Barbuda
©
Barbuda

Barbuda

Quiet Caribbean island north of Antigua, known for lagoons, pink sand, and a single main village

Barbuda is Antigua's quieter, flatter, and almost empty sister island, lying about 50 kilometres to the north. Fewer than 2,000 people live here, nearly all of them in the single village of Codrington. The rest of the island is scrubland, lagoons, and some of the most spectacular beaches in the Caribbean.

The Pink Sand Beach along the western shore runs for kilometres without a building in sight, its colour coming from crushed shells mixed into the sand. On most days you will have it entirely to yourself. The Codrington Lagoon Frigate Bird Sanctuary, a large shallow body of water on the island's western side, is home to one of the largest frigate bird colonies in the western hemisphere. A boat trip into the mangroves during nesting season (September to February) puts you face to face with hundreds of males inflating their vivid red throat pouches.

Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017, which damaged or destroyed nearly every structure on the island and forced a complete evacuation. The island has been slowly rebuilding since, and while tourism infrastructure remains minimal — a handful of guesthouses and a couple of beach bars — that is part of the appeal. A day trip by boat or small plane from Antigua is the most common way to visit, though staying overnight is the only way to appreciate just how quiet a Caribbean island can be.

Guide

Things to Do

Barbuda's attractions are almost entirely natural. The beaches on the western shore are among the finest in the Caribbean — long, virtually empty, and backed by scrub rather than resort hotels. The Codrington Lagoon frigate bird colony is one of the great wildlife spectacles of the region. Beyond those two headline experiences, the island rewards slow exploration: limestone caves, salt ponds, and the ruins of 18th-century colonial structures scattered across the scrubland.

Guided boat tours into the Codrington Lagoon mangroves are the standard way to see the frigates. Local boatmen can be arranged through the few guesthouses on the island or by asking in Codrington village. Half a day is enough for the lagoon; a full day lets you combine it with a drive to the eastern beaches and the Barbuda Highlands.