Attractions

Category: Bay
Anguilla, Caribbean
Little Bay, Anguilla

The turquoise sea rocks hypnotically beneath the boat. The colors on the sail remind you of the fish darting throughout the crystal waters. "If only I had a beer..." But wait, there's a mountain of Caribbean brew in the cooler. Skkkakkk. There we go transcending happy hour. You're in paradise. More specifically you're in Little Bay. One of Anguilla's more secluded beaches, Little Bay is the perfect place to relax, take in some sun, and lazily float among the colorful communities of fish that make the coral reefs their feeding grounds. A tranquil alcove, surrounded by high, glittering limestone cliffs, most people reach the bay by sail boat, mooring their ship and chilling out for the whole day. Because this is the easiest way to reach the bay, it's usually very quiet with only a handful of travelers on a given day. Crocus bay, a likewise sleepy white sand beach not far from Little Bay, serves as a point of entry if you feel like swimming there. The water is calm, clear, and shallow, infused with vivid aquatic life all the way to paradise – I mean Little Bay.

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Category: Fishing
Island Harbour, Anguilla, Caribbean
Island Harbour, Anguilla

The air is fresh with sea salt; wind fingers the dark green palms. The white sand is warm and bright. Off the shore of Island Harbour fisherman cast nets from handmade boats, catching the fresh seafood served at the surrounding local restaurants. Not far from Island Harbour a small deserted island (three miles wide, three miles long), Scrub Island, waits to be explored. The fishermen take you out fishing and drop you on the island, agreeing to return in a few hours. The beaches of the island, like all the beaches of Anguilla, are white sand. But just beyond the beaches, a rolling green terrain peppered with white rocks emerges -- more like Ireland than a tiny island in the Caribbean (except that it's sunny of course). It'll take about two hours to traverse the entire island. Ghostly landmarks mark the way -- a downed plane, left over from the days when Scrub Island served as Anguilla's air strip, an unfinished resort, the old stone walls of forgotten plantations, intricate rock formations. As promised, the fisherman pick you up three hours later and you’re ready for another night in Island Harbour. It’s nice to be back in the “real world.” Of course it’s always nice to be anywhere in Anguilla, especially Island Harbour.

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Category: Bird Watching
Anguilla, Caribbean
AI

When you fantasize about waking up in paradise what type of sounds do you hear? The gentle lapping of water against the rocks? The brisk breeze gently displacing sand? Or maybe the soft whistle and tweet of a nearby bird? Well, if you responded to that last choice then Anguilla might be your perfect paradise. Home to a remarkable 136 different species of birds, Anguilla is both heaven and haven to birdwatchers, or twitchers, from all over the world. The tiny island's numerous salt ponds, the only wetlands on the island, serve as sanctuaries for so many of Anguilla's birds including the White Cheeked Pintails and Black Neck Stilts. In gorgeous locales like the Sandy Ground, East End, West End and Little Harbour you can observe pelicans, falcons, gulls, brown boobies, terns and herons all congregating in a sort of bird-like United Nations. So grab a pair of binoculars, a couple of bird identification cards (unless you have them all memorized you overachiever) and seek out your favorite type of bird in this paradise known as Anguilla.

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Category: Town Center / Square / Plaza
The Valley, Anguilla, Caribbean
The Valley, AI

What does it mean if the capital of your country only has a population of 1,169? Well, it either means your country has some serious problems, or you're talking about The Valley, the capital of Anguilla. The Valley's small population does little to detract from the numerous positive attributes it possesses. With white sand beaches, 5 star resorts and 100 year old churches all within walking distance, there's literally something for everyone within eyesight. Check out the fascinating Historic District in the lower valley featuring authentic wooden dwellings and The Warden's Place, which used to be a safe house for British agents (cue James Bond theme). Strap on your hiking boots and trek up to the ruins of the Old Court House on Crocus Hill, the island's highest point. But whatever amazing thing you do and whatever amazing sight you see, make sure you introduce yourself to at least one native Anguillan living in the Valley. Their genuine hospitality and pride for their "little island" is heart warming. Plus there are only 1,169 of them. You could probably meet the whole island in a week.

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Category: Beach
Sandy Ground Village, Anguilla, Caribbean
Sandy Ground Village, Anguilla

Sandy Ground Village is pretty much like all the other towns and villages in Anguilla. You know, a white sandy beach set against an azure ocean backdrop. Ugh. Rustic dive shops and out of this world local restaurants scattered throughout the quaint, photogenic town. Yawn! A great spot for snorkeling, scuba diving and the general admiration of the majestic beauty of the sea life swimming amongst the rainbow coral reef. Boring! Next thing you know I’ll mention how Sandy Ground Village is the perfect spot for yachting, bird watching and even relaxing. It is? C’mon Sandy Ground Village, be original for once! I guess the reason every town and village in Anguilla is the same is because you don’t change perfection. You just enjoy it.

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Category: Beach
Shoal Bay, Anguilla, Caribbean
Long Bay Village, AI

Hailed as the Caribbean's #1 beach by many travel experts ranging from Conde Nast to Frommer's, Shoal Bay East is a picture perfect crescent shaped white sand beach surrounded by beautiful lush green trees and villas overlooking its aquamarine waters. There are actually two Shoal Bays on Anguilla - Shoal Bay East - which is the top rated beach on the northeast side - and Shoal Bay West, which is on the flipside on the southwest side of the island. The beach offers beaching, boating, snorkeling and all kinds of water sports. There are also a variety of restaurants and nightlife around the beach. Being ranked as the number one beach also has other benefits like star gazing. If you're lucky, you may spot Denzel Washington, Robert de Niro, Billy Crystal, or Robin Williams, all of whom own villas in Anguilla.

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Mead's Bay

Category: Beach
Meads Bay, Anguilla, Caribbean
Meads Bay, AI

One of the top beaches on Anguilla, Mead's Bay is a close contender for best beach along with Shoal Bay East. With its crescent shape, sugar powdery white sand, this beach is bookended by jagged cliffs on each end where you can get a nice bird's eye view of the beach on this relatively flat island. Mead's Bay is also a hot spot for some of the island's best restaurants. Nearby is the Dolphin Discovery where swimming with dolphins in a tank can be a nice treat for the family. If taking in the views as a beachgoer is not enough, there are plenty of Mead's Bay villa rentals on offer to enjoy the beach and gorgeous sunsets.

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Rendezvous Bay

Category: Beach
Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla, Caribbean
Rendezvous Bay, AI

2 miles long, Rendezvous Bay Beach is a beach goers delight, offering breathtaking views and a close up look of St. Martin across the bay. The public parking lot is situated right in the middle of the beach, making it easy to check out more breathtaking views of yet another of Anguilla's perfect white sand beaches and clear, turquoise waters. This beach also features several interesting hotels including one of the island's oldest hotels, the Rendezvous Bay Hotel. Owned by Jeremiah Gumbs since 1962, the Rendezvous Bay Hotel offers old Anguilla charm. A little bit of Anguilla history. Mr. Gumbs was instrumental in leading Anguilla to independence from Britain in the last 1960's.

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Category: Beach
Maundays Bay, Anguilla, Caribbean
Maundays Bay, AI

Made famous by the Caribbean's #1 ranked resort Cap Juluca, Maunday's Bay is a perfect crescent shaped white sand beach. Many a celebrity has celebrated honeymoons and wedding nuptials here, most notably Beyonce and Jay-Z. Shielded by St. Martin and its crescent shape, the bay waters are perfectly calm for swimming, waterskiing, windsurfing and a variety of water sports. Be sure a check on the 5-star restaurant on site for a delicious lunch and gorgeous view. Cap Juluca is the only resort along the bay and offers an interesting Moroccan style architecture and fantastical gardens. Stop off at the salt pond, where you can blow bubbles of sea foam blowing off the salt pond.

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Cove Bay Beach

Category: Beach
Cove Bay, Anguilla, Caribbean
Cove Bay, AI

Next door to Maunday's Bay and Cap Juluca, Cove Bay Beach is one of the large unspoiled white sand beaches on the island. Directly across the bay, you can see the more mountainous St. Martin. Cove Bay is a delight for boating and fishing. What else is there? Not much else except for one restaurant - Smokey's - where you can grab a bite to eat.

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Reviews(Average Rating: 82% for 1 review)

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VacationHmQueen
- Top member
Reviews: 23
Posts: 6
For beaches like powdered sugar......Anguilla!
06/09/2008
Rating
82%
Anguilla
Visiting Anguilla is a piece of cake; its a 20 minute ferry ride from St. Martin. It was more pristine and quiet than St. Martin - fewer restaurants, shops, etc., which makes for a fantastic get away, if that is what you are looking for. Locals will tell you that Robert de Niro and Janet Jackson both own homes there. As nice as the beaches are, Anguilla was definitely lacking for trees and shade. The place was hot, dry and arid. We drove around to places on the east side of the island, looking for the house where the "Friends" crowd stayed when they were there just prior to the Pitt-Aniston split. Locals kept telling us "over there." So over there - on the east side - is where we drove. Our little camry was in no condition for driving on the horribly bumpy dirt roads. Tractors were doing a lot of prep work for building acres of new vacation home subdivisions, covering probably 25% of the east side of the island. Apparently, the builders and promoters of Anguilla are trying to keep real estate upscale, so everything is mega ultra expensive there. So bring a credit card with a high limit! We stopped off at Scilly Cay (see pics) which is a major tourist attraction and little island restaurant covered in conch shells. I would not recommend going there. Our $10 lunch cost probably $100 per person. The prices were shocking. But some people go as an afternoon thing and its supposed to be nice with the band - but still not worth the price. After going swimming with the dolphins, the next best thing to do in Anguilla is to go to Cap Juluca, which has been rated as the top resort in the Caribbean. We went there for brunch and the food was so incredible its almost worth the flight back! My mouth still waters when I think about the delicious lobster risotto! We didn't see any stars on our trip, but apparently that's the place to go to star gaze!
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