Cruising Options

Antigua Circumnavigation

A circumnavigation of Antigua is the best way to take in the variety of coastlines, beaches, bays and harbours that Antigua is famous for.

Taking between 5 – 7 days, depending on how long you choose to linger in each individually stunning island location, our suggestion for this vacation would be.

Day 1: Deep Bay – Depart Jolly Harbour and head north to the snorkelling wreck of “The Andes”. Enjoy a relaxing evening with sundowners and sunset, before rounding off the day with supper and drinks.

Day 2: Great Bird Island – After a lunch stop at Prickly Pear Island, we head for this isolated island on Antigua’s North West coast. Nestled between Long Island and Guiana Island, this idyllic, deserted paradise offers stunning views, red billed tropic birds, and the famous “Antigua Racer Snake” (not dangerous)! Snorkelling on the surrounding reef is fabulous, and you may well choose to spend a little longer in the solitude of this location and extend your stay into Day 3.

Day 3 or 4: Green Island – The anchorages at West Bay and The Garden of Eden are difficult to choose between. Both offer calm and breezy conditions, peaceful strolls and fantastic snorkelling. Again, you could be tempted to linger a while into Day 5!

Day 5 or 6: Nelson’s Dockyard – This is a must for any visitor to Antigua. Being the only working Georgian dockyard in the world, and a Cultural Heritage Site, it is steeped in the naval history of Admiral Horatio Nelson, and his defence against the French. You cannot fail to let your mind wander back to the 18th century. In season, super yachts from around the world locate here providing a stark contrast between the old and the new. The world famous lookout at Shirley Heights is another must do!

Day 7: Home to Jolly Harbour – by way of a tour of Falmouth Harbour and even more outstanding yachts of all Marques, and lunch in Carlisle Bay for some snorkelling and turtle watching. The afternoon becomes a leisurely downwind sail home to reflect on the wonderful experiences your week has provided.

Ashore & Afloat

This combination is guaranteed to be the ultimate in Caribbean Vacations.

The concept is you spend some time ashore in your accommodation, enjoying your beach time, exploring your island, and participating in the many tourist attractions on offer.

This “island time” is then followed by some “sea time” sailing the beautiful Caribbean Sea with us. If you are fortunate enough to have a 2 week vacation, a week of each would be perfect!

It is not important if you opt for land or sea first; whichever you choose it will be the ultimate “Dream Caribbean Vacation!”
Your choice of accommodation in Antigua is extensive, and we leave that up to you. Your choice of top quality sailing charters is less extensive, and that is where Miramar Sailing comes in!

Inter Island Options

All Round Trip charters start from our base in Jolly Harbour Marina Village, Antigua. We are perfectly situated to travel throughout the Leeward and Windward Islands, how many you visit is up to you. Please refer to our Caribbean Islands Guide page, which gives just a flavour of the islands we can explore. Alternatively you could opt for a One Way* charter.

The following charter durations, and itineraries, are purely an illustration of what islands can be visited within an allotted time frame. At no point are these set in stone. Here at Miramar Sailing we actively encourage our guests to choose the destinations that would create their perfect sailing vacation experience. We are on hand to make suggestions and assist you, both before and during your charter.

• One Way: 2-4 Days
  A sail north would allow visits to Nevis & St. Kitts, Barbuda and St. Barths. A southerly heading could take in Guadeloupe and Les Isles des Saintes, and Dominica.
• Round Trip: 5-8 Days
  Over the course of a 5-8 day charter, we could potentially visit Guadeloupe and Dominica with a couple of days exploring each island. Alternatively Barbuda, St Maarten, St Barths are within comfortable range.
• One Way: 5-8 Days
  Heading north as far as the BVI’s is possible, with Martinique a comfortable possibility to the south, taking in Guadeloupe, and Dominica en route.
• Round Trip: 9-14 Days
  Within a 9-14 day charter we could venture south, as far as St Lucia, stopping en route in Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique for some superb sightseeing and exploration opportunities. 
We could also make our way north with the BVI’s as our destination, taking in St Barths, St Maarten, and Anguilla on the way up and calling in on Nevis and St Kitts on the return leg.
• One Way: 9-14 Days
  To the north we have all the islands between Antigua and the BVI’s at our disposal with plenty of exploration time on each. To the south all the islands en route to Grenada could be achieved.
• 15 days or more
  This has to be the ultimate Caribbean cruise with every island a singular destination and stop off point. Where would you like to go? North, south, or both!

*Our One Way charters usually begin in Antigua but can terminate wherever you choose. If we are fortunate to secure a charter that begins in your island of disembarkation, there will be no charge to cover our time returning the yacht to Antigua. If not, we will apply a nominal return charge.