Barbuda is part of a three-island state with Antigua and Redonda in the north-eastern Caribbean. On Barbuda you will see an island that is unspoilt by tourism, it is renowned for its beaches which are unspoilt, natural, many miles long and often sprinkled with pink sand. Here is a clear aerial photo of the island, and in 2009 Good Morning America featured Barbuda in the Weekend Windowslot on their programme. This video features local people including Senator Mackenzie Frank, Jackie Beazer-Joseph, and Calvin Gore talking about the beauty of Barbuda.
Barbuda has the deep blue Atlantic on one side with wild beaches full of driftwood and shells, and the Caribbean sea on the other, perfect for swimming and snorkelling, with plenty of opportunities to see turtles, rays, sharks, barracuda and many other varieties of tropical fish undisturbed in the turquoise water. The beauty of Barbuda is in its natural and peaceful way of life. It's not for visitors who are looking for sophisticated nightlife, it's a place where you can relax, slow down and make your own entertainment.
The population of 1500 live in the village of Codrington. Village life is virtually unaffected by tourism and if you are a guest here you will soon be part of the social life of local people as Barbudans welcome visitors to their island.
Barbuda is 15 miles long and 8 miles wide, and is very rocky and flat. Much of the island is covered in impenetrable bush and there are unmarked roads and tracks to most of the beaches although a good road now goes from River to Two Foot Bay. There are only two hotels on the island that are open at the moment; the membership only, private Coco Point Lodge, and Lighthouse Bay Resort at Low Bay. There are several great value guest houses in the village, ranging from budget single rooms to self-catering cottages, and there are three that are locally owned on the beach, North Beach, Barbuda Cottages and Pink Sand Villa and Campsite.
The dense Barbudan bush hides all kinds of wildlife, including deer and wild boar, land turtles and guinea fowl, and the occasional wild cat. There are cattle, horses, and donkeys often wandering about and in the village sheep and goats return to their pens at night.
There are several salt ponds where it is possible to collect sea salt and see a great variety of bird life, and in Codrington Lagoon the most spectacular of all the birds - the rare Magnificent Frigate Bird - has a thriving colony of approximately 2000 birds , which is one of the largest in the world.
Barbuda is a haven for birdwatchers who come to see the Frigate birds but can also expect to see many other rare species including Ospreys, Whistling Ducks, Tropicbirds and the Barbuda Warbler, seen here in the middle picture. It's known locally as the Christmas Bird, and is the only one of its kind in the world.
