As Told by Ali

As a twin-island nation, a trip to Antigua and Barbuda is not complete without visiting the sister island. Barbuda, the smaller of the two islands is known for its untouched beauty, the pink sand beaches and most recently, its very own Nobu restaurant. There are a few ways to get to the island from Antigua for those wishing only to spend a day. In this post, I’ll share more about how to experience Barbuda for a day, as well as my personal experiences.

How to get to Barbuda?

Barbuda Express offers a ferry service between the two islands on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The ride is two hours each way departing from Antigua at 9 a.m. and from Barbuda at 5 p.m.

SVG Air offers flight services from V.C.Bird International Airport to Codrington. It’s an 8-seater plane which takes about 10-15 minutes to arrive in Barbuda. At my time of booking they had two flights in the morning and one in afternoon.

Tropical Adventures hosts a ‘Barbuda for a Day’ tour during the summer months and I believe is the perfect opportunity to see a bit of the island through their standard itinerary. We’ll talk more about this below as this was one of my most recent adventures.

There are also private boat charters available from different companies and Calvin Air Helicopters does inter-island charters as well.

Barbuda for a Day Tour

In August, I had the opportunity to experience Barbuda for a day aboard The Excellence catamaran. As mentioned earlier, this tour is operated by Tropical Adventures and is hosted during the Summer. The day tour is scheduled for every Friday from 9:00 a.m. returning around 5:30 p.m. The ride is 90 minutes each way.

What’s Included?

• Two beach breaks: Low Bay and Princess Diana Beach
• Frigate Bird Sanctuary Tour
• Open Bar
• BBQ Chicken/Fish Lunch

The day we decided to go was a pretty good day, as the ride over was fairly decent except for a few bumps. However, speaking to others who did the tour earlier on in the summer, it was an awful experience. Therefore, if you’re one to get motion sick, I’d advise taking some medication prior to departing.

During the trip, the staff were very welcoming and attentive. There was music throughout and a mini history lesson as we left the port, passing Fort James. Once we got to Barbuda, there was an option to either enjoy Low Bay or hop on a smaller boat to visit the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. We did the latter which was a bit skeptical at first given the size of the boat. However, we got to and from the sanctuary safely. When we got to the sanctuary, one of the guides enlightened us on how the birds came about, the differences between the males and females as well as other information local to the island. Given the time we visited we didn’t observe many males which are the ones with the large red pouch.

Once back at the beach we enjoyed ourselves on the shore until it was time for lunch. The water was surprisingly clear and warm, and the sand being incredibly soft (but not pink). We went back aboard the boat to have lunch which consisted of rice and peas, bbq chicken, green salad and sautéed potatoes. To me, the food was pretty basic and I wish there was a better variety to choose from. The drink options were also very limited.

The next and final stop was Princess Diana beach which I was excited about visiting. This is one of Barbuda’s most popular tourist attractions and a beach known worldwide, so I was very interested in seeing the hype. Similarly to Low Bay, the sand was soft and waters clear. However, given the weather this day, and the incoming rain, it wasn’t as enjoyable. The beach is fairly wide and give beachgoers a chance to spread out, however, there are warning signs as to areas you can’t trespass. In addition to Nobu restaurant on one end, there’s also a small beach bar and restaurant.

Having visited Barbuda a few weeks prior on a work trip, it was relaxing seeing a different view of the island. However, for persons who have never been to the island, it was a missed opportunity to actually explore the island outside of its beaches. I think if something can be worked out with the locals this tour has the potential of offering a great experience.

P.S. The Barbuda for a Day tour returns next summer 2024!