Anguilla: Land of the million dollar beaches and top-tier food
When my wife and I were choosing honeymoon destinations, Anguilla was a no-brainer.
The exclusive Caribbean island has a population of 15,000, and is merely 92 sq. km.
But despite its meagre size, the destination has everything romantic travellers need: comfort, culinary delights, and beaches that make those on postcards look like the Jersey Shore.
The British territory sits just north of St. Maarten, where most international travellers will fly into before catching a ferry or island-hopping flight to Anguilla.
Tourism makes up the vast majority of the island’s industry.
English is the local language (albeit with a Caribbean flare), and though the island formally uses the East Caribbean Dollar, almost all prices and transactions are done in American dollars — so much so that our attempt to fit in by bringing ECDs ended up being more of a hassle to service providers as they fished for calculators to do the exchange.
Though it may share similarities with other Caribbean destinations, Anguilla’s atmosphere is much more serene and less party-oriented than St. Maarten and other hotspots.
Accommodations
The number of resorts per square mile in Anguilla rivals that of most destinations. Lining the island’s coast are myriad options, catering to a range of budgets — from private rental villas to the recently reopened Four Seasons Resort Anguilla.
We first stayed at Cap Juluca, an architecturally Moorish resort featuring 15 villas, four restaurants, and what has to be the most attentive service on the island.
Rooms range from spacious superior rooms to entire villas with their own private pools, but each one comes with a view of Maundays Bay.
The room density is low enough that beach space is available mere steps from one’s room.
We were never on the beach for more than 90 seconds before an attendant brought us freshly fluffed towels, cold water, and, at 3:00pm, sorbet. (It was so delicious we planned our day around it.)
Afternoon tea is also served daily in the lobby, making for a great mingling opportunity with fellow guests — almost all of whom were couples.
Resort staff routinely greeted guests by name when passing by, and often checked in to ensure satisfaction.
We dined at each of the resort’s restaurants — from its flagship seafood restaurant Pimms, to the north African-inspired Spice, to Blue, the continental breakfast spot.
Each of these restaurants offers seaside dining; the resort can also accommodate tiki torch-lit private dining experiences on the sandy beach.
Down the road is CuisinArt, a culinary-themed resort established by the man who owns the kitchen equipment company of the same name.
CuisinArt takes advantage of Anguilla’s reputation as the Caribbean’s foodie capital, offering patrons a number of themed restaurants — from Italia and Le Bistro at Santorini to Tokyo Bay and Cafe Mediterraneo.
Anguilla’s remote location makes importing ingredients a challenge, so the resort has its own hydroponic greenhouse farm and herb garden that guests are invited to tour, allowing for a wide array of dishes not available elsewhere on the island.
Le Bistro at Santorini has the honour of being Anguilla’s sole AAA Four Diamond restaurant.
The resort has a distinctly Mediterranean feel, with a busier atmosphere that caters to a younger demographic, as well as families. On-site tennis courts, water sports and a full 18-hole golf course will always keep you moving, if that’s preferable to relaxing on the beach.
Dining
Anguilla is home to dozens of eateries showcasing local seafood, imported delicacies, and quaint beach shacks.
We were told that no trip to the island is complete without lunch at Tasty’s, where my wife enjoyed a jerk chicken salad and myself the mahi mahi with a house-made sauce (the specialty of award-winning Chef Dale Carty).
For evening fare, SandBar offered a great tapas menu, with a number of small plate selections ranging from chimichurri steak to tempura-battered french fries, to mahi mahi with fra diavolo sauce.
Anguilla’s most unique dining experience is actually situated on an island of its own.
Scilly Cay has no power or running water, and is only accessible by boat, but the barbecue is top-notch. Menu options are chicken, lobster, crawfish, and fish — each served with pasta, garlic bread, a sweet-and-spicy sauce, and a rum punch for good measure.
Live music and sandy floors are part of the offering (though watch for the crabs and lizards wandering near your feet.) To access Scilly Cay, the proprietor advises, one must “walk to the dock, wave like an idiot to the island, we’ll spot you and be there in a jiffy.”
Adventure
Travellers can rent a car for the day for $50 USD, to tour the island. The friendly locals will honk to say hello (which can be jarring considering the reasons for honking in North America, generally).
From seeing the island’s different beaches to visiting some of the centuries-old ruins of former buildings that have been destroyed in hurricanes, there is lots to see.
My wife and I took the plunge — literally — to the floor of the sea through Shoal Bay Scuba, a business operated by a British expatriate, aimed at giving tourists a taste of the pastime.
After an internationally-regulated PADI course, we were, hours later, in the water swimming with sea turtles, stingrays and a range of fish we had only seen on our plates up to that point.
Catches
While Anguilla is a sublime destination for a vacation, it isn’t an inexpensive one. Resorts run $400-$1,000 USD per night, plus gratuities and additional services.
Because of the import tariffs and transport costs, even lighter fare tends to be costly. Our most inexpensive meal (a burger and fries each) came to about $50 USD, with the average dinner (excluding alcohol) costing upwards of $100 USD for the two of us.
Getting around the island can be costly, with five-seven minute taxi rides costing about $12–$18 USD each way. When we return, we’d likely look at renting a car for the whole week rather than just the day.
A return to Anguilla is a when, not an if.
