a barbudaful welcome

Two Foot Bay on the Atlantic coast (Chris Doyle) Pure sea, pure sand

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.

a Barbudan donkey (Claire Frank) a Barbudan goat (Fiona Jack) Wild horses grazing in the scrub (Claire Frank)

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.

a hummingbied on its nest (Claire Frank) the rare and indigenous Barbuda Warbler (Claire Frank) Frigate birds roosting (Claire Frank)

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.

visit barbuda

Fishing boats moored on the shore of the lagoon (Claire Frank) Food is often prepared on the street in simple grills (Claire Frank)

It is difficult to find detailed information about holidays on Barbuda anywhere other than this website; this is because there is very little tourism on the island, but this is part of its beauty. It is a unique and special destination in the world. Barbuda will not be offered as part of any package except as a day tour from Antigua. We think you will have a much better experience if you stay on Barbuda, for at least one night, because the plane and ferry services do not allow much time here otherwise. If you want to stay you will find most of the information you need here and by contacting guest houses and hotels direct you will be contributing directly to the local economy. You can book your flights as an independent traveller; there are several flights a week from the US, UK and Canada that go to Antigua. If you need more advice contact us and we will be happy to help you plan your stay.

stay in antigua

Dutchmans Bay Cottages

Frontage of Fuller's Cottage Coastal view form Fuller's Cottage

Dutchmans Bay Cottages is one of the nicest local places to stay for your overnight in Antigua. It's very near the airport, on a beach and with a pool and restaurant nearby. We stay here too!

Contact David Fuller: (268) 764-7333 or Erin Fuller: (268) 464-0207 or e-mail dutchmansbay@gmail.com.

caribbean guide books

Once you have got here, you'll need to find your way around. There are many books about the Caribbean in general you can read beforehand, and only a few of them include information about Barbuda. But this site is regularly updated, we answer all e mails and is more reliable and detailed than any of the books, although sometimes people change their contact details and forget to tell us!