Antigua is the one Caribbean charter base where a week can be spent circling a single island without it feeling thin. It has a deeply indented coast, more anchorages than most island groups, two historic harbours at the southern end and a reef-strewn north side that rewards care. It is also the Caribbean's regatta center, which shapes the calendar.
What an Antigua week costs
The Moorings publishes a 7 day charter for 2 from 2,974 USD out of Antigua, on a page running to 15,999. That floor is above St Lucia's 2,464 and Grenada's 2,634 and the ceiling is lower than either St Lucia's 64,890 or the BVI's 49,584, which says the fleet here is mid-sized and bareboat-weighted rather than crewed.
The circuit
Most weeks run clockwise from Jolly Harbour or English Harbour: south past Falmouth and English Harbour, east along the south coast to Green Island and Nonsuch Bay, north to Great Bird Island, then west along the north coast and back down the leeward side. It is roughly fifty to sixty nautical miles with the trade wind on the beam for much of it, and Nonsuch Bay behind its reef is the anchorage crews remember.
The two harbours at the south end
English Harbour and Falmouth sit side by side and are the center of Caribbean yachting, with Nelson's Dockyard restored as a working marina inside a Georgian naval yard. They fill in the winter and are extremely busy in Antigua Sailing Week in late April and during the Classic Yacht Regatta before it. Charter crews either plan around those weeks or come for them deliberately.
The north coast, which needs attention
Antigua's north and east coasts are reef-strewn and the pilotage is eyeball rather than instrument: good light behind you, somebody on the bow, and a willingness to turn back. Charter companies brief it carefully and some restrict parts of it. It is the most interesting sailing on the island and the reason an Antigua week is not simply a smaller BVI.
Questions people ask about antigua sailing itinerary
How much is a yacht charter from Antigua?
The Moorings publishes a 7 day charter for 2 from 2,974 USD out of Antigua, on a page running to 15,999, read on 11 September 2026.
Can you sail round Antigua in a week?
Yes, comfortably: roughly fifty to sixty nautical miles clockwise from Jolly Harbour or English Harbour, with the trade wind on the beam for much of it.
When is Antigua busiest?
The winter season generally, and sharply during the Classic Yacht Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week in late April, when English Harbour and Falmouth fill.
Is the north coast of Antigua difficult?
It is reef-strewn and needs eyeball pilotage with good light and someone on the bow. Charter companies brief it carefully and some restrict parts of it.