Does Antigua Get Sargassum?

Eastern Caribbean · Antigua and Barbuda

Sargassum in Antigua by month

What to know before you book

• •Clear: the leeward west and northwest coast — Dickenson Bay, Jolly Beach and Jolly Harbour, Darkwood, Ffryes Beach, Valley Church and Runaway Bay. Historically these do not get an influx, and sticking to the west coast is the standard local advice.
• •Affected: the Atlantic east and southeast coast — Half Moon Bay, Long Bay, Devil's Bridge and Mamora Bay. Half Moon Bay can accumulate large amounts at various points in the year and is cleared periodically; the St James Club on the windward southeast side closed for three months during the 2019 influx.
• •Not absolute: in heavy years wind shifts have pushed noticeable sargassum and seagrass onto stretches of Dickenson Bay and Jolly Beach, so 'west coast' is a strong bet rather than a guarantee. North-facing beaches can also catch it.
• •The CERMES-based sub-regional outlook for early 2026 forecast Antigua and Barbuda and the Leeward Islands to see the earliest and most consistent impacts, rising to moderate influxes in February–March and worse than the same period in 2025.
• •Antigua and Barbuda is pursuing commercial uses for collected sargassum — fertilizer and other products — alongside beach cleanup, with the tourism ministry publicly calling it a major constraint on the sector in June 2026.

Sources: 268Weather (Dale Destin), Jan 2026 — Sargassum Outlook Jan 1 to Apr 1, 2026, Antigua News, Jun 2026 — Freeland highlights push for sargassum solutions, Antigua Observer — how sargassum is being tackled in Antigua & Barbuda, USF Optical Oceanography Lab, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, Aug 2026

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