Anguilla, British Caribbean
Overview
Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory of approximately 18,000 people — a flat coral island of 35 square miles approximately 8 kilometers north of Sint Maarten, in the northeastern Caribbean. It is the finest beach destination in the Lesser Antilles and arguably in the Caribbean — not because of any single factor, but because of the combination of beach quality (33 distinct beaches on an island of 35 square miles), water clarity and color, the deliberate absence of mass tourism infrastructure, and a hotel culture that consistently delivers the highest service standards in the region.
Anguilla posted record tourism numbers in 2025 — 229,734 visitors, an 11.2% increase over 2024 and 38.1% above the 2019 pre-pandemic benchmark. This is the highest annual visitor count in the island's history. The island was voted the Best Island in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas by Travel + Leisure readers for the fifth time in 2025. Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport is undergoing a major runway extension (scheduled for completion 2026) to accommodate larger aircraft and increase capacity.
Anguilla's government maintains a deliberate no-cruise-ship, no-casino, no-high-rise policy — the island has actively chosen the boutique luxury model over mass tourism volume. The result is an island that feels genuinely uncrowded even at peak season, with beaches that provide space and privacy, and a hotel sector where the smallest property has higher service standards than the largest resort on a neighboring island. Three new resorts are opening in 2025 and 2026, including the Altamer Marina, Yacht Club and Luxury Resort. Start planning at palapavibez.com.
Fast Facts
Anguilla has a tropical semi-arid climate — drier than most Caribbean islands (limited rainfall), consistently warm (25 to 30 degrees Celsius year-round), with the finest beach conditions running December through May. The dry season is the peak tourist season. The island has little natural shade vegetation beyond the beaches, making sun protection essential. Hurricane season (June through November) sees some hotel closures and reduced airlift.
Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) currently accommodates prop aircraft and small regional jets from Sint Maarten (10-minute flight), San Juan, and Antigua. American Airlines operates seasonal nonstop service from Miami (Saturday triple-weekly service). The runway extension being completed in 2026 will enable larger jet service. The most common and most scenic arrival is by ferry from Sint Maarten (15 to 20 minutes from Blowing Point Ferry Terminal to Marigot, Saint Martin) — this ferry connection makes Sint Maarten (SXM) the de facto international gateway for most Anguilla visitors.
Anguilla uses the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) pegged at US$1 = EC$2.70, but US dollars are universally accepted. No income tax or capital gains tax. Taxis are the primary transport — rental cars are available but roads are mostly flat and uncomplicated. No Uber or rideshare operates on the island.
Top Attractions
Shoal Bay East is the definitive Anguilla beach and one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean — a 2-kilometer crescent of the most powdery white coral sand in the Lesser Antilles, with turquoise water of extraordinary clarity and warmth, backed by sea grape trees and accessible from the road. The beach has a handful of beach bars and restaurants (Uncle Ernie's Beach Bar is the most beloved local institution) but no overdevelopment — its beauty is largely uninterrupted. Snorkeling at the far eastern end of the bay (past the reef marker) is among the finest accessible snorkeling on the island.
Meads Bay on Anguilla's northwest coast is the island's second-most celebrated beach and the home of its finest hotels — the Four Seasons Resort Anguilla (on the beach's southern end) and the Malliouhana Resort (on the cliff above the northern end) are both world-class properties. The beach itself is approximately 1 kilometer of fine white sand with calm water and the finest hotel beach infrastructure on the island.
Recommendations
Shoal Bay East
2km powdery white sand — Uncle Ernie's beach bar, snorkeling at eastern end, never overcrowded
Meads Bay
Four Seasons + Malliouhana on either end — finest hotel beach infrastructure in Anguilla
Sandy Island (Uninhabited Cay)
10-min boat from Sandy Ground — tiny sand island, turquoise lagoon, perfect picnic spot
Dune Preserve / Bankie Banx
Rendezvous Bay — Moonsplash festival attracts major international artists annually
Little Bay
Reached only by boat or rope descent from cliff — emerald water, most secluded beach on island
Road Bay / Sandy Ground
Anguilla's main marina — beach bars, casual restaurants, sailboats, most social evening scene
Altamer Marina (New 2026)
118-berth marina opening 2026 — accommodates yachts to 250 ft, hotel component late 2026
Aurora Anguilla (Rendezvous Bay)
Greg Norman golf course, hydroponic farm, spa — currently Caribbean Journal's #1 Anguilla hotel
The live music scene on Anguilla is disproportionate to the island's size — the Moonsplash Music Festival (annual, held at Dune Preserve) has attracted performers including Jimmy Buffett, the Rolling Stones, and major Caribbean artists. Dune Preserve (Bankie Banx's beachside venue on Rendezvous Bay) is the most culturally important music venue on the island. Sandy Island (a tiny uninhabited sand cay accessible by 10-minute boat ride from Sandy Ground) is the most picturesque day excursion.
Where to Stay
Anguilla's hotel scene is the highest quality per room in the Caribbean — every property, from small boutique guesthouses to full resort hotels, maintains service standards that most Caribbean islands only achieve at their very top tier. There are no budget options by Caribbean standards (lowest-priced rooms start at approximately $350/night in shoulder season) and no large all-inclusive resorts.
Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club (Rendezvous Bay — 53 acres, Greg Norman golf course, hydroponic farm, spa, currently rated the #1 hotel in Anguilla by Caribbean Journal), the Four Seasons Resort Anguilla (Meads Bay — the most internationally recognized brand property, clifftop infinity pool, one of the finest Four Seasons anywhere), and Malliouhana Resort (Meads Bay — the original Anguilla luxury hotel from the 1980s, Auberge Resorts Collection, bluffside position with views over both Caribbean and Atlantic) are the three most acclaimed large properties.
Recommendations
Aurora Anguilla (Rendezvous Bay)
53 acres, Greg Norman golf, hydroponic farm — Caribbean Journal's top-rated Anguilla property
Four Seasons Anguilla (Meads Bay)
Clifftop infinity pool, Meads Bay beachfront — the most complete Four Seasons resort in the Caribbean
Zemi Beach House (Shoal Bay East)
Only Thai-style spa in Caribbean — directly on Anguilla's best beach, 63 rooms
Tranquility Beach (Meads Bay)
Meads Bay — #1 small & boutique Caribbean hotel 2 consecutive years, intimate luxury
For boutique: Zemi Beach House (Shoal Bay East — the only Thai-style spa in the Caribbean, the finest property directly on Anguilla's best beach, 63 rooms), Tranquility Beach (Meads Bay — Tripadvisor's #1 Best Small & Boutique Caribbean Hotel 2025 for the second consecutive year), and Carimar Beach Club (Meads Bay — condo-style villas, best value, directly on the beach) are the most praised smaller options.
Food & Drink
Grilled spiny lobster is Anguilla's signature dish — pulled from the surrounding Caribbean waters and grilled at beachside shacks and resort restaurants alike. At Falcon's Nest (Island Harbour — a local beach shack on the eastern coast), grilled lobster with your feet in the sand costs approximately $35 to $50. At resort tasting menus, the same lobster might form part of a $250 per person dinner. The gap in price does not reflect a gap in quality — Anguilla's local lobster is excellent at every price point.
The island's restaurant scene per capita is among the highest in the Caribbean. Straw Hat (Meads Bay — consistently Anguilla's most acclaimed casual fine dining, beachside), Blanchard's (West End — one of the Caribbean's most celebrated restaurants, white-tablecloth tasting menu, James Beard-adjacent quality), and Zemi Beach House's 20 Knots (Shoal Bay East — sophisticated Caribbean cuisine, beachside setting) represent the most acclaimed dining options.
Recommendations
Grilled Lobster (Falcon's Nest, Island Harbour)
Beachside shack, feet in sand — freshest lobster in the Lesser Antilles, ~$35–50 per lobster
Blanchard's (West End)
White-tablecloth, tasting menu — one of the Caribbean's most acclaimed restaurants for decades
Uncle Ernie's (Shoal Bay East)
On Anguilla's best beach — rum punch, grilled fish, the most beloved local institution
Straw Hat (Meads Bay)
Beachside, Meads Bay — consistently Anguilla's most acclaimed restaurant for everyday dining
The island's rum punch — made with Pyrat rum, lime juice, and local fruit — is the signature cocktail. Pyrat Rum (a Anguilla-associated brand, orange-infused, in the distinctive orange sailor's head bottle) is the most distinctively Anguillian spirit. The beach bars of Shoal Bay (Uncle Ernie's, Gwen's Reggae Grill) and Sandy Ground's marina strip provide the most social low-key drinking settings.
Getting There
The vast majority of visitors arrive via Sint Maarten — fly into Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) and take a 15 to 20-minute ferry from the Dutch side to Blowing Point, Anguilla. The ferry (operated by multiple companies, $20 to $25 each way) runs frequently from approximately 7am to 7pm. Passport control clears at Blowing Point on the Anguilla side — have passport and departure card ready.
Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) currently handles small propeller aircraft and regional jets from Sint Maarten (10 minutes, several daily), Puerto Rico, and Antigua. American Airlines operates seasonal Saturday triple-weekly nonstop service from Miami. Tradewind Aviation, Seabourne, and Cape Air offer connections from Sint Maarten and Puerto Rico. The runway extension completing in 2026 will allow larger jets and more direct international service.
From the UK: fly to Sint Maarten (British Airways via Antigua or American/Delta via Miami) and ferry over. From the US: Sint Maarten SXM is the most practical gateway from any East Coast city, with direct connections from multiple US hubs.
Practical Info
Classic 5-day Anguilla itinerary: Day 1 arrive via SXM ferry (Blowing Point), Shoal Bay East afternoon, Uncle Ernie's sunset. Day 2 Meads Bay (Four Seasons beach day or Malliouhana pool), Blanchard's dinner. Day 3 boat trip to Sandy Island (morning), Road Bay/Sandy Ground afternoon, Dune Preserve evening. Day 4 Island Harbour (Falcon's Nest lobster lunch), Little Bay (boat access only), eastern coast exploration. Day 5 Rendezvous Bay (Aurora golf or spa), departure via SXM ferry.
Anguilla requires no airport — the ferry from Sint Maarten is the most civilized Caribbean arrival: 15 minutes of open water, passport control in a pleasant small terminal at Blowing Point, and within 30 minutes of landing at SXM you can have your feet in the sand at Shoal Bay East.
Recommendations
Classic 5-Day Anguilla
Shoal Bay → Meads Bay/Blanchard's → Sandy Island/Sandy Ground → Island Harbour/Little Bay → Rendezvous Bay
Ferry Arrival via SXM — Best Way In
SXM → Blowing Point ferry, 15–20 min, $20–25 — most pleasant Caribbean arrival experience
All Beaches Are Public by Law
Hotel beachfronts are legally public — you can access any Anguilla beach without being a hotel guest
Book Blanchard's Well Ahead
One of the Caribbean's most acclaimed restaurants — reservations fill weeks ahead in peak season
Beach etiquette: Anguilla's beaches are all public by law. The hotel beachfronts (Four Seasons, Zemi, etc.) are public beaches — hotel guests and non-guests have equal legal right of access. Hotel beach services (chairs, towels, food service) are available to hotel guests; non-guests may use the public beach area but not hotel beach services. This keeps all 33 beaches accessible.
