My boyfriend and I live on the island of Antigua in the Eastern Caribbean for the winter with our two young boys. We’ve done most of the attractions and activities the island offers. We’ve tried everything from stingrays to zip lines, snorkel trips and helicopter rides!
When Mary of Calculated Traveller asked me, “What are the best things to do in Antigua cruise port in one day?” my answer wasn’t easy. With so much to see in Antigua, it’s impossible to fit it ALL into one day. So, instead of listing all the activities on the island, I’ve put together a fun itinerary for you, including some of the best (in my mind) activities and places you can do in a day.
I’ve detailed it in an order so you can hire a taxi or rent a car and head off without planning it yourself. Just make sure to book the stingrays in advance to get the time slot you need.
Visiting St John’s, Antigua Cruise Port
When visiting Antigua by cruise ship, you arrive at the edge of St John’s, the capital city of Antigua. You leave the cruise dock at the end of Redcliffe Quay (the original quay) and Heritage Quay, the newer one, which is the duty-free shopping area.
St John’s is perfect for a short walk; you can explore the two main streets of Heritage and Redcliffe Quays in under half an hour to get a feel for the town. If you want to get a drink or bite to eat in the city, there are several excellent places to try that we love: Harbour View Café and Hemingway’s.
You could decide to look around St John’s and then want to spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach. If so, the best bet is to head to Fort St. James to take in the views and then walk down to St. James Beach for the rest of the day. They’re a 45-minute walk from St John’s or a 10-minute taxi ride.
How do you get around Antigua?
There is public transportation in Antigua, which I’ve heard is straightforward to navigate. However, it’s also slow, so you’ll spend a lot of time waiting for buses and making multiple stops. Since your cruise ship is only docked in Antigua for one day, it’s best to make the most of your limited time; a taxi or rental car are the best options if you plan to visit a few places on the island in a day.
Taxis are easy to find because drivers always stand at the end of the dock and wait to take you on your adventures. Be sure to clarify where you want to go and what you expect to pay. There isn’t an Uber in Antigua, so you’ll want to ask the driver to wait for you at each location.
I’ve also met visitors to Antigua who have used a car rental and have the car waiting for them once they leave the dock; it can be a lot more cost-effective to do this than using taxis. You’ll need to plan ahead to make the rental reservation.
What are the best beaches in Antigua?
Sometimes, it’s nice to head to one beach for the day and relax. There are 365 beaches to choose from in Antigua, with so many beaches that it can be challenging to decide which ones to try.
Several fantastic beaches hug the western coast of Antigua; some, such as Jolly Harbour, can be busy with so many visitors arriving by cruise ship.
Read the article: One Pristine Day at Turners Beach in Antigua
Some other beaches further along the coast are easy to reach and can be less busy. These include Coco Beach, Valley Church Beach, Ffryes Beach, and Darkwood Beach. Many taxi drivers will show you pictures of them when you leave the terminal to entice you to visit them.
Ffryes, Coco and Valley Church are all within walking distance of each other. If you wanted to try them all, you could get dropped off at Valley Church, wander along the coast past Coco Beach and stop at Ffryes Beach for lunch at Dennis Restaurant. Then, arrange to be collected at Ffryes at the end of your day.
Alternatively, you could stop for lunch at Sheer Rocks on Coco Beach. This is one of the top 3 restaurants on the island, so you would need to book in advance as it gets jam-packed. I’ve eaten there a few times, and it’s well worth it, as the food is delicious!
None of these beaches have shops, so you must bring your own water and snacks. However, they all have sun loungers and parasols for hire, and some even offer water sports such as paddleboard hire.
One Day Itinerary for Antigua
My recommendation for a one-day itinerary includes enjoying some history, aquatic adventures with stingrays, visiting a beautiful (and not busy) beach and finishing with a stunning viewpoint.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Since you are doing this all independently, make sure you pack some water, a beach towel, and some snacks. Also, it is best to bring cash to pay for your transportation and any expenses along the way.
Enjoy some history at Betty’s Hope
This historical sugar mill site is just 25 minutes by car from St John’s.
Betty’s Hope dates to 1651, making it one of the oldest sugar mill plantations in Antigua. Between 1674 and 1944, the Codrington family owned and ran it as a sugarcane workhorse.
There’s lots to see when you go as it’s set up as an open-air museum. They are still restoring and preserving many of the exposed ruins, such as the stone windmill, the still house, and a cistern complex. In the small on-site museum, you can learn more about what work and slave life would have been like at the plantation.
Once you’ve seen the windmill at Betty’s Hope, you’ll start to spot the ruins of other windmills located all over the island!
Head to Stingray City
A short 5-minute car ride from Betty’s Hope will bring you to Stingray City.
This is one of my favourite activities whether you’re a solo traveller, couple, or family. Antigua is one of the only places in the world where you can take a tour out into the sea to swim and interact with stingrays.
I’d advise booking your time slot well in advance. Ideally, you want to get the 11 a.m. tour so that you can come here straight from Betty’s Hope.
During the boat tour, you are taken out to an area of the sea with a sandbar, where the stingrays come to meet you. You’re provided with a life jacket and snorkel gear before you head out to see the stingrays. Once at the sandbar, you’ll have over an hour to swim and snorkel with the stingrays.
The guides stationed in the water will also teach you how to feed and hold the stingrays if you’d like to. You can also feel and hold the stingrays with a guide but do not lift them out of the water. There’s also a photographer to capture photos of you with the stingrays.
Relax and eat at Long Bay Beach
Long Bay is only 12 minutes from Stingray City by car.
I love this beach as the sand is beautifully soft, the water is clear, and there’s a small coral reef that you can snorkel out to. As it’s a little further away from St John’s than some other beaches, you won’t usually find many people visiting it from the cruise ships. It’s never very crowded!
There are a couple of cool beach shacks selling food, drinks, and souvenirs, so if you forget something, you can easily pick it up here. Just a little note: I’ve not seen any snorkel gear for hire, so it’s probably best to bring your own!
There are a few cafes to eat at. Mama Pasta is perfect if you fancy Italian-influenced food.
Take in the views of Devil’s Bridge National Park
Just 6 minutes away from Long Bay is the stunning vista of Devil’s Bridge.
Once you’ve finished relaxing at the beach, Devil’s is good as you can sit and watch the Atlantic Ocean crash into the natural limestone arch. The sea carved out this natural curved arch over thousands of years.
The bridge developed when a soft part of the limestone was eroded by the action of Atlantic breakers over countless centuries. Waves continue to break over the arch, forcing water out through the naturally occurring blowholes below.
Check out the view at Shirley Heights Lookout
Get your cameras ready because 35 minutes away is the best view in Antigua.
No visit to Antigua is complete without a visit to Shirley Heights, a restored military lookout and gun battery. Shirley Heights is approximately 490 feet high and provides a photo-worthy view of the English and Falmouth Harbour below.
Wander around St John’s
The journey back to St John’s and the cruise port will take about 40 minutes.
I’d recommend leaving a wander around St John’s until the end of your day to fill any spare time. There are some fantastic duty-free shops on Heritage Quay and local shops with clothes and artworks at Redcliffe Quay.
You could stop at the Cathedral or Old Recreation, Antigua’s original cricket ground, if you have extra time.
There are plenty of drinking and dining options within walking distance of the cruise port in Antigua; our favourites are Hemingway’s and Harbour View Bar & Cafe.
Prefer to book a guided tour of Antigua from the cruise port?
Guest writer Sara Young is the author of Big Adventures With Little Feet, a family travel blog with the key aim of inspiring parents to travel with their kids. She loves exploring the world with her sons and giving them big adventures, whether that’s hiking or skiing, sailing or surfing. She and her family spend the winters in Antigua in the Caribbean, where her boyfriend works as a yacht captain. They spend their summers travelling the world to find adventures.
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