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Anguilla map
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Special Interests
As a small island that has developed quickly in recent years, Anguilla has just a few specialities. These it does well, but beyond them there is not really a huge amount to see and do on the island.
The most famous characteristic of Anguilla beyond the hotels themselves is probably the Restaurants, which have gained a very good reputation in the past few years. Unlike many of the other Caribbean islands, the hotel dining rooms in Anguilla are good, but the best are probably independent restaurants. At Cuisinart there is also a chance to join a cooking course, see Food and Cooking. The other thing that a couple of the hotels offer well are Spas. Cerulean is one of the only villas in the Caribbean that has a small dedicated spa facility. A couple of the spas and some independent massage therapists also specialise in Holistic Activities.
Anguilla offers little on land, but new for late 2005 or early 2006 is the new Greg Norman Golf Course at the Temenos development, which will make the island a serious option for golfers. Other Sports are generally best sourced through the hotels. They should be able to provide you with equipment for watersports. If there is none or you are travelling independently then head up to Shoal Bay (East) where there are a couple of operators. Anguilla is not known for its Scuba Diving except in one distinctive feature, its wrecks. They were cannily sunk not long ago and they provide some good dive sites. On land there is not a great deal to see as far as Nature is concerned, however there is some good birdife.
Although St Martin, one of the Sailing centres of the Caribbean, is just a few miles away, not that many sailing yachts put in to the island. For the Anguillians themselves however, sailing races are one of the highlights of the year and they are always fun to watch. They form part of the main Carnival celebrations held in the summer. There are a number of other festivities during the year which are centred mostly on Music, including a couple of jazz festivals and the dead cool Moonsplash at Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve.
Travelling with children works quite well in Anguilla as there are plenty of self-catering options. Besides the sea there is not a huge amount to do, but at the Malliouhana Hotel there is a good playground and pirate ship. The island is not that easy as a Solo Traveller, but there are some smaller inns that will look after you nicely. A few of the hotels and villas in Anguilla would be happy to arrange a Wedding for you. |
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Sports
Watersports
Most of the hotels have some equipment for you to use, snorkelling gear, kayaks and small sailboats, but the most active beach is Shoal Bay (East) where you will find outlets that will hire you equipment and beach paraphernalia such as umbrellas and floats. For a general operator in Shoal Bay try Skyline Beach Rentals.
Snorkelling
Snorkels and fins are available at most hotels, dive shops, on most charters and at some beachfront restaurants. The best snorkelling beaches include Shoal Bay East and Little Bay (you can get a boat from Crocus Bay), but wherever there are cliffs and offshore rocks you will find fish collecting.
Sports Fishing
There are plenty of fishermen who go out from Anguilla to fish for the restaurants and hotels and you may want to go off with them in the hunt for wahoo, marlin, tuna, swordfish, yellow fin and black fin tuna. If you want to buy the fresh fish as it comes in, then you can go to Anguilla Fisheries in George Hill, where the catch is brought in in the late afternoon. Boat trips cost around US$750 for a full day and $450 for a half day, fishing for four people, eats & drinks included. Try:
Dean Carty, t 497 3170
Based at Anguilla Fisheries in George Hill.
Garfield Tours, t 497 2956
The yacht Gotcha.
Johnno, Johnnos Restaurant, t 497 2728
Johnno goes out to catch fish for his restaurant in Sandy Ground.
See our notes on Scuba diving and windsurfing.
LAND-BASED SPORTS
Cycling
Biking is an excellent way to see the island. Flat terrain, easily explored side roads and one main road make exploring easy. Bikes are available at many hotels, or can be rented for approximately $10 per day. Road cycling has also become popular with the Anguillians over the past few years.
Tennis
Tennis is available in many of the hotels. If yours does not have a court then it is easily arranged through the front desk. Two courts are available at the Carimar Beach Club in Meads Bay, at US$20 per hour. The courts close to Blowing Point (several courts with a 1000 seater stadium) were designed by the architect of Covecastles, Myron Goldfinger.
See our notes on Golf and Horse riding.
SPECTATOR SPORTS
Cricket
Cricket is quite a popular sport among the Anguillians during the season in the early part of the year and there is an island league. The main cricket ground is Ronald Webster Park located in the Valley but you will see other pitches as you drive around the island.
Anguilla received a lift from the fact that an Anguillian, Omari Banks, was selected not long ago for the West Indies test squad. You might also come across Cardigan Connor, a fast bowler who played on the English county circuit for many years. He is the masseur at Cap Juluca. Now there’s a strong pair of hands for some deep tissue massage. |
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Taxis
Taxis are readily available around the island. You can just walk in to the reception of any hotel and ask, and there are taxi stands at the main points of arrival on the island, Wallblake Airport, taxi stand t 235 3828 and Blowing Point ferry terminal, t 497 6089. Hotels do not have their own taxi service, so when you arrive a despatcher will put you in a taxi.
Taxi fares are fixed by the government. Prices are for the first two people, with extra riders charged a small additional fee. There is sometimes a luggage charge in Anguilla. An island tour by taxi costs US$40 for maximum 2 hours. Taxi fares are:
Airport to -
Meads Bay - US$16
West End hotels - $22
Sandy Ground - $10
Shoal Bay (East) - $15
Blowing Point (ferry terminal) to –
West End hotels - $20
Meads Bay - $14
Sandy Ground - $10
Shoal Bay (East) - $20 |
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Telephone
The IDD code for Anguilla is 1 264, which is followed by a 7 digit number. When on island, dial the full seven digits. Many hotels offer Internet access. If you are staying in a villa do check to see if the phone allows international calls, as some have debars, which will need to be lifted, and for which there is normally a deposit.
Cellular phones can be rented or a roaming feature can be added to your own mobile phone if it is compatible with the local network, through Cable & Wireless in the Valley, t 497 3100. Phone cards for use can be purchased throughout the island. |
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Time Zone
Anguilla is on the same time zone as the rest of the Eastern Caribbean, Atlantic Standard Time, which is four hours behind Britain in the winter (GMT)and five hours behind in the summer when the European countries adopt daylight saving time (Anguilla does not change its clocks).
From the USA: Atlantic Standard Time is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time during the winter, but on the same time in the summer when Daylight Saving Time is adopted. |
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Tour Operators
There is a number of tour operators (UK and Europe) and wholesalers (US) that offer Anguilla in their programmes. On DefinitiveCaribbean we will be picking out the cream of the bunch for you - operators that are Caribbean specialists and give the best levels of service, in all price ranges. Collectively we will call them 'travel organisers' because whether in the UK, Europe or the States, tour operators and wholesalers are generally speaking the principals. They put the holidays together that may subsequently be sold to the public via travel agents.
In the UK and Europe, all tour operators should be bonded for your financial protection, and sell flight inclusive holidays under licence from government bodies such as the Civil Aviation Authority (UK). Some travel agents also have the required bonding and licences to put together flight inclusive holidays, and there are a few Caribbean specialists among them.
We are looking at the best travel organisers offering holidays to Anguilla and the list that follows will be developed as we make progress.
Message to Tour Operators, Wholesalers and specialist travel agents:
We invite any travel organiser working as a Caribbean specialist with a programme to Anguilla to contact us if we are not already in communication with you. Initially please email us for further details.
The list of travel organisers to Anguilla will appear below as we populate the section:
| | CaribtoursA lovely company that has not diluted its high standards of personal service for the sake of profit; excellent brochure; fairly priced holidays. Strong following of repeat clients, some famous, some infamous and others simply seeking consistently reliable service and value for money. | | CV TravelA long established villa holiday specialist with an extensive Caribbean programme. CV Travel offers a broad range of Caribbean villas of all sizes and prices in twelve islands, ranging from simple beachfront homes to substantial staffed villas, estates, even private islands. Also a selection of the region’s finest villa resorts and characterful hotels and inns. |
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Tourist Information
The Anguilla Tourist Board’s office is located at Coronation Avenue, the Valley, t +1264 497 2759, f +1264 497 2710, atbtour@anguillanet.com
Outside Anguilla the overseas representatives of the Anguilla Tourist Board are:
Britain: CSB Communications, 7A Crealock Street, London SW18 2BS 7SY,
t 020 8871 0012, f 020 7207 4323, Anguilla@tiscali.co.uk
Canada: William & Sari Marshalls, 116C Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, M5R 2E4, t +1416 944 8105, f +1416 944 3191, xybermedia@aol.com
USA: Mrs. Marie Walker, 246 Central Avenue, White Plains, New York, NY 10606, t +1914 287 2400, f +1914 287 2404, mwturnstyle@aol.com |
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Tours of Anguilla
Tours of Anguilla are generally led by the taxi drivers, most of whom have undergone training in the history of the island. There is not a huge amount to see and you will cover the length of the island in a couple of hours, but you will have a good idea of the layout of Anguilla and of course the location of the beaches.
Try the following:
Wendell & Celsa Connor, t 235 5777
Franklyn Richardson (aka Brods), t 235 6052
Mac Pemberton, t 235 6855.
Also the ground handlers offer tours. Contact:
Bennie's Travel & Tours, The Valley, t 497 2788
Carib-World Travel (Anguilla) Ltd, Water Swamp, t 497 3613
Malliouhana Travel & Tours, The Valley, t 497 2431.
Walking Tours, t 497 2711.
If you want something more detailed, then Emile Gumbs and his son Laurie offer an excellent guided walking tour of the Sandy Ground area, where there is good birdlife on the salt pond (which itself has an interesting story). Then you will be shown Wallblake House. They also do a walking tour in the eastern end of the island.
Off the Beaten Track, t 497 2878.
Freelance travel writer and tour guide, Ijahnya Christian, will put together a private 2-5 hour tour of the island away from the regular tourist haunts. Tours are tailored to suit your interests focusing on Anguillian history, architecture, local traditions and island life.
Art Tour of Anguilla Map
A self guided tour using the ‘art map’ which gives the location and description of Anguilla’s art/craft galleries and artists studios. Copies of the map are available from the Anguilla Tourist Board, shops and galleries. |
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Water
The water in Anguilla is fit for drinking. It can taste a bit salty, however, because it is largely desalinated, so you may prefer to drink bottled water, including Aronel and Crystal Stream. |
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Weather
The climate in Anguilla is relatively dry and sunny, and the hottest months of the year are between June and October. The heat will often be tempered by the regular tradewinds that blow in from the Atlantic regularly throughout most of the year. Anguilla is generally drier than other islands in the region because of its geography, which is low-lying (the taller islands tend to catch more rain off the water-laden Atlantic winds). The rainy season is from August to November. This is also the hurricane season. Anguilla is in the hurricane belt and so some hotels close during the most active months of September and October to do their maintenance. |
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Weddings
Anguilla is an ideal place for anyone planning a wedding in a romantic beach front setting. You can choose to get married in one of the local churches, on an offshore cay, at the court house or on a sail boat, anywhere that appeals within reason. Getting married on the island is fairly straightforward and most hotels have their own wedding and honeymoon packages.
The larger villas such as Cerulean and Temenos will tailor make your wedding and are great as an Anguilla honeymoon villa. The management and staff will ensure that everything is organised in advance, from start to finish. They can provide anything you need, from catering services to procuring the marriage licence, sorting out entertainment and photography, and providing a decorating service.
Legal requirements for getting married in Anguilla:
Two witnesses are required.
Both parties must be on Anguilla for 3 days prior to getting married to acquire the Special Marriage Licence which takes 48 hrs to process
The following Original Documents are required from both parties:
Passports and airline tickets
Birth Certificates
Passports
If divorced, original or notarised copy of Decree Absolute.
If widowed, original Death Certificate of deceased spouse
The cost at present for the Special Marriage Licence is US$284 but if one of the partners has resided in Anguilla for 15 days prior to the wedding the cost is US$40, payable in cash.
An EC$100 stamp duty is payable.
The marriage ceremony must be performed by a certified officer, ie minister or magistrate, who will require the special marriage licence.
Licences are obtained from the Judicial Department in The Valley during week-days between 8.30 am and 2.30 pm and takes approximately 48 hours or two business days to process.
Civil weddings performed by a magistrate rather than a priest or a minister, can only be conducted at The Magistrate’s Court, which is open from 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Ministers will marry couples at their chosen location be it on the beach, at a hotel, villa etc. Additional arrangements and fees are payable if you opt for a church wedding. The fee for the minister in this case will be US$100 plus charges for organ music, a choir and so on.
In order to get married in the Catholic Church you will need to provide confirmation papers, baptismal certificate, freedom to marry papers from your own church, where you should also consult with your parish priest before planning your wedding on Anguilla.
Do think about the time of day you are planning on getting married, and what you are going to be wearing. Is it practical or comfortable to wear a full blown wedding dress and high heels? What about your guests? Most weddings take place late afternoon to avoid the heat and for the sunsets photographs.
The following featured properties are best for Anguilla weddings: | Altamer
Three spectacular, ultra modern villas (and a restaurant) that rise stark white between the blues of Anguilla’s sea and sky on Shoal Bay West, near the island’s western tip. Altamer leads the new generation of Anguilla villa resorts, with top notch service and high comfort in cutting edge style. Also a conference centre and disabled access to the villas. | Shoal Bay Villas
A small group of self catering apartments right on Shoal Bay, Anguilla’s liveliest beach. The twelve studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are pleasantly furnished and look either over the pool and courtyard or over the sand and fantastic blue sea of Shoal Bay itself. A low key atmosphere right at the heart of the beach. | Cerulean
One of the Anguillian ‘supervillas’, a spectacular private house for 14 guests set on Barnes Bay, a superb stretch of sand on Anguilla’s north shore. With its extreme privacy, spa and top service in a stylish setting, Cerulean has seen plenty of stars in its time. An exclusive retreat on the beach. | Covecastles
Covecastles stand shoulder to shoulder in a line of white beachfront villas, stark and almost sculpture-like on a backdrop of surreal Anguillan blue. Set on a delightful curve of Shoal Bay West near the island’s western tip, they are sixteen beach houses, villas and grand villas, Anguilla’s original arhcitecturally stylish villa resort. | Coyaba Villa
A very private Anguillan home offering 9,000 square feet of living space and 3,000 square feet of pool and terrace area all set in a seafront garden with views across to St Martin. An excellent choice for families, small conferences or a villa wedding. | Malliouhana Hotel & Spa
Malliouhana is the most refined and elegant of Anguilla’s hotels. All slender columns and arches and angled roofs, it sits on an outcrop above Meads Bay, one of the Caribbean’s finest beaches, where by day a sophisticated crowd gathers at the bistro and the full service spa, later gravitating to the hotel’s excellent French dining room on the clifftop. Good children’s facilities. | Frangipani Beach Resort
A tall, Spanish colonial-style building right on a superb stretch of Meads Bay on Anguilla’s northern shore. About 30 bedrooms and suites in one- to three-bedroom self-catering apartments (there is also a restaurant), all overlooking the sea and sand. | Rendezvous Bay Hotel & Villas
Extremely low key, relatively simple, oodles of old Caribbean atmosphere and Anguillan charm. However, the hotel has been closed for refurbishment since summer 2008. | Cap Juluca
Cap Juluca stands in a line of 18 spectacular Moorish-style villas on its own superb curve of sand tucked away on the southern shore of Anguilla. The atmosphere is upbeat, with activities and sports by day, and then elegant in the evenings, all underpinned by low-key Anguillan charm and reliable service. Cap Juluca is one of the best known and loved hotels in the Caribbean. Several special packages and programmes available. |
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What to Pack
The following items should be on your packing list when heading out to the Caribbean:
Sun protection, high factor sun cream, sunglasses, hat/cap and a lightweight shirt/blouse/t-shirt for the beach suitable beach and walking shoes, mosquito repellent containing DEET suitable for use all day, cream for insect bites, toiletries including feminine items including beach mat/towel.
Lightweight cotton is the best clothing, with elegant/casual attire for evenings. Note that most good restaurants and top hotels require men to wear long trousers and shirts with a collar in the evenings. During the festive season people tend to dress up more and the most exclusive establishments may request a jacket and tie. Ladies may wish to pack a lightweight wrap or jacket during the winter months, as the evenings (Jan/Feb) sometimes feel cool after the heat of the day.
Anguilla is usually well stocked with batteries, but do not depend on there being camera film or batteries. Also bring an electrical adapter and you may want to bring a small torch.
Any prescription medication that needs to be taken on a regular basis should be carried in your hand luggage, and should remain in their original packaging for clear identification by customs should they need to check contents.
Don’t forget your passport, driving licence and insurance (medical and travel) documents. |
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Windsurfing/Kitesurfing
For windsurfing you are restricted to the hotels as there is nobody with equipment for hire. Very adventurous windsurfers will find good winds off the northeast of the island at Captains Bay. Kitesurfing has not yet come to Anguilla. |
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Yoga/Holistic Activities
Anguilla is quite a good choice of destination for revitalising mind, body and spirit. Not only is there a reasonable choice of complementary therapists but holistic activities such as yoga and Tai Chi are also available. Practitioners are available to come to your hotel or villa for private sessions.
OM Sweet OM Centre, South Hill, t 497 4721/2922, flemeur@yahoo.com
Francoise Le Meur holds Sivananda, Hatha and Yoga certification and conducts daily yoga classes in the Kripalu tradition, as well as teaching Reiki (she became a Reiki Master in 1997). There are yoga classes every day at 6.30am and on Saturday at 10-11.15 am
The Taino Wellness Centre, South Hill, t 497 6066
Owned by Jill Walker, a Canadian registered massage therapist. Spa services are available including a mobile service. Private and group classes in Yoga (mix of Iyengar and Kripalu styles), Body Rolling and Tai Chi.
Anguilla Yoga Studio and Retreat Centre, South Hill t 497 6606, jmd@jeanne-marie.com, www.jeanne-marie.com
Public yoga sessions led by Jeanne-Marie Derrick who has trained in yoga since 1983. She keeps classes small so that she can oversee all students. She offers private classes as well. Schedule - Mon, Wed, 5-6.30pm. Tues, Thurs, 9.30-11.30am, price US$12. She also leads yoga retreats at la Sirena Hotel and Shoal Bay Villas, see her website for details.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Definitive Caribbean is very grateful for the photographic contributions we received for the Anguilla Island Guide. Contributions came from Altamer, Blanchard's Restaurant, Cap Juluca, Carimar Beach Club, Carol Lee, Cerulean Villa, Covecastles, Cuisinart, Frangipani Beach Club, Malliouhana Hotel & Spa, Rendezvous Bay Hotel, Shoal Bay Villas, the Yoga Studio and Retreat Centre, Deana Bellamy, James Henderson, and the Anguilla Tourist Board.
Picture Editors, Alexander Gray & Will Orr |
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