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The Antigua-to-St Barths week is the most-booked Caribbean charter on the inventory. The 2026 standard quote runs from Falmouth Harbour on Antigua to Gustavia on St Barths, with stops at Barbuda or St Kitts and Nevis on the way north, covering approximately 90 nautical miles across the week. A 50m yacht with the right captain runs this route 30 times a season. The Gustavia anchorage fee for a charter yacht in 2026 sits between €100 and €600 per night depending on size, with a commercial premium on top. The New Year week prices at 1.5x to 2.5x the standard peak rate.
This page is the version of the standard week, the three days most brokers sell that we would change, and the conditions under which the route earns its premium. The summary at the top: the Antigua to St Barths charter is the right Caribbean default for a charter client whose brief is "the standard week" and whose budget covers the dockage and the rate. It is not the right brief for a client looking for quiet, for marine park snorkeling, or for the route quality of the Grenadines.
Why the route became the standard
Two reasons. First, the geographic logic. Antigua's Falmouth and English Harbours are the Caribbean's largest yacht-maintenance and charter base, with the original British naval dockyard infrastructure adapted across 250 years into the most capable yacht facility in the Leewards. Falmouth Harbour handles yachts to 180m at the south side and 80m at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina. St Barths' Gustavia handles yachts to approximately 60m on the harbour anchorage and to 165m in the offshore anchorage off Anse du Colombier and Pointe du Toiny. The two ends of the route are the two best-equipped Caribbean ports for charter yachts of every size. The middle is islands.
Second, the destination quality at the endpoints. St Barths is the only Caribbean island with the dining, retail, and beach club density to match a Mediterranean port like Saint-Tropez. Antigua's south coast and English Harbour's restored historic sites make a charter base into a destination on its own. The middle islands (Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Saba) are real but secondary. The route's marketing strength is the bookends.
The 2026 fee structure on St Barths
Gustavia harbour: the inner harbour anchorage charges by yacht LOA with peak and shoulder rates. The 2026 schedule (peak: December 15 to January 15):
Under 30m: €100 per night peak. 30m to 50m: €250 to €400 per night peak. 50m to 80m: €400 to €600 per night peak. Over 80m: case-by-case, often offshore only.
Commercial charter premium: 1.3x to 1.5x the published rate on a commercial-flagged yacht with paying guests. The premium reflects the wear on the harbour infrastructure and the priority given to the visiting private yachts of the island's regular winter community.
Quai du Yacht Club: alongside berths, limited to under 35m, on application only. Almost never available in peak December and January.
Offshore anchorage (Anse de Colombier, Public, Lorient, Pointe du Toiny): free. Yachts can anchor in 8m to 18m sand on the leeward side and tender into Gustavia. The trade is that the offshore anchorage is exposed to swell on a north or northwest forecast, and the tender run in chop is uncomfortable for shore-bound guests.
The 7-day route, as sold
The standard week. Saturday embarkation at Falmouth or English Harbour on Antigua, Saturday disembarkation at St Barths (or the reverse, with a one-way premium).
Day 1, Saturday: Embark Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. Lunch on the hook off Pigeon Beach or Galleon Beach. Afternoon sail or run to Green Island anchorage on the southeast corner of Antigua (8 nautical miles east of Falmouth). Overnight Green Island.
Day 2, Sunday: Green Island to Barbuda (25 nautical miles north). Anchor on the leeward side of Coco Point or the well-known Princess Diana Beach. Lunch on the hook, snorkel the reef, walk the 11 nautical miles of unbroken pink sand. Overnight Barbuda anchorage.
Day 3, Monday: Barbuda to St Kitts (35 nautical miles northwest) or St Kitts to Nevis. Anchor at Pinney's Beach on Nevis (the Four Seasons Resort anchorage) or in the smaller White House Bay on St Kitts. Lunch ashore at the Four Seasons or the Salt Plage at the Park Hyatt St Kitts. Overnight Pinney's or White House Bay.
Day 4, Tuesday: St Kitts to St Barths (45 nautical miles north). The long-water day of the week. A 50m yacht at 14 knots covers the run in 3.5 hours. Arrive Gustavia mid-afternoon, anchor in the harbour (with prior booking) or offshore at Anse de Colombier. Dinner ashore at Le Toiny, Tamarin, Bonito, or L'Isola.
Day 5, Wednesday: St Barths day. Morning at Anse de Colombier or Shell Beach, lunch at Nikki Beach (the Saint-Jean original) or Tom Beach Hotel, afternoon shopping in Gustavia, dinner at Bagatelle or Le Ti St Barth.
Day 6, Thursday: St Barths to Saba (28 nautical miles west) or stay at St Barths and run a Petit Saba day. Saba is the volcanic island with one anchorage (Fort Bay) and the famous dive sites. The Saba day-trip works on a settled forecast and is the only marine-park day on the route. Overnight back at St Barths or, if the brief allows, Anguilla.
Day 7, Friday: St Barths or Anguilla day. Anguilla's beaches (Meads Bay, Shoal Bay) are the strongest in the Caribbean and the anchorage off Road Bay is free. Final dinner aboard or ashore at Sandbar or Blanchards.
Day 8, Saturday: Disembark St Barths or repositioning back to Antigua. The one-way charter is the standard, with disembarkation at Gustavia by tender to the public dock and a transit to St Barths (SBH) airport. The SBH approach is notorious and the airport handles only light commercial and private charter. Most clients disembark and connect via St Maarten (SXM) by ferry (45 minutes) or by the Tradewind Aviation shuttle (15 minutes).
Three things we would change
Three days of the standard week earn an editing pass.
Day 1, Saturday. Most brokers position the yacht at Falmouth Harbour for embarkation and then run a short afternoon to Green Island. The Saturday afternoon at Green Island, while operationally clean, is a wasted half-day for a charter client arriving at Antigua's V.C. Bird International airport (ANU) at noon. The change: embark earlier (Friday afternoon if the prior charter ends, or a brief Friday-night overnight at Falmouth) and use Saturday for the long run north toward Barbuda directly. This puts the yacht at Princess Diana Beach for sunset and converts a short afternoon into a full charter day.
Day 3, Monday. The St Kitts or Nevis night is the structurally weakest of the route. Pinney's Beach at Nevis is excellent but the Four Seasons anchorage is shared with the resort's day-rental fleet. The White House Bay anchorage at St Kitts is small and exposed. The change: skip St Kitts and Nevis, take the long-water day on Monday instead of Tuesday, and arrive St Barths a day earlier. The benefit: an additional full day at St Barths in peak season, when the destination is the point of the trip.
Day 6, Thursday. The Saba day-trip works in fair weather and falls flat in any sea state. The change: replace with an Anguilla day from St Barths. Anguilla is 17 nautical miles north and the beaches are the strongest in the Leewards. The Road Bay anchorage is straightforward and the lunch at Blanchards Beach Shack or Sandbar is the equal of any meal on St Barths.
The edited week. Saturday: Antigua to Barbuda direct. Sunday: Barbuda. Monday: Barbuda to St Barths via St Kitts on the move (anchor for lunch only). Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: St Barths and an Anguilla day. Saturday: Disembark St Barths.
The New Year week, separate category
The St Barths week between December 26 and January 2 prices and books differently. The harbour at Gustavia in the final week of the year holds 40 to 60 yachts in the harbour and another 30 to 50 in the offshore anchorages off Colombier, Pointe du Toiny, and Anse du Gouverneur. The famous owners' yachts are present. The dinner reservations at Bonito, Bagatelle, and L'Isola book three months ahead. The New Year fireworks over Gustavia are the Caribbean's largest yacht-watching event.
Rates: 1.5x to 2.5x the standard peak Caribbean charter rate. Most yachts in the 50m and above range hold a 2-week minimum charter booking spanning the New Year window. The MYBA contract typically sets the gratuity at 15% of the charter fee for the New Year week (against 10% to 12% standard).
The brief that justifies the New Year premium: a charter client who wants the destination as event, not the route. The week is St Barths, all of it. The yacht is the dockage, the dressing room, and the dinner-party host. The two-week minimum allows for a December 23 embarkation, a quiet Christmas at Anse de Colombier or in Antigua, and a New Year week of full social access.
The brief that does not justify it: a charter client who wants a quiet route. The Antigua to St Barths week in mid-January, after the New Year crowds have left and before the February school weeks, delivers the route at 0.7x to 0.85x the New Year rate.
Passed on
We pass on the Antigua-to-St Barths one-way charter for any yacht under 35m. The transfer from Antigua to St Barths by air after a one-way disembarkation is a connection through St Maarten and the logistics consume most of a day. The round-trip Antigua charter, which can still reach St Barths and back, is the better structure for the smaller yacht.
We pass on Gustavia harbour in any swell forecast above 1.5m from the west or northwest. The harbour is open to the northwest, and the swell wraps around the breakwater. The yacht safe in the harbour is uncomfortable, the tender movements ashore become difficult, and the offshore anchorage at Colombier is preferable.
We pass on the Saba day-trip on any forecast above 18 knots from the east. The Fort Bay anchorage is small and exposed and the day works only on settled weather.
We pass on the suggestion that the standard Antigua-St Barths week is the right Caribbean default for every client. The Grenadines, the BVI, and the Exumas each deliver a different week. The standard route is the right answer for a client who wants the bookends. It is not the right answer for a client who wants the route.
We pass on the Falmouth Harbour alongside berth at the south side for any charter under 60m. The south side is the larger-yacht zone and the rates reflect it. The Antigua Yacht Club Marina or the Nelson's Dockyard at English Harbour are the better-value berths for the under-60m yacht.
How to ask the broker
Three questions for an Antigua-St Barths brief.
First, "is the yacht based at Falmouth between charters?" A yacht based at Falmouth is operationally clean for an Antigua embarkation. A yacht repositioning from St Maarten or the BVI adds a positioning leg and APA hit.
Second, "what is the St Barths dockage plan, in writing?" The Gustavia anchorage availability needs to be confirmed by the agent before the charter starts. A captain pre-files with the harbourmaster and gets the assignment, or the yacht works the offshore.
Third, "what is the New Year week structure on this yacht?" If the charter dates touch the December 26 to January 2 window, the rate, the minimum charter length, and the gratuity convention should all be confirmed in advance.
FAQ
Is the Antigua-St Barths route the standard Caribbean week? It is the most-booked week in the Leeward Islands. Falmouth Harbour to Gustavia anchorage covers 90 nautical miles with stops at Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla as variants. The route works in the trade-wind season and is the default brokers quote when the client asks for "a Caribbean week".
What is the St Barths anchorage fee in 2026? The Gustavia harbour anchorage charges fees ranging from €100 to €600 per night depending on yacht size, with the Port de Gustavia office issuing the assignments. Charter yachts over 40m pay an additional commercial premium. The outside anchorages (Anse de Colombier, Public, Lorient) are free.
What is the New Year week premium? The St Barths New Year week (December 26 to January 2) sees charter rates 1.5x to 2.5x the standard Caribbean peak rate, plus a 2-week minimum on most yachts. Gustavia anchorage is booked 12 months ahead. The week prices the charter as a destination event, not a route.
What yacht size works for this week? 40m to 75m is the sweet range for the round-trip. Above 75m the Gustavia inner harbour is closed and the yacht works the offshore anchorages. Below 40m the long-water day to St Barths is uncomfortable in trade-wind chop.
Can the charter disembark in St Maarten instead of St Barths? Yes. The St Maarten Simpson Bay Lagoon and the Princess Juliana airport (SXM) handle commercial charter inbound and outbound efficiently. The one-way Antigua to St Maarten disembarkation skips the St Barths-to-SXM transfer. The trade is one less day at St Barths.
For the broader Caribbean week structures, the Caribbean charter pillar covers the inventory and the St Barths pillar covers the destination details. The Caribbean cost guide covers the rate bands. For sibling routes, the BVI USVI customs reality, the Grenadines Bequia-Mustique-Tobago Cays week, the April Caribbean shoulder window, the Thanksgiving week, and the St Lucia variant. For shore stays before or after the charter, the St Barths hotel list covers Cheval Blanc, Le Toiny, and the Hotel Christopher; the St Barths restaurant list covers Bonito, Bagatelle, L'Isola, and Le Ti.