Visiting Stingray City is only possible by guided tour and all groups are accompanied by trained professionals to ensure both the safety of participants and the preservation of the natural environment. Tours to this offshore sandbar typically include hotel pickup and round-trip transport, and are often combined with other activities, such as a 4x4 island safari.
Guests can choose to swim, snorkel, or watch from the shore.
Pack your swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, and an underwater camera—snorkeling equipment is provided and photos will be available to purchase.
All interaction with the stingrays takes place under supervision of trained professionals who first explain and demonstrate how to safely handle the rays.
Tours take place in shallow waters and life jackets are available for non-swimmers.
Visitors should avoid excessive use of tanning oil, which is toxic to the rays.
Stingray City is located on a natural offshore sandbar in Mercer Creek Bay, on the eastern coast of Antigua and Barbuda. Most tours leave from St John's, Antigua's capital, about 10 miles (17 kilometers) away by road, before transferring first to Seatons Village for a safety briefing and then boarding a speedboat for the 10-minute cruise out to a floating platform in the Caribbean Sea.
Stingray City is open all year round and tours take place several times daily. To avoid the crowds, opt for an early morning time slot before the cruise ships dock or a late afternoon tour after the larger tour groups have left.
The fenceless swimming areas at Stingray City allow wild stingrays to come and go as they please, but the rays are accustomed to human presence and often arrive in large numbers when they hear boats arrive. Tour participants may have the opportunity to feed, touch, and interact with the wild creatures under supervision, but instruction will be provided to ensure you stay safe and do not disturb the rays’ natural habitat or offer inappropriate foods.