How to Spend One Day in Antigua: Snorkeling, History & Food

Antigua is known for its 365 beaches, but what struck me most about this island was its intricate coastal landscapes, a patchwork of turquoise bays dotted with sailboats, tucked between rugged green peninsulas.

The day we spent here was absolutely lovely—we got a bit of history at Nelson’s Dockyard, postcard-worthy views at Shirley Heights, snorkeling amongst shipwrecks and sea turtles at Galleon Beach, and some delicious local food in St. John’s.

In this article I’m outlining our entire one day Antigua itinerary, starting and ending at the cruise port in St. John’s. If you’re visiting Antigua and Barbuda on a cruise and want to make the most of your time on this picturesque island, this article is for you!

⚓️ Antigua Excursion Recommendation: We had an excellent experience with this private local-led excursion which includes a historical tour and guided snorkeling at several shipwrecks! The guide is an Antigua local spear-fisherman who has also lived in the US, and was very interesting to talk to! Tour details.

Woman sitting at a viewpoint overlooking English Harbour, Galleon Beach at Antigua, a must see spot if you have a day in Antigua

☀️🌺🌿 Article Outline (Jump Ahead)

One Day Antigua Itinerary

Most of the places we wanted to see in Antigua were on the opposite side of island, about 45-minutes away from St. John’s, so the best option was to go with a local guide that included roundtrip transport from the cruise port!

We booked with Johnny, one of the highest rated local tour guides, and got him to ourselves for the day. Johnny is an avid spearfisher who has snorkeled all over the island, so snorkeling the shipwrecks with him was a highlight, but he also gave us an excellent overview of the island through the eyes of a local with historical insights and stories about daily life that you’d never find in a guidebook.

I definitely recommend booking the tour with Johnny, but if its not available, there are a lot of other great local tour operators on the island. (Support local!)

Drive Through the Island

After being picked up at the cruise port in St. John’s, we began our 45-minute drive through the center of the island, which was an experience in and of itself! We passed through local neighborhoods as our guide introduced us to the island’s history—from the island’s indigenous roots, colonial past, Rastafarian influence, and immigrant communities.

Nelson’s Dockyard

Our first stop was at Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is still operating today, after being built for the British Navy back in the 18th century by enslaved Africans.

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t expect a naval dockyard to be as picturesque as this one is—the colonial architecture makes it almost feel like you’re in the British countryside rather than the Caribbean.

We arrived here right at opening, so we got to explore the grounds on our own. Johnny gave us a quick introduction to the site, then left us to wander, take pictures, and visit the museum on our own.

In the small but informative museum we read firsthand accounts about the enslaved workers who built this place, giving us a more robust understanding of the site. Outside, we walked beside the marina, filled with luxury vessels from around the world.

Shirley Heights

If you’ve seen photos of Antigua, chances are you’ve seen the view from Shirley Heights which overlooks the sparkling blue bays and inlets around English Harbour, Galleon Beach, and beyond.

After Nelson’s Dockyard, we drove up here for the view, and again, got the entire place to ourselves! But apparently, if you come back on a Sunday evening, this panoramic spot is filled with locals who host a weekly party up here.

Shipwreck Snorkeling & Sea Turtles at Galleon Beach

Then, the highlight of our day in Antigua was snorkeling with our spearfisherman guide, Johnny! He took us to Galleon Beach, a picturesque beach near English Harbor that has several shipwrecks, and a giant anchor!

Although the shipwrecks are close to shore, we would have probably had difficult finding them ourselves, so we appreciated having him guide us through the water. He also knew exactly where to find some of the resident sea turtles!

And since my husband and I are experienced swimmers, he took us out even further along the reef to search for more marine life! We ended up spending over an hour in the water and sure worked up an appetite!

Return to St. John’s for Local Lunch

After drying off and slipping on our clothes, we headed back across the island to St. John’s where we said goodbye to Johnny and set out through the colorful downtown to find some local food.

We ended up at Roti King where we indulged in the most delicious food of our whole Caribbean trip! Upon entering, it was clear that Roti King is completely a local spot, we didn’t see a single tourist, but it was crowded full of island locals, including some who struck up a conversation with us and told us they travel all the way across the island for lunch here because its the best food on the island!

Carib Beer and local food in St Johns Antigua and Barbuda

And when our warm spicy chana-stuffed roti, freshly fried plantains, and fluffy pholourie (chickpea balls) with tamarind sauce came out, we need we’d made the right choice for lunch! Everything was so flavorful and filling, and we enjoyed it all with some Carib beer while listening to the locals around us speak in the local Creole.

🍌 Vegan-friendly options in the Caribbean: Sometimes vegan options can be difficult to find, but since many Rastafarians eat plant-based, look for their ‘ital’ restaurants. Or, an Indian-Caribbean spot like Roti King that caters to both plant-based and meat eating locals!

After lunch we could have gone to another beach for the rest of the afternoon, but decided to head back to the ship, satisfied after a day full of adventure and good food!

More Things to do in Antigua on a Cruise

I did a lot of research for all of our Caribbean cruise ports, including Antigua. These are a few other fun things to do in Antigua that I considered:

Taking a taxi to one of the island’s many (365) beaches
Snorkeling with hundreds of stingrays at ‘Stingray City’: tour recommendation
Rainforest and beach hopping tour via tuk tuk: tour recommendation
Hiking to Fort Berkley: tour recommendation
Boat tour to the undeveloped nearby Turtle Island: tour recommendation