Antigua and Barbuda

English is the official language and used everywhere, including on menus and signs. Many locals speak Antiguan Creole among themselves, an English-based Creole that can be hard for visitors to follow, but everyone switches easily to standard English with tourists.

Prepaid SIM cards are available at the airport and in St. John's from the national carriers. Bring your passport, since registering a SIM card requires ID. Mobile coverage is reliable across Antigua but patchier on Barbuda and along some remote coastlines.

Tap water is treated and technically safe to drink, but many visitors and locals prefer bottled or filtered water for its taste. Pharmacies are available in St. John's and near major resort areas, generally keeping standard business hours with limited weekend service. Smaller settlements and Barbuda have far fewer options. No special vaccinations are required for most travelers, though routine immunizations should be up to date. Pack mosquito repellent for the tropical climate.

Most visitors, including citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, can enter without a visa. The length of stay granted on arrival varies by nationality — commonly around 30 days, though some visitors receive longer — and can be extended at the immigration office in St. John's. A valid passport and proof of onward or return travel are generally required at entry. Citizens of some other countries need to arrange a visa in advance.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Beachwear belongs on the beach — cover up with a shirt or wrap when entering shops, restaurants, or town areas. Camouflage-patterned clothing is illegal for civilians to wear or carry in Antigua and Barbuda, including on children, and can be confiscated at customs. Greet shopkeepers and staff with a hello before starting a transaction; skipping the greeting can come across as rude. Ask before photographing individuals, especially in local neighborhoods.

Public holidays affect most banks, government offices, and many shops, while resorts and tourist-facing restaurants generally stay open. Carnival in early August effectively pauses the country for several days, with parades and events across Antigua.

Most shops keep standard daytime hours and close early or stay shut on Sundays outside resort areas, so plan grocery and pharmacy errands for weekdays.

• By bus: Privately run minibuses connect St. John's with towns and villages around Antigua at low fares, though there is no fixed schedule or map — flag one down and pay the driver in cash. There is no bus service to Barbuda; reach it by ferry or a short flight.
• By taxi: Taxis wait at the airport, cruise port, and resorts, and charge government-set fixed fares by route rather than using a meter — confirm the price before getting in.
• By rental car: A local driving permit, bought from your rental company or on arrival, is required alongside your home license. A rental car is the practical way to reach beaches and sights that buses do not serve.
• By ferry: A passenger ferry connects St. John's with Barbuda, taking around 90 minutes each way; a short flight is also available.
• Driving side: Traffic drives on the left. Rental cars are set up to match, but stay alert at roundabouts and junctions if you normally drive on the right.

Breakfast is often saltfish with johnnycakes or provisions like breadfruit and sweet potato, eaten at home or from small roadside stalls. Lunch and dinner center on fresh seafood, chicken, and one-pot stews, often paired with rice, peas, or fungee, a cornmeal side similar to polenta. The national dish pairs fungee with pepperpot, a spiced stew of pumpkin, spinach, and meat.

Street food and snacks include ducana, a sweet dumpling of grated sweet potato and coconut steamed in banana leaf. The Antigua black pineapple is another local specialty — a small, unusually sweet variety grown almost nowhere else. Locally distilled rum appears in punches and cocktails at beach bars, alongside the local lager.

Casual, open-air restaurants and beach bars are the typical setting for eating out, and a big Sunday lunch with extended family remains a weekly tradition for many households.

Barbuda sits about 50 kilometers north of Antigua and sees a fraction of the visitors. It is known for pink-sand beaches and a large frigate bird colony in its lagoon, reachable by ferry or a short flight from Antigua. Its small population and slower pace make it a contrast to Antigua's resort coast.

On Antigua itself, the capital St. John's holds the main harbor, airport, and cruise terminal, while English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour in the south are the historic center of the island's sailing and yachting scene.