Antigua

Best months by our weather score: January, February, March. Daytime highs, rain and sunshine are 2016–2025 averages at V. C. Bird International Airport (Open-Meteo historical weather archive); sea temperatures are 2022–2025 averages for the nearest sea area (Open-Meteo marine archive). Months marked in the storm row fall in the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30); the score takes that risk into account.

Gateway airport

V. C. Bird International Airport (ANU)

US nonstops

ATL, CLT, EWR, JFK, MIA

Distance

3,667 mi from Los Angeles, 1,774 mi from New York

Passport

Needed for US citizens

Hotel, one night

$99 on Jan 13, 2027 · $155 on Jul 14, 2027 (St. John's)

Visitors a year

325,473 overnight visitors (2025), plus 762,223 cruise passengers

Bringing a dog

Possible: Import license from the Veterinary and Livestock Division, microchip, rabies vaccine within 1 year, passing FAVN rabies titer, Ehrlichia and Lyme results, parasite treatment and USDA-endorsed health certificate within 7 days; pit bulls and look-alikes banned

Hotel prices: Cheapest 3-star-or-better double, 1 night, 2 adults, nightly total with taxes and fees, Kayak (St. John's search), checked 2026-10-20. January: Heritage Hotel; July: Connies Comfort Suites. Cheapest beach-area (Dickenson Bay/Cedar Grove) rooms were $222 in January (Buccaneer Beach Club) and $178 in July (Dickenson Bay Cottages).. Visitor figures: Antigua and Barbuda Statistics Division (Ministry of Tourism, NSO), Annual visitor arrivals by country 2006 to 2025 and Annual passenger arrivals by sea.

Antigua suits couples and families who want beach days with a few outings. The calm leeward water is the draw for young kids. The adults-only resorts and the sunset crowd at Shirley Heights make it work for couples too.

• Go if you want a nonstop flight, swimmable sand and one or two history days.
• Go if you are happy to rent a car. The best beaches are spread around the coast, and driving is on the left.
• Skip if you want walkable nightlife. Outside Sunday at Shirley Heights and English Harbour in sailing season, evenings are quiet.
• Skip if your budget is tight in winter. Beachfront rooms on our January date started at $222 a night.

If you want a smaller, quieter island with even better sand, compare Anguilla. If you want more variety and cheaper rooms, look at St. Martin. Our Caribbean ranking puts all three side by side.

We priced one night for two adults, taxes and fees in, on Kayak, for Wednesday January 13, 2027 and Wednesday July 14, 2027. These were the cheapest 3-star-or-better rooms shown on October 20, 2026.

Two things stand out. First, July was not cheaper at the bottom of the market: the cheapest town room cost more on our July date than in January. Second, the gap between town and beach is large. For most first visits, Dickenson Bay is the right base. You can walk to the sand, and St. John's is a short taxi away.

Antigua's best swimming is on the west and southwest coasts. The east coast takes the Atlantic swell. Here is how the main beaches split:

• Dickenson Bay: the busiest strip, gentle water, water sports and beach bars. Easy for kids.
• Darkwood, Ffryes and Valley Church: long, sandy, usually calm southwest beaches with fewer hotels. Bring your own shade.
• Pigeon Point, near English Harbour: small, sheltered and shallow. One of the better picks for young children.
• Jolly Beach: a long beach in front of a big all-inclusive. Calm, but crowded near the resort.
• Half Moon Bay: a wide Atlantic crescent on the east coast. Beautiful, but it can have waves and current. Check conditions before you swim.

The verdict: you get several excellent swimmable beaches near the main hotel areas, which is why we score Antigua 9 of 10 for beaches. It loses a point because the best ones are spread out and you will drive between them.

Antigua gives you several good days off the sand:

• Nelson's Dockyard and English Harbour. The Antigua Naval Dockyard became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. The National Parks Authority lists the office open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It does not publish entry prices online, so check at the gate.
• Shirley Heights Lookout. The view over English and Falmouth Harbours is the classic photo. The National Parks Authority confirms the Sunday afternoon barbecue there; it gives no times or prices.
• A Barbuda day. Sea Bridge Ferries, which took over the Barbuda Express service, takes about 90 minutes each way. The adult round trip is $120 (EC$325), effective July 1, 2026. It no longer sells tours, so book a guide on Barbuda separately. Crossings can be rough and are cancelled in bad weather.
• Sailing and snorkeling. Boat trips run from Jolly Harbour, Dickenson Bay and English Harbour. Prices are set by operators; compare a few.

That adds up to a 7 of 10 for things to do: more than a resort island, less than a big island like Puerto Rico.

The driest, busiest months run from about December to April, when the trade winds keep the air comfortable and prices peak. May and June are a good shoulder: warm sea, fewer people. Summer and fall are hotter and more humid, with more showers.

Antigua sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt. The NOAA National Hurricane Center gives the season as June 1 to November 30, with a peak around September 10 and most activity from mid-August to mid-October. If you book for that window, buy flexible fares and travel insurance. Our hurricane season guide explains how to plan around it. The monthly weather table on this page shows sea and air temperatures from our dataset.

You fly into V. C. Bird International Airport (ANU) on the north coast. The airport's airline table lists these US nonstops:

• American: Miami and New York JFK, plus Charlotte in season.
• Delta: Atlanta.
• United: Newark.
• JetBlue: New York JFK, listed as ending October 31, 2026.

US citizens need a passport. The State Department says it should be valid for 180 days after your departure date and have one blank page. No visa is needed with a return or onward ticket, and you should be able to show where you are staying. The government's ArriveAntigua site asks you to complete the electronic entry form before you travel. Passport cards are not accepted. See our passport rules guide.

Bringing a dog takes planning. Per USDA APHIS, you need an import license from the Veterinary and Livestock Division, a microchip, a current rabies vaccine, a passing rabies antibody (FAVN) test, Ehrlichia and Lyme test results, parasite treatment within 7 days, and a USDA-endorsed health certificate issued within 7 days of arrival. Pit bulls and look-alike mixes are banned.

Rooms are the big number. On our dates, the cheapest 3-star-or-better room was $99 in January and $155 in July, both in St. John's. On the beach, budget about $178 to $222 a night at the cheapest, and $415 for the cheapest all-inclusive we saw. The top end climbs past $4,000.

Add a rental car for beach-hopping, and $120 per adult if you want the Barbuda ferry. Kayak's totals include the taxes it can see; check resort fees at booking.

Adventure Antigua - The Xtreme Circumnavigation tour

Lunch, drinks, snorkel gear and the Stingray City entry are included. The Atlantic side can be rough; not for anyone prone to seasickness.

5.5 to 6 hours

4.9★★★★★★★★★★(1,128 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Antigua: Island Tour, Stingray City Swim & Long Bay Beach

Stingray City admission, transport, snorkel gear and rum punch are included; beach chairs and food are extra.

4 hours

4.8★★★★★★★★★★(258 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on GetYourGuide

From St John's: Half-Day Historical Tour & Beach Break

National park entrance fees and transport are included; tips are not. Groups can be up to 40 people, so it is aimed at cruise passengers.

4 hours

4.6★★★★★★★★★★(211 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on GetYourGuide

Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.