheltered west-coast marina.
Ffryes Bay & Hermitage Bay
South along the coast for cliffside tapas at Sheer Rocks, then an unhurried night off Hermitage Bay's hillside.
Jumby Bay & depart
A last look at Jumby Bay's private 300 acres before returning to Falmouth Harbour Marina to disembark for V.C. Bird International (ANU).
Pair with
Plan this water
Antigua & the Leeward Islands
Heritage dockyard, charter-show glamour, Barbuda's pink sand within a day's sail. Bring the fleet to the harbour that built the season.
The year, measured
Monthly means at the heart of this water — daily maxima averaged, wind as mean daily peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air, day °C | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Sea °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Wind, peak kt | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo · 2019–2023 means · sea temperature 2022–2023
The yachts that run these waters
Profiles from the record — introductions via the harbour desk.
Read on: WAKE — the magazine · the guides · the glossary