Christian Horan
No cruise ships. No skyscrapers. No freeways. You won’t find any of that on the tiny island of Anguilla, but you will find quiet beaches, good food and beautiful sunsets. For such a small island, it’s garnered a solid reputation from travelers looking for privacy (Jay-Z and Beyoncé are fans). On a recent visit, I found out what keeps travelers coming back to this destination year after year.
Why Anguilla?
Anguilla is a relatively small island at just 16 miles long and just 5 kilometers wide, and for some it may be an island you’ve never heard of before, which is part of the appeal. British Territory is southeast of the British Virgin Islands and just north of St. Martin. In the past, to get to Anguilla, travelers had to fly to St. Martin and ferry across to the tiny island (or travel by private jet). But with the recent addition of American Airlines daily non-stop flights from Miami, the island has become much more accessible to travelers looking for a getaway to this beautiful, understated island.
The Four Seasons Resort – by Christian Horan
Where to sleep
If you’re looking for superior customer service and amazing food, the Four Seasons Anguilla is for you. The property is a treat, but there’s a reason the hotel chain is one of the most desirable. After a short 3 hour flight from Miami and a smooth 20 minute drive, I arrived at the resort. I was greeted with a complimentary spiced rum shot and settled into my room: an oceanfront one-bedroom suite with an oversized terrace overlooking the ocean and a plunge pool heated to the perfect 90 degrees.
My driver told me that Anguilla has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and he wasn’t wrong. The resort is conveniently located between two of the island’s best beaches: Meads Bay and Barnes Bay. The first is a classic white Caribbean beach with crystal clear waters, while Barnes Bay features scenic rocks and palm trees lining the shore. On my first afternoon in Meads Bay, I settled into a lounge chair and was greeted by a beach attendant with complimentary shots of rum on tap (a brilliant idea if you ask me). I also spent one of my afternoons in Barnes Bay at the resort’s Half Shell beach bar, drinking coconut water straight from a coconut that had been hanging from a tree just minutes earlier.
As expected, the food at the resort was outstanding. Dinner at SALT, the restaurant’s flagship restaurant, featured a mix of local and international dishes like Johnny Cakes, a golden-fried island dough, and fusion dishes like oxtail croquettes and soursop cheesecake. The aptly named restaurant also ties in with Anguilla’s history of salt production, serving dishes with a custom blend of herb-infused salt. Some of my favorite dishes included saltfish cakes, crayfish risotto, and a pumpkin soup with coconut foam that I’m still thinking about.
Salt in its natural state at Road Salt Pond – by Mariette Williams
What to do
Not only does the island sit on one of Anguilla’s 33 beaches, but it’s also great for hiking, caving, scuba diving and fishing. If you want to learn about the local cuisine, you can sign up for classes to make ceviche or Johnny cake, or taste the local rum. Anguilla also has a unique geological feature on the island: salt ponds. There are 17 of them. While other islands exported sugar, salt was Anguilla’s main export for centuries.
I wanted to learn more about Anguilla’s salt ponds, so I signed up for a tour with a local company, Quest Experiences, which is offered at the resort. Just before sunrise, we set out in water shoes and gloves and waded out into the middle of Anguilla’s largest salt pond, Road Salt Pond. We used a metal stick to loosen the layer of salt that had formed on the bottom of the pond. After it broke, we could pick up the salt crystal chunks with our hands. My tour guide, Leeford Gumbs, explained the importance of salt to the island and how enslaved Africans were forced to harvest it in the island’s early days, making European colonizers wealthy. The activity was enlightening and taught me about the history of the country.
Ceviche Cooking Class – by Mariette Williams
When to go?
With warm weather year-round, Anguilla is a great travel destination any time. However, if you’re looking to save some money, consider visiting in the off-season, which is the summer months of May through August. Anguilla’s high season runs from November through March, when travelers want to escape the cold winter weather and hotels charge extra. From September to October the beaches are less crowded as children go back to school.
Anguilla hosts numerous festivals throughout the year. In May, the island celebrates its national sport of boat racing with the Anguilla Regatta, a three-day event of beach parties and sailboat racing. The Anguilla Summer Festival takes place in late July and the small carnival event includes music, dancing and a street parade. But it doesn’t necessarily need a festival or event to make Anguilla worth visiting. Easy access to brilliant blue waters, soft white sand beaches, and delicious cuisine is enough to warrant a visit.
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