Overview

You've probably know Antigua: resorts aplenty, more than 300 beaches, a favorite with sailors... But what about Barbuda? In the West Indian dual nation of Antigua and Barbuda, she is the forgotten stepchild - and for some sophisticated travelers, that's all the more reason to count their blessings.

Barbuda is actually about half the size of her glamorous sibling (and only a 20-minute flight away). However, as sister islands go, A & B are worlds apart. Barbuda has more than its share of glorious (and virtually deserted) beaches, but most of the island is low and scrubby, and the small population (about a thousand) is centered in the small town of Codrington.

Nature lovers will enjoy the island's famous Frigate Bird Sanctuary, the reefs offshore provide pristine snorkeling and are home to centuries of shipwrecks. The getaway-from-it-all factor? A solid 10. Aside from guesthouses, lodgings are mostly limited to a handful of upscale resorts. (How upscale? Well, Princess Diana was a frequent guest at one club.) If you haven't heard about Barbuda, it's probably because it's in a West Indian time warp, the way the much of the Caribbean was decades ago.

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BEACHES

Getting to the beach on Barbuda isn't always easy - you'll need a boat in many cases. But that's why you'll never have crowd problems, even along the more than 8 miles of reef-protected strands that border the southwest coast. For even more seclusion, sail to the northwestern shore, north of Palmetto Point, where a narrow spit of pink-tinged sand stretches for another 10 miles or so, with a vast lagoon on one side and the blue sea on the other; it's one of the Caribbean's finest beaches.

NATURE

The Frigate Bird Sanctuary in northern Codrington Lagoon is one of the largest bird preserves in the Caribbean, a fitting home for perhaps the sky's most graceful flyer - with a knack for stealing fish from other seabirds by harassing them in mid-air until they drop their catch. The mangroves where the birds nest can be reached only by small boat (tours are available from Antigua), and the best time to visit is during mating season (August to November).

SIGHTSEEING

Take a taxi (there are no car rentals) to visit some caves (one extends a mile underground), then step into the island's history with a stop at the ruins of Highland House. Throughout the 1700s, it was the estate of the Codrington family, which controlled the island - and its slaves - for more than a century, it sits on Barbuda's highest point. It offers a view memorable in part because so little has changed over the centuries.

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