Nautilus Yachting > Yacht Charter > Caribbean Yacht Charter > Antigua
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With 365 palm-fringed beaches, numerous scenic anchorages, direct flights from Europe and the US, and some of the best watersports in the Caribbean, Antigua is an excellent choice for a Caribbean sailing holiday.
Antigua is an island full of naval history and as you sail around the island on your yacht charter, it is easy to see why. Protected by an almost unbroken wall of coral reef, Antigua’s coastline is dotted with safe harbours and anchorages in which to hide away. You will be spoilt for choice when choosing your sailing route with options such as Nonsuch Bay, where you'll discover several superb and uncrowded anchorages; Green Island, an area so beautiful the locals call it the "Garden of Eden"; Dickenson Bay and North Sound, which are great places to gunkhole, snorkel and enjoy the beach; and Five Islands Harbour, a completely unspoiled sanctuary.
One of the top destinations to visit in Antigua is Nelson's Dockyard, the only continuously working Georgian Era dockyard in the world. Relive naval history as you explore this fascinating area where incredible beaches, modern amenities and two hundred years of Royal Navy heritage combine.
Antigua yacht charters are ideal for those wanting round-the-island sailing, with plenty to fill a 7 day itinerary. Longer charters could also include St Kitts, Nevis or Guadeloupe. Whichever route you decide on for your sailing holiday in Antigua, you will be sure to enjoy the mix of lively bars and restaurants with the peace and tranquility of numerous offshore islands. Do not miss out on the opportunity to drop anchor along the southwest coast in time to watch the sun set over Nevis - an unforgettable display.
Yacht Charters from:
7 nights / 4 cabins
Winds average Force 3-5 Find out more...
Embark at Jolly Harbour where you will find a well-stocked supermarket, fuel dock, banks, post office and several good restaurants. With direct flights you'll arrive mid-afternoon so there's time for a short sail round to Deep Bay in the beautiful, protected Five Islands Harbour. Dine ashore to the accompaniemant of a calypso band.
Snorkel on the coral-encrusted Wreck of the Andes, before you set sail to North Sound. Anchor at Great Bird Island and explore the sheltered bays by dinghy.
Relax in this magical area and in the afternoon drop anchor in Dickenson Bay, a long beach with watersports, bars and restaurants.
A brisk sail along the rugged southeast coastline, past the unusual rock formation of the Pillars of Hercules, brings you to Falmouth Harbour, built by Lord Nelson. Visit the famous Nelson's Dockyard. Take a short taxi ride up to Shirley Heights for a magnificent view of the sunset. On Sundays, you can enjoy BBQ and live music there.
Follow the south coast round to Nonsuch Bay and drop anchor at West Bay on uninhabited Green Island. Take your dinghy inside the reef for some of the best snorkelling in the area.
Heading back along the south coast, drop anchor at St James' Club or Carlisle Bay, smart resorts with palm-fringed beaches and excellent restaurants.
Continue your downwind sail inside Cades Reef, enjoying the calm turquoise waters on your way back to Jolly Harbour.
The best time to sail in Antigua is from November to June, with temperatures around 30 oC. Constant warm tradewinds blowing East-Northeast from 15 to 25 knots provide excellent sailing during the winter months.
We have rated this destination a 'Level 1-2' (levels info)
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have direct flights from Gatwick to Antigua.
We recommend all clients pre-book transfers from the airport to the base as some flights arrive later in the evening.
Antigua is a fantastic place to experience a sail and stay holiday. With daily flights you can really make the most of your time in the Caribbean and combine a yacht charter with a hotel stay in Antigua or even another Caribbean island!
For more information on things to see and do in Antigua when on your yacht charter please click HERE
The Caribbean is a haven for sailors and those looking for a memorable yacht charter sailing holiday. With so many destinations to choose from, there is something for everyone in the Caribbean. Whether you are an experienced sailor looking for an exciting new adventure or a novice sailor venturing to the Caribbean for the first time, there is a perfect Caribbean sailing destination for you.
Our most popular sailing area in the Caribbean is the beautiful British Virgin Islands. An idyllic sailing area with over 60 islands and islets to discover. Our clients love the relaxed, friendly atmosphere, calm sailing conditions and the array of excellent snorkel and dive sites. Enjoy paddle boarding and scenic hikes on Tortola, visit the infamous Baths on Virgin Gorda, soak up the relaxed Caribbean vibes at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke and snorkel amongst colourful fish on Anegada before enjoying the most delicious lobster dinner.
Discover the 365 beaches of Antigua! An island full of naval history and for good reason. Protected by an almost unbroken wall of coral reef, Antigua’s coastline is dotted with safe harbours and anchorages in which to hide away. Stunning beaches can be found at every turn and the world-famous trade winds provide fantastic sailors for experienced and more novice sailors alike.
One-way charters are incredibly popular in this area and give our clients the opportunity to sail from St Vincent to Grenada or vice versa, enabling you to see as much of the sailing area as possible. One of the great yacht cruising areas in the world, these beautiful, unspoilt islands each have a unique character, from the spice island of Grenada in the south to St Vincent in the north. Visit the islands of Carriacou, Union, Bequia, Mustique, Mayreau and Canouan and anchor in the fabulous Tobago Cays to experience the outstanding snorkelling and diving.
For pure escapism, head to St Martin and the surrounding islands of Anguilla and St Barts. Laidback luxury is the order of the day here and the thriving arts and culture scene ensures there will never be a dull moment.
Retreat to the fine sandy beaches and lush rain forests of Martinique this winter. Rivers and waterfalls are waiting to be explored and the local cuisine is excellent! French influenced cafes, boulangeries and bistros sit alongside fantastic Creole restaurants - you will not go hungry in Martinique!
Are you looking for explore a lesser known area of the Caribbean? Guadeloupe could be just what you are looking for. Discover the palm fringed beaches, colourful coastal towns and ragged cliffs of Grand Terre, then sail over to the luscious green haven of Basse Terre with its rolling mountains, hot springs, mud pools, waterfalls and active volcano!
For lovers of snorkelling and scuba diving, Belize is hard to beat. With the second longest barrier reef in the world, the underwater world here is in a class of its own. Explore the 175 cayes in this unspoilt sailing area. Belize is a perfect destination to combine your sailing holiday with time spent on land visiting Mayan ruins and dense rain forests.
Why not visit the iconic turquoise waters and sparkling white sands of the Bahamas this winter? With access to over 200kms of truly idyllic sailing ground, you have plenty of choice for places to visit on your sailing holiday. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is home to an abundance of wildlife species both under the water and on land. Be sure to sample the delicious conch fritters and local rum cake.
The Caribbean Islands see warm temperatures year-round averaging 28-31ºC throughout the year.
The hottest months are August and September when the waters are at their warmest.
It should be noted it is hurricane season between June and October.
The wettest and most humid months are September and October.
The best time to sail in the Caribbean is from November to June.
Temperatures stay pretty consistent year-round, averaging 28-32oC with the majority of the rain falling between July and the end of October.
Steady trade winds blow at 15-25 knots during the peak months of December to April, lightening slightly between June and November.
The cost of your yacht charter depends on several factors:
The type and size of the yacht you book will dictate the price. A 1 week charter on a 2 - 3 cabin monohull starts around £1400 in low season whereas a 1 week charter on a luxury catamaran with a skipper in high season could be upwards of £10,000. These are the 2 extremes of the scale for a 1 week charter and we offer plenty of choices in between.
1 week is a popular choice amongst our sailors and makes the perfect short Caribbean getaway. However, to make the most of your time sailing the Caribbean islands, a 10 day or 2 week yacht charter may be just the thing. We provide custom bareboat bookings which can be tailored to your timescale.
Lower-priced yacht charters are available in the low-season of June to the end of October with prices starting to rise in November before peaking from December to April.
Don't have any sailing experience? No problem! We offer several skippered and crewed options so you can enjoy the yachting lifestyle without the stress. From a simple skippered yacht to fully crewed options, we can arrange a charter to suit your needs.
The mooring fees in the Caribbean vary depending on your sailing destination. There are very few marinas compared to sailing in the Mediterranean so most nights you are on anchor in a bay with a classic Caribbean white sand and palm tree beach.
In areas such as the British Virgin Islands, many locations have laid buoys which cost around US$30/night and give you a safe mooring within minutes of sailing into the bay.
Although useful to have one, a sailing license, certificate or qualification is not required for a Caribbean yacht charter, however, our partners will need to see a complete sailing resume.
The sailing resume for a Caribbean yacht charter must demonstrate experience as a skipper of a similar type and size (within five feet) of the yacht as the one you are looking to charter. The experience should also be recent and the company will look for experience within the last five years.
A 1 - 2 week charter will give you the optimum time to explore the Caribbean islands, from the palm fringed white sandy beaches to the hidden coves and underwater paradise. Our knowledgeable team can assist you with a custom charter to suit your needs.
We have various 1 and 2 week sailing itineraries for bareboat sailing holidays in the Caribbean that have been personally tried and tested by our team.
The Caribbean islands experience warm temperatures year-round, averaging 28-32oC.
The majority of yachts have fans onboard to keep you cool when below deck and the majority of our clients find this to be sufficient.
Some yachts also provide air conditioning. Our experienced team can advise you on which yachts have air conditioning if this is a priority for you.
We’re in Antigua on the edge of Caribbean season. The winds predicted for the week are between 20-30kn with some rain from the squalls off the Atlantic and 1-1.5m swell, but also plenty of sunshine and temps of around 27-30deg.
On arrival at the base we received a briefing re the boat, a 41ft Oceanis, and then a briefing on the area from staff. We double checked all of our provisioning that we had pre-ordered and then we were able to get underway!
The first day makes for a great sail down to Carlisle Bay. We ensure we have reefs in the sails and eyes on the plotter and sea to avoid the coral reefs. We’re sailing along on a beam to close reach at about 7kn learning what the boat can handle and getting a few tacks in with the crew.
As we’re travelling in a S/SW direction it means ensuring we stay in Goathead channel so all eyes on deck. Then, as we come round the point to see Carlisle bay, we catch our first glimpse of the stereotypical Caribbean image - bright white sands, palm trees, mangroves and luxury resorts.
We ensure we keep well over to the eastern side of the bay as we navigate in because of the shallow depths and then we drop the hook in around 4m of water. Time for some snorkelling around the rocks and then tender in to shore to feel the white sand beneath our feet, explore the mangroves and assess dinner options. As it’s the first night, we treat ourselves to a table at the adults only Jetty Grill for a fantastic dinner in the famous Carlisle Bay resort.
Today we continue sailing south/south west, following in Horatio Nelson's footsteps, sailing into a Unesco World Heritage Site to moor up on a historic dock. Nelson's Dockyard is a must when sailing in Antigua.
A concentrated approach is needed as there is a reef just outside the entrance and you must follow the buoyed channel (remembering its IALA B). The first glimpse of the harbour is the 18th century Fort Berkeley up on the hill to the western side of the entrance, taking you back in time to when Nelson's troops would have been keeping a lookout over Guadeloupe and the Atlantic.
As we come into the harbour it is empty. We are on the edge of the season and it's too early for any Atlantic crossings to come in or for the visiting superyachts, so we have the historic quay to ourselves. Since it's mainly set up for the big boats there aren’t lazy lines for us, so we need to med moor and lay an anchor in some very slippy mud and 20kn of side wind. With three attempts to get the anchor in, with a very helpful marina staff member assistance, we’re moored up right in front of the rum bar and in prime position on the 18th century quay. We’re just in time to hop off the boat, explore the national park and have a sundowner by the water at the old Copper and Lumber store.
We wake up early to go for a hike up the hill to see Fort Berkely and then climb up to the top to the Jubilee path for the stunning 360 degree views. Whilst enjoying the sunshine, the strong breeze, the sound of the crashing waves and the goats’ bells, we could look out over the Atlantic to Guadeloupe and beyond and take in an aerial view of Falmouth Harbour, English Harbour and Nelsons Dockyard. We continued through the hundreds of newly hatched butterflies and the brightly coloured local fauna to Fort Cuyler to take in some more of the views, before starting our descent back to the boat.
There is a lot of wind and swell predicted for today so we gingerly head out with our reefs in and again eyes on the rocks and reefs. We spend a bit of time out sailing but as the swell gets up above 2m and the wind keeps coming round on the nose we decide to change our plans and use it to our advantage. We change tack and have a good downwind sail, enjoy surfing the waves and head to the renowned shelter of Falmouth Harbour.
We anchor up in Falmouth harbour and after a quick and refreshing tropical downpour we head to Pigeon beach for a swim. Luckily there is time to enjoy a few rum punches sat on the pure white sand watching the sun go down over the boats. For dinner we head to a tiny restaurant that we had received a local recommendation for. It’s off the main road, hidden in one of the residential streets and is essentially located in one of the local's front porch! It offers a small menu of local Caribbean food cooked by a lovely 60+ year old Antiguan lady and her husband. We had a wonderful evening and it was definitely worth the hunt to find it.
With a change in the wind and the swell we decide to head northwest to Deep Bay anchorage. It’s a fantastic sail on a broad reach with a consistent 20-25kn blowing. We’re all enjoying the fact that our sails are out every day from the minute we leave harbour and we’re getting to know the boat and how she sails – she’s definitely quicker on a starboard tack.
As we come into Deep Bay its all eyes on deck again. We’re aware that there is an unmarked large wreck in the very centre of the bay’s entrance that we need to navigate around. Once safely round this we can head right into the centre of this large, sheltered bay. We feel the wind rapidly dissipate and drop the anchor in about 3-4m. Amazingly there is only one other boat anchored in here.
Another beautiful white beach with palm trees lies in front of us. Looking up, Fort Barrington looms over us on the top of Goat hill. We get the dingy ready and the snorkels out and head over to the mouth of the bay to see the English merchant ship ‘Andes’ wrecked under the water with her own unique marine world of colourful fish and coral. Then its on to the beach to enjoy the sunshine and a sneaky rum before dinner on board the boat whilst watching the sun slowly drop below the horizon with a few tunes.
We are going North today, to the top of the island to explore some of the reefs up there. This means the wind is going to come round on to our nose (but with less of the swell experienced on the other side of the island) so it’s a beat up, tacking in between the reefs to keep within the channels. There’s another similar sized boat going the same way and we all know what that means! We bear in mind our boat favouring the starboard tack and make some gains on them. We’re hitting a steady 7.5-8kn and make it in good time to Jumby Bay anchorage for a lunch stop. We have to be careful on our entry as there are a lot of shallows and reefs here but manage to drop the hook in about 3m and then dingy over to some of the reefs on the northwest side of the bay. Here there is some beautiful coral with amazing brightly coloured shoals of fish which we get a little lost in, until we notice the large barracuda following us round – time to get back to the boat for a beer and lunch.
In the afternoon we sail south again. Nice and leisurely champagne sailing for us with the wind behind us and calm seas once we come into the shelter of the island. We head to Dickinson Bay and drop the anchor in 3m near the base of the sandy cliffs at the northern tip of the bay, watching the turtles swim around the sand we’ve just disturbed. We head to the floating rum bar we’ve heard about. The salty sea dog owner is waiting to take our painter at the ‘dingy parking’. Just in time for a couple of (very strong) local rum punches for sundowners. Then its over to ‘Anas’ on shore for dinner of local Caribbean curry and some fruity cocktails.
Back to Jolly harbour today. The weather has changed a little and it feels like time to head back. First we need to clean up the duck board as it appears a local heron has been using it as a fishing spot during the night. Then after a leisurely morning enjoying the crystal-clear waters of the anchorage at Dickinson Bay we sail down to Jolly Harbour, navigating a couple of huge cruise ships heading into St Johns.
Again sails are out and we are averaging about 6.5-7kn on a broad reach. We can see a squall coming over so as we approach Jolly Harbour we anchor up in the large anchorage outside just as one breaks and the rain pours down. Once it has passed, it's time for some lunch on board and one last swim stop before heading into the harbour.
The charter staff are there to meet us at the fuel berth, which is an easy side too with no queuing, and then the staff take the boat back into her space in the harbour. Time for debriefs and check out and you guessed it one last final rum before a short transfer to the airport for a night flight back to the UK.
If you have your next bareboat yacht charter or flotilla holiday booked, your thoughts may now be turning to what to pack! Whether you are heading to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean or jetting off to sail in the warm breezes of the Caribbean, we have a few suggestions for you for useful items to pack for your next sailing holiday.
Discover Thailand in 2025 on the 10 night Thailand flotilla! After a hugely successful 2024 season, we are pleased to announce that the incredibly popular Thailand flotilla will be running for another season from January to April 2025.
We took a look at the destinations which are currently top of the list and have been surprised by a few of the entries! Tried and tested favourites for your yacht charters stand alongside a few newcomers, keeping things interesting and allowing a few lesser-known sailing areas to have their place in the limelight.
Call our knowledgeable sailing specialists for the latest advice and recommendations on the sailing areas most suited to you.
Arrange a call back from one of our specialists (Mon-Fri: 0900-1730).
