68 nautical miles*
Ideal for Winter Season
This seven-day Antigua yacht charter itinerary from English Harbour covers the island's coastline from the UNESCO-listed Georgian dockyard of Nelson's Dockyard in the south to the seabird colony of Great Bird Island off the northeast coast. The route stays within Antiguan waters throughout, making it one of the more straightforward and self-contained charter circuits in the eastern Caribbean. It suits those who want a week that moves at an unhurried pace between a single island's distinct coastal characters, without the longer passages that a multi-island itinerary requires.
- Day 1
English Harbour
Embark at one of the most historically significant harbors in the Caribbean
Your Antigua yacht charter begins at English Harbour, a natural deep-water port on the island's southern coast that served as a British naval base throughout the 18th century and has been a working harbor ever since. Flanked by hills on three sides, the harbor's natural shelter made it a strategically valuable anchorage for the Royal Navy, and the evidence of that history is still clearly visible.
Nelson's Dockyard, named for the admiral who was stationed here as a young captain in the 1780s, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved examples of a Georgian naval dockyard anywhere in the world. The complex has been carefully restored and now houses a museum, boutique hotels, restaurants, and craft stores, making it worth a full afternoon's exploration before boarding.
The nearby Clarence House, built in 1787 as the official residence of Prince William Henry, is another point of historical interest within easy walking distance. As the sun goes down, the waterfront bars and restaurants at English Harbour town are well-suited to a first evening drink before the crew prepares the yacht for departure.
Find out more:
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Nelson's Dockyard
Attraction
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Nelson's Dockyard
- Day 2
Shirley HeightsDistance: 2 nm*
A hilltop lookout, Sunday barbecue, and the best view on the island
A short cruise from English Harbour brings you to the base of Shirley Heights, a hilltop military complex built in the late 18th century to defend the harbor below. The fortifications themselves are well preserved, and the views from the lookout across English Harbour and the southwestern coastline of Antigua are among the clearest on the island.
The site is most lively on Sunday evenings, when a long-running barbecue and live music event draws a mix of locals and visitors from around the island. Steel bands typically play from around 4pm, with a jump-up band taking over in the evening, a relaxed and genuinely social way to spend the second day of the yacht charter vacation.
For those interested in military history, the ruins of Fort Berkeley on the headland below Shirley Heights protected the entrance to English Harbour and provide an additional point of interest on the short hike down to the water and your chosen sailing or motor yacht charter.
- Day 3
Green IslandDistance: 8 nm*
An uninhabited cay, a protected bay, and good snorkeling off the east coast
Set course for the east coast of Antigua and anchor off Green Island, a small uninhabited cay in Nonsuch Bay, with a handful of anchorage options depending on conditions and the size of your charter yacht. The island forms part of a protected area that supports a resident population of seabirds, including frigate birds and brown pelicans, which are regularly spotted from the deck.
The snorkeling off Green Island's western shore is consistently good, with healthy coral formations close to the surface, with parrotfish, angelfish, and the occasional sea turtle in the area.
Nonsuch Bay itself is known for the reliable trade wind conditions that have made it a popular destination for sailing yacht charters, and the calm, turquoise water inside the bay provides a natural counterpoint to the more exposed anchorages on the island's other coasts. Spend the afternoon at anchor before a dinner prepared on board as the light fades over the eastern Caribbean.
- Day 4
Deep BayDistance: 18 nm*
A sheltered anchorage, a wreck dive, and a hilltop fort
Deep Bay sits on Antigua's northwest coast, a wide, calm anchorage backed by a crescent of white sand that makes for a straightforward overnight mooring or a full-day stop on your yacht charter in the Caribbean. The water here is sheltered from the prevailing trade winds, and the bay is noticeably quieter than the more visited anchorages on the island's southern coast.
The bay's most interesting feature is underwater: the wreck of the SS Andes, a British cargo steamer that burned and sank in 1905, lies in approximately 18 meters of water and is accessible to snorkelers in the shallower sections. The wreck is well-colonized by marine life and offers a straightforward dive for those with basic open-water certification.
Ashore, the short climb to Fort Barrington on the headland above the bay is worth the effort; the 18th-century fortification sits at the southern entrance to St John's Harbour and provides a clear view across the bay and north toward the capital. A string of beach bars and casual restaurants along the shoreline nearby are well-suited to a sundowner before returning to your private charter yacht.
- Day 5
Carlisle Bay & the Southwest CoastDistance: 20 nm*
Calm anchorages, a quieter stretch of coastline, and a reliable afternoon breeze
The southwest coast of Antigua offers a different character from the harbor-focused days earlier in the week. Carlisle Bay is a broad, sheltered anchorage backed by a long sand beach, calm and largely unhurried, with good conditions for unforgettable sessions on the waves during a watersports yacht charter.
From Carlisle Bay, the coastline to the north offers a handful of smaller anchorages worth exploring by tender. Rendezvous Bay, accessible only by sea, is one of the quieter beaches on the island, with soft sand and calm water that make it well suited to a long afternoon swim away from the more trafficked areas.
Johnson's Point further north is another option, with a small cluster of beach bars serving cold drinks and straightforward Caribbean food in an informal setting. Spend the evening at anchor in Carlisle Bay before the cruise north to Great Bird Island the following morning.
- Day 6
Great Bird IslandDistance: 5 nm*
A small nature reserve off Antigua's northeast coast, with nesting seabirds and calm reefs
Great Bird Island sits in the North Sound off Antigua's northeast coast, a small, uninhabited cay that forms part of a protected nature reserve and is home to a nesting colony of red-billed tropicbirds, one of the more visually striking seabirds in the charter routes of the Leeward Islands. The island is reachable by tender from a nearby mooring and rewards a short walk for those interested in birdwatching or simply the views across the surrounding cays.
The reef system off the island's western shore provides accessible snorkeling in relatively calm conditions, with a range of reef fish and coral coverage that varies in depth.
The surrounding cays, including Rabbit Island and Crump Island, create a sheltered area of water that is well suited to deploying kayaks and paddleboards for an active afternoon. Return to your yacht for a final dinner on board as the North Sound settles into the quiet of the evening before the return passage to English Harbour.
- Day 7
English HarbourDistance: 15 nm*
A final morning at anchor before disembarkation
The yacht makes its final passage back to English Harbour, completing a week-long circuit of Antigua's coastline that has covered its eastern cays, northwest anchorages, southwest beaches, and historic southern harbors. Take a last breakfast on deck before heading ashore for disembarkation.
If time allows before departure, the Copper & Lumber Store Hotel on the English Harbour waterfront, a converted 18th-century naval storehouse, is a good choice for a final lunch in a setting that ties the week's nautical theme together neatly. The waterfront market nearby is worth a browse for locally made crafts and rum before the journey home, as plans start taking shape for your next luxury yacht charter vacation.
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*All distances are approximate
