Private yacht charter in Antigua
Antigua has sheltered sailing ships for more than two centuries. A yacht charter in Antigua begins in English Harbour or neighbouring Falmouth Harbour, on the south coast, and the island does the rest: reef-protected bays on the Atlantic side, calm anchorages to leeward, and Barbuda around thirty miles to the north. By yacht, most anchorages lie less than twenty nautical miles apart, so passages are short and the days belong to the water.
Antigua from the water
English Harbour and Falmouth. Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often described as the only Georgian naval dockyard still in working use, sits at the head of English Harbour; Falmouth Harbour, over the ridge, holds the superyacht berths. Above them, the old military lookout at Shirley Heights looks towards Montserrat and Guadeloupe, and its Sunday evening gathering, with music and a barbecue, is an island fixture.
Green Island and Nonsuch Bay. On the east coast, a barrier reef breaks the Atlantic swell offshore and leaves Nonsuch Bay in flat water. Uninhabited Green Island closes its northern side, with empty beaches and snorkelling off its western shore. At around ten nautical miles from English Harbour, it makes a natural first night.
The North Sound. Off the north-east coast, a scatter of small islands lies inside the reef. Great Bird Island is a protected nature reserve, with a nesting colony of red-billed tropicbirds and a short climb to a ridge above the islets, while the shallows around Rabbit and Crump islands suit kayaks and paddleboards.
The leeward coast. The west side is the calm side. Deep Bay has the wreck of the steamer Andes, with Fort Barrington a short climb above; Jolly Harbour is a sheltered marina; and Carlisle Bay, in the south-west, is a long beach below green hills, with Rendezvous Bay close by, best reached by sea.
Barbuda. Around thirty miles north, Antigua's sister island is low and quiet, with long pink-tinged beaches on its western shore and, in Codrington Lagoon, one of the world's largest frigatebird colonies, visited by small local boat. Its anchorages are open roadsteads and its reefs call for care, so the crossing waits for a settled spell.
A week from English Harbour
A week that keeps to Antigua might run east to Green Island and Nonsuch Bay, round to the North Sound and Great Bird Island, then down the leeward coast to Deep Bay and Carlisle Bay before returning to English Harbour, a circuit of around seventy nautical miles. With a settled forecast, two nights at Barbuda take the place of part of the west coast. With ten days or more, the route can continue north-west to St Barths and the islands around it.
When to go
The season runs from December to April, when the trade winds blow steadily from the east and the weather is dry and settled; November and May are quieter shoulder months. Around the turn of the year, the Christmas winds can bring a few days of 20 to 25 knots, and the route then favours the sheltered leeward coast. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.
The calendar fills the harbours at set moments: the Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December, the Superyacht Challenge Antigua in March, and in April the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta followed by Antigua Sailing Week, when English Harbour is at its busiest. Christmas and New Year carry a premium over the winter rate.
Marinas and arrival
V.C. Bird International Airport has direct flights from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and handles private aircraft. English Harbour and Falmouth, on the south coast, are around 40 minutes away by road.
Nelson's Dockyard Marina berths yachts below the eighteenth-century buildings of the dockyard. Falmouth Harbour Marina takes superyachts, and the Antigua Yacht Club Marina, on the same harbour, adds further superyacht berths. Jolly Harbour, on the west coast, completes the choice.
Yachts and what a week costs
Each December, the Antigua Charter Yacht Show presents yachts available for the Caribbean winter to visiting brokers, and the regattas bring classic and performance sailing yachts, while the Falmouth marinas hold motor yachts and superyachts through the season.
The weekly rate covers the yacht and its crew. Running costs, from fuel and food to drink and berthing, come from an Advance Provisioning Allowance, typically 25 to 35 percent of the rate. A cruising permit and park fees apply, and the applicable charges are set out before anything is signed. The crew gratuity is at the guests' discretion, customarily 15 to 20 percent of the charter fee in the Caribbean. Our guide to what a charter costs and the charter toolkit on APA and gratuities set out the detail.
How an Antigua charter is arranged
We shortlist the yachts that suit your group, check each one against the regatta calendar, and settle the route with the captain once the forecast is known. Antigua also pairs with the British Virgin Islands for a longer winter, the wider Caribbean holds other routes, and the largest yachts are covered under superyacht charter.
Tell us your dates, the size of your group and what you have in mind, and we will come back with a shortlist. Start the conversation.
