Barbuda Attractions

The Art Cafe is the residence of the artist Claire Frank. Here you can relax on her breezy gallery, drinking freshly-ground Caribbean coffee and watching the world go by. People, donkeys, goats, cats, dogs, horses - all will keep you entertained. Hand painted silks by Claire Frank.... (more)

The Art Cafe is the residence of the artist Claire Frank. Here you can relax on her breezy gallery, drinking freshly-ground Caribbean coffee and watching the world go by. People, donkeys, goats, cats, dogs, horses - all will keep you entertained. Hand painted silks by Claire Frank. This unique work comes straight from the Caribbean where vibrant colors and the luxury of silk combine to great effect. Silk painting is a technique similar to batik. The pictures and cards are mounted on quality card or matt board or framed by a local frame-maker who creates beautiful hand-made frames to suit each individual picture. Scarves and pareos are also available. All the work is original. (close)

Visit Antigua's exotic sister island Barbuda for a day to remember forever! Explore the amazing Frigate Bird Sanctuary located on the island's northwestern lagoon accessible only by boat. The Frigate Bird Sanctuary is home to over 5,000 of these magnificent waterbirds. You have two options on this tour: ... (more)

Visit Antigua's exotic sister island Barbuda for a day to remember forever! Explore the amazing Frigate Bird Sanctuary located on the island's northwestern lagoon accessible only by boat. The Frigate Bird Sanctuary is home to over 5,000 of these magnificent waterbirds. You have two options on this tour: * First Class 75 minute Catamaran boat ride from St. John's Harbor in Antigua or a * Short 20 minute return domestic flight between Antigua and Barbuda On arrival into Barbuda, take a short walk to the lagoon and board a small boat to the Bird Sanctuary where a local guide gives a narrated educational tour and fills you in with some facts about Caribbean wildlife! Discover the Frigate Bird which is a tropical marine bird of prey and is seen here in its natural habitat. Return to Low Bay for a sumptuous lunch on board the boat before spending 2 relaxing hours on the beach, where you can swim, sunbake or simply just explore the white sand shores of Barbuda! Depending on the weather, you may sail to another beach. (close)

Barbuda is one of the best beach destinations in the Caribbean; it has unspoilt beaches on all sides of the island. Usually you will be alone on the beach, except on the hotel beaches. Hotel beaches are open to all visitors as long as non-guests keep to the waterline. ... (more)

Barbuda is one of the best beach destinations in the Caribbean; it has unspoilt beaches on all sides of the island. Usually you will be alone on the beach, except on the hotel beaches. Hotel beaches are open to all visitors as long as non-guests keep to the waterline. Most of the beaches have no facilities so it is important to remember to take water and shade or find a place to keep out of the sun for some of the time. In some places when you have seen one beach you have seen them all, but in Barbuda each one is different, better than the last, and interesting enough to keep even the most cynical holidaymaker happy for hours. The beaches can have dangerous currents at certain times of the year, but there are also areas that are perfect for children or non-swimmers, with shallow water and rock pools filled with tiny fish and crabs. There are aerial displays provided by pelicans diving close to the beach and everywhere you swim you will see fish darting about in the water. On holiday weekends the beaches fill with Barbudans who take picnics very seriously and bring loud music, food, and truckloads of people to spend the day in the sea. In some of the cave areas people camp for several nights, catching and cooking fish, deer, and land turtle, which are often shared by everyone. (close)

Largest cave on the island at 70 feet deep and an interior ecosystem supporting 50-foot palmetto palms, Three and half miles north-east of Codrington Village is Darby Cave, a spectacular sink hole in the middle of the bush. It is well worth a visit to see... (more)

Largest cave on the island at 70 feet deep and an interior ecosystem supporting 50-foot palmetto palms, Three and half miles north-east of Codrington Village is Darby Cave, a spectacular sink hole in the middle of the bush. It is well worth a visit to see the huge deep hole suddenly appear in front of you and wonder how it got there! The tops of tall palm trees are suddenly at eye level. Darby Sink Hole is over 100 metres in diameter and around 70 feet deep. One side of the hole has been greatly undercut and stalagmites up to 8 feet high have formed under the overhang. The vegetation resembles a mini rainforest with palms, ferns, bats, birds, frogs, and lianas. A local guide is essential for this trip. (close)

Dark Cave is two miles to the south of Darby Cave. The cave has a narrow entrance leading to a vast cavern containing pools of water, which were probably a water source for Amerindian inhabitants as artifacts have been found nearby. Dark Cave is the habitat for several rare species... (more)

Dark Cave is two miles to the south of Darby Cave. The cave has a narrow entrance leading to a vast cavern containing pools of water, which were probably a water source for Amerindian inhabitants as artifacts have been found nearby. Dark Cave is the habitat for several rare species of crustacea, including a blind shrimp. (close)

Most of the men and women who live in Barbuda go fishing at some time, either as a full-time occupation or at weekends. Traditionally fishing is done using fish pots which are made from locally gathered wattle sticks and wire. a stingray caught at North Beach (Claire Frank). Lobster... (more)

Most of the men and women who live in Barbuda go fishing at some time, either as a full-time occupation or at weekends. Traditionally fishing is done using fish pots which are made from locally gathered wattle sticks and wire. a stingray caught at North Beach (Claire Frank). Lobster is exported several times a week and goes mainly to the French islands in large quantities. Other fish are sold locally or sent to Antigua. Many varieties are caught in pots, Grunt, Old Wife, Hind, Snapper to name a few. Larger fish are caught on lines or with spear guns. The large Kingfish, Dolphin or Mahi Mahi, Tuna, and Barracuda are often sold to the hotels in the season. Barracuda can be seen in the waters around the island and are eaten widely in Barbuda. They do not carry the ciguatera poison, which prevents their consumption in other parts of the Caribbean. Barbuda has the perfect water for bone fishing and has some of the best fish on the outskirts of Codrington Lagoon, where large Tarpon and Ten Pounder can be caught with local bait. Fishing in Barbuda may be done only from a Barbudan boat. Contact one of the operators listed below to take you out. Mcarthur Nedd has a boat in which he takes people rod and reel fishing. Mcarthur and Natalie Nedd also offer accommodation, day tours, and a land or sea taxi. Mcarthur and Natalie Nedd can be contacted at home on 268 460 0059 or by cell phone within Antigua and Barbuda on 724 7490. Freeston Thomas provides help with port immigration and customs. He may be contacted at 268 460 0137, 783 8624, and 772 1983 or via email. (close)

Home to one of the largest frigate (or man-of-war or hurricane) bird colonies in the world.

archaeologists in barbuda Only Barbudans were aware of a pre-European culture on the island until 1965 when D R Harris published a picture of a stone Dogs Head Ceremonial Inhaler. Harris indicated that this was the first evidence of Amerindians living on Barbuda and the only artefact... (more)

archaeologists in barbuda Only Barbudans were aware of a pre-European culture on the island until 1965 when D R Harris published a picture of a stone Dogs Head Ceremonial Inhaler. Harris indicated that this was the first evidence of Amerindians living on Barbuda and the only artefact of its kind known from south of Puerto Rico. The inhaler was found near Two Foot Bay and used as a door stop in a Barbudan home. It was bought by Fred Olsen in the 1970s and has been exhibited recently in the USA. Throughout the island are the remains of settlements of the Arawaks, the first Amerindian inhabitants of Barbuda. Recently a human skeleton was found, dating back to these times. There are many known sites and it is quite easy to find fragments of pottery and conch shells used centuries ago. Visitors must obtain permission from the Barbuda Council before excavating any remains and it is essential that all artifacts are presented to the Council in order that they remain on the island. Archaeological work in Barbuda has been carried out by Desmond Nicholson and the Antigua Historical Society. Between 1979 and 1992 Dr David Watters from the Carnegie Museum published the most complete updates on the Amerindian presence in Barbuda. Dr Watters has conducted surveys and test excavations and continues to report on the island. Dr Steven Hackenberger and Gregg Wilson from Central Washington University visited the island in 1999 with a group of students. They added to the survey work of Dr Watters and started to inventory collected items for further study and storage. (close)

A marine reserve in pristine waters with old shipwrecks as well as reefs.

The Ginnery is one of the buildings used by the Barbuda Council and was previously used as classrooms for the school. Salt and cotton were stored here from the days of slavery until well into the 1900s. The salt was still coated on the walls 10 years ago when a... (more)

The Ginnery is one of the buildings used by the Barbuda Council and was previously used as classrooms for the school. Salt and cotton were stored here from the days of slavery until well into the 1900s. The salt was still coated on the walls 10 years ago when a teacher reported that one could see dates and quantities stenciled on the beams. (close)

The Martello Tower is near the beach at River, three miles south of the village. It is impossible to miss this site, all visitors pass by on their way to Coco Point and Access Beach. The tower has a raised gun platform and extremely thick walls, but is missing the... (more)

The Martello Tower is near the beach at River, three miles south of the village. It is impossible to miss this site, all visitors pass by on their way to Coco Point and Access Beach. The tower has a raised gun platform and extremely thick walls, but is missing the floors. This type of fortification was modeled on a tower built on Cape Mortella during the Napoleonic Wars in the early nineteenth century. However, there was a fort on the site before, probably built by the Spanish. (close)