Caribbean Anguilla (our favorite)

Caribbean Anguilla (our favorite) (7/14-22/2025)

Shoal Bay East beach – Anguilla

Anguilla is a relatively small Caribbean island but mighty in its offerings – stunning uncrowded soft sand beaches with breathtaking warm turquoise ocean water and gentle waves (see photos), great culinary scene with a variety of upscale restaurants as well as laid-back beach restaurants/bars, upscale accommodations with feet-in-the-sand laid-back luxury, low visitor numbers making it uncrowded, and English spoken everywhere. Also, what makes Anguilla exceptional is the genuinely friendly people who make you feel at home with wonderful hospitality. We have been fortunate to have visited 23 Caribbean islands and now consider Anguilla our favorite. 

Uncrowded Beaches in Anguilla

With 33 beautiful beaches, Anguilla is famous for having some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, many renowned for their soft white sand, warm calm crystal-clear turquoise ocean, and no jet skis. For good reason, stunning beaches such as Shoal Bay, Meads Bay, Rendezvous Bay, and Maundays Bay have consistently been ranked among the world’s best. It is wonderful Anguilla is relatively undiscovered – not overly developed, avoids mass tourism, and has no cruise port offering a sanctuary of tranquility for those in search of an authentic somewhat pricey experience with uncrowded wonderful beaches.

Shoal Bay East beach – Anguilla

We decided to stay on what many return visitors we spoke to consider Anguilla’s most beautiful beach – Shoal Bay East voted one of the ‘Top 10 beaches in the Caribbean’ by USA Today (see photo). It definitely lives up to its reputation with a relaxed vive and breathtaking warm crystal-clear turquoise ocean water, powder-like white sand beach with palm trees, and nice laid-back beach restaurants/bars on the beach. 

Sunset – Shoal Bay East

At sunset (see photo) a whole other beauty appears sparking a discussion about which of the many good restaurants to have dinner. Wonderful!… Anguilla is what we aspire for in a Caribbean adventure!

Snorkeling – Shoal Bay East

Like most beaches in Anguilla, it is easy to find a quiet spot on Shoal Bay East beach. The beach has very gentle waves making it great for swimming and relaxing to the sound of gentle waves. It also has some of the best snorkeling on Anguilla along the nearby reefs on the east end of the beach accessed with a short swim from the shore (see photo). Shoal Bay East is a Caribbean paradise. 

Fish – Madeariman on Shoal Bay East

Shoal Bay East Beach Restaurants: Very good Anguilla beachfront restaurants are located within a few minutes walking distance. Do not miss Madeariman open for lunch and dinner – wonderful location, food (see photo), and service. For lunch Ola’s Bar and Grill, Tropical Sunset, and Elodias are nice. For a truly Caribbean vibe join the fun and dancing with a painkiller rum drink and live reggae music on Sunday evenings at Gwen’s Reggae Bar and Grill. 

Pat at 20 Knots Zemi Beach House

Located at the west end of Shoal Bay East beach, the upscale Zemi Beach House offers a wonderful breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was great to treat ourselves to their fantastic (and pricey) breakfast buffet. Dinner at Zemi Beach House’s 20 Knots laid back luxury beach restaurant (see photo) was exceptional, well priced, and the lighting and music made it special (try the Caribbean mild curry and seafood dishes).

Fabulous Lobster – Falcons Nest

More good dinner options are located a short drive away from Shoal Bay East at Anguilla’s Island Harbour such as Ben’s Pit Stop for French food, Artisan for Italian, and you must treat yourself to the wonderful grilled lobster (see photo) with your feet in the sand at Falcon’s Nest – amazing!

Rendezvous Bay – Anguilla

Rendezvous Bay is another incredibly beautiful beach in Anguilla looking out to the mountains of the neighboring island of Saint Martin (see photo). We enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the beach at Tasty’s. Located at an end of a dirt road, Tasty’s can be a bit hard to find. Go in the direction of the Sunshine Shack restaurant (also highly recommended) and follow the road signs to Tasty’s. For some good live reggae music fun at Rendezvous Bay, join the fun for dinner at reggae star Bankie Banx’s beachside restaurant Dune Preserve.

Meads Bay beach – Anguilla

Another top beach in Anguilla is Meads Bay. Its tranquil ambiance is a favorite among both locals and visitors featuring a long pristine stretch of white sand (see photo). Even during high season, you might find moments when it feels like you have the beach all to yourself. The water is a beautiful shade of turquoise and there are a few upscale resorts and top-notch beachfront dining along the shore providing convenient amenities. Meads Bay western location offers stunning sunset views, making it a perfect spot for evening strolls and relaxed dining. Blanchard’s (dinner), Blanchard’s Beach Shack (lunch), and The Straw Hat on the beach are often recommended restaurants on Meads Bay.

Cap Shack – Maundays Bay

Other amazing beaches in Anguilla include Maundays Bay where we enjoyed a great lunch on the beach with an amazing view at the Cap Shack beach restaurant (see photo) at the Cap Juluca luxury hotel. Barnes Bay is a beautiful secluded beach to enjoy – bring your beach towel, you may have this beach to yourself. 

Little Bay – Anguilla

At Sandy Ground, it is fun to do some beach bar hopping or take a scenic boat trip. Little Bay, accessible by boat from Crocus Bay (see photo), is a secluded postcard-perfect cove accessible by boat and great for a quiet afternoon on the beach and good snorkeling.

Sandy Island – Anguilla

Boat excursions to nearby small islands are highly recommended. Sandy Island (see photo) can be reached by a 10-minute speedboat from the Sandy Ground pier where you can enjoy the relaxed vive on a nice beach with seafood lunch and good snorkeling. The Prickly Pear Bar & Restaurant is another favorite crowd-free off-shore cay boating excursion from Sandy Ground with snorkeling and a great lunch menu including great grilled lobster.

Sunset Cruise – Anguilla

With 33 beaches Anguilla has more beautiful ones to explore where you often can have a whole Caribbean beach to yourself. Also, around Anguilla snorkeling trips and scuba diving to shipwrecks are available for the adventurous or you can go for a sunset cruise on a classic sloop sailing vessel (see photo).

Special Crayfish – YUM!

Anguilla is nicknamed the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. There are many more good restaurants than mentioned in this post for you to discover. Don’t miss having the fantastic crayfish (see photo), lobster, seafood, and try some of the local fare. Most beach restaurants in Anguilla offer free beach lounge chairs with an umbrella if you have lunch there. Dinner reservations are encouraged, especially during high season.

Map of Caribbean

Where is Anguilla located? Anguilla is a self-governing British Overseas Territory located in the Eastern Caribbean part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago – east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of St. Maarten (see map). Anguilla is considered one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean.

Map of Anguilla

Getting To and Around Anguilla Travel Tips: American Airlines offers a direct flight to Anguilla (SXM) from Miami (MIA). A ferry is available from St. Martin. Cars drive on the left side. Renting a car is recommended to explore this beautiful island. It is OK to drive slow – the speed limit is 30 miles/hour on most roads. Anguilla is not a large island with a resident population of only about 16,000. Being flat and only 16 miles long and 3 miles wide at its widest point, baring traffic, you can drive from one end of Anguilla to the other in about 30 minutes. With one main road on the island, it is fairly easy to drive places (see map). Visitors driving at night is not advised so we did our exploration to other beaches, etc. for lunch during the day taking advantage of shorter drives or restaurants where we stayed on our beach for dinner. Taxis are available and their rates are fixed.

Pool – Zemi Beach House

Other Anguilla Travel Tips: Anguilla is a pricey Caribbean island - the price you pay for uncrowded paradise. The dress is casual at most places – ‘resort casual’ at the nicer places. The U.S. dollar and credit cards are used throughout Anguilla and U.S. style electrical plugs are used. 

Shoal Bay East – Anguilla

To stock up for your visit with groceries, drinks, etc. going west from the airport to Meads Bay and Rendezvous Bay Best Buy is good. Going east to Shoal Bay East Welcome Supermarket is nice. Don’t be concerned about the condition of the roads – once you arrive at your destination hotel, restaurant, etc. you will be much more impressed. In general, you should check to see when places in Anguilla are open. Restaurants and other places close on different days – Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday or some combination of these days.

Anguilla Summer Festival

Anguilla has year-round special events and festivals including the Festival del Mar over Easter weekend, the Anguilla Culinary Experience in May, Welches Fest in July, and the Anguilla Summer Festival (see photo) from late July through early August that is packed with boat rides, beach parties, parades, and concerts. To enhance your visit, you may want to visit during one of these fun times. See below best time to visit because July and August can be hot and many places are closed in August.

Beautiful Uncrowded Beaches – Anguilla

Best Time to Visit Anguilla: Anguilla has year-round good beach weather with warm ocean water, especially in the winter and early spring (November to April). During this high season time demand and prices are highest, especially on holiday weekends, with many people attempting to escape cold weather for blue skies, sunshine, and temperatures in the low 80’s. Better deals are available from May to August with nice weather (July/August can be hot). During hurricane season reduced rates and less visitors occur during the low season August through early November. The chance a hurricane is low but it can be hot this time of year. Keep in mind many hotels, restaurants, and businesses in Anguilla will be closed in low season, especially August through early October, and changes of inclement weather are higher.

Shoal Bay Villas – Shoal Bay East

We stayed at Shoal Bay Villas  (see photo) on Anguilla’s Shoal Bay East beach… and So Glad we did! Anguilla is a destination that people come back year over year. Many time repeat visitors told us they have stayed at several places and we found the best. The beach at Shoal Bay East is incredible, the pool is nice but you will probably spend most your time in the warm turquoise ocean, and good beach restaurants are a short walk away. See above for Shoal Bay East beach description and restaurants recommendations on the beach or a drive away. 

Snorkeling

Shoal Bay Villa loans snorkel gear and in a closet by the pool they have beach toys for the kids and ocean flotations. Pretty nice snorkeling (see photo) is just out to the right on the far side of the close reef.

 

View from our Room – Shoal Bay Villas

Shoal Bay Villas offers a variety of accommodations at different price levels – all air conditioned with covered balconies or patios and full kitchens equipped with a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, stove, blender, and coffee maker. We chose a one-bedroom villa closest to the ocean view. The view to the ocean (see photo) was amazing and wonderful for sitting with a cocktail, having breakfast, or enjoying wonderful sunsets. The staff is very helpful with restaurant reservations and other suggestions to make your visit to Anguilla special. Get this: you are assigned your own private beach lounges with shade so no need to get up early and reserve a spot.

Flag of Anguilla

Brief History of Anguilla… Anguilla was inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Carib peoples before European colonization and introduction of slavery. The British took control of the island in the 17th century, integrating Anguilla into their colonial holdings in the Caribbean. In 1967, Anguilla became part of the Associated State of St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla under British administration. In 1980, dissatisfaction with the government led to the Anguilla Revolution, which resulted in the island’s secession and its status as a separate self-governing British Overseas Territory.

Like so many return Anguilla visitors we have vowed to return to this secluded beauty and laid back vibes of what the Caribbean used to be!

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