A Quick Guide to Anguilla

With 33 extraordinary beaches, imaginable whitest sands, great beach bars, Anguilla has arguably the best beaches of any single Caribbean island. It also has a wide range of villa rentals, hotels, and Anguilla homes – from budget-friendly to luxury – and more importantly, a population of friendly, happy and welcoming locals who will make your stay enjoyable.

Getting there

The quickest and best way to arrive in Anguilla in price and comfort, book your flight into SMX (Saint Martin). From the airport, take the ferry directly to Anguilla. To see a bit of French Caribbean, you can grab a taxi from the airport to Marigot harbor and take a different ferry there. On this side of French Caribbean, you can stop here for a quick shopping and there are also genuine Parisian pharmacies where you can buy sun protection products which are not available in the US. However, the ferry here is not as nice as the ferry from the SMX airport, but it cheaper and it runs every half-hour.

When to go

A month of May is a low season and hotels and airfares are low. From August to October, the weather is always perfect outside of rainy season.

When to Eat

The spectrum of Anguillan cuisine is really wide. There are so many options to choose from roadside grills serving up ribs and chicken to the most creative Asian creation. The food is always satisfying at any level you of your choice.

Here are some of the food recommendations:

• Blanchard’s Beach Shack – Opened in 1994, Blanchard’s restaurant can find on Meads Bay and beach shack opened about five years ago. Both restaurants are located directly on the beach. Their food is just amazing. Some of the customer’s favorite includes blackened Mahi BLT, burgers and street tacos. You’ll surely enjoy their virtually infinite salads, as you pick the lettuce, added with chicken, warm goat cheese, and sashimi tuna, then the dressing.
• Straw Hat – Another local’s favorite restaurant. Straw Hat is upscale but still local and not fussy. Located also on Meads Bay and part of Frangipani Beach Resort. A small resort with 19 rooms but a luxurious place. Enjoy your goat sliders, red snapper and NY strip steaks at their outdoor patio.
• Tokyo Bay – Tokyo Bay is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Anguilla. Chef Joe is a food genius who creates some of the best sushi dishes you ever have.
• Trattoria Tramonto – A great Italian hotspot with a stunning beachfront location on the very southern tip of Anguilla. It’s good for lunch. They also have comfy lounges under the palms where you can relax after your satisfying lunch. During nighttime, the views across the water and to sparkling lights of Saint Martin are just wonderful. The salad, pasta, and seafood are a must-try.

Where to Stay

Here are some of the recommended accommodations where you can stay.

• CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa – It has everything you’ll need including spa and Tokyo Bay. The rooms are big, bathrooms are clean and beautiful and the best thing is that most of their rooms are facing the beach. CuisinArt is the only resort on the island with golf course and has grown on site most of the vegetables that they serve in their restaurant.
• Carimar Beach Club – For value-oriented travelers, Carimar Beach Club on Meads Bay is perfect. It’s humble but cheap and clean. Spend time on the beach and swim in its turquoise water.
• Anguilla Great House – Go for a full local experience at Anguilla Great House located on Rendezvous Bay. Carimar is a good transition for a local experience but Anguilla Great House is the best place you’ve never heard of. They have the cleanest, air-conditioned rooms with television and Wifi. It’s the cheapest accommodation on the island.

The Beaches

It’s undeniable that some of the best beaches in the world can find in Anguilla. Spend your time at the hotel beach while enjoying Anguilla’s food and drink in comfy chaise lounges and umbrellas. You can also stay at some secluded beaches. At some beaches, you may see a few horseback-riders and at the Seaside Stables, you can join a group of riders and ride along the beach.

Here are some of the best beaches in Anguilla

• Upper Shoal Bay – Arguably the most beautiful beach on the island. It has the finest sand, turquoise waters with a close-in reef for snorkeling, and a few informal places to visit. It has small beach resorts and an offshore reef that captivates many enthusiasts who love snorkeling and diving. Walk on the whitest sand on the Caribbean.
• Meads Bay – Meads Bay is one of Anguilla’s most popular West End beaches. This stunning one and a half mile long beach is home to many great hotels on the island.
• The beach at Cap Juluca – The beach at the luxurious Cap Jaluca is amazing, and the secret is you don’t need to book your hotel. There’s a parking area near the southern end of the beach. From there, walk right over where you can access the beach. You can also rent a Hobie or kayak.
• Rendezvous Bay – This bay site is one of Anguilla’s popular beach and was once the location of a key battle between the French and English for colonial control over the island. A very secluded place and is a great place to watch pelicans. It has many, long stretch of soft white sand and warm sea water.