Anguilla – a small part of paradise on the Eastern Caribbean. With long sandy beaches, such as Rendezvous Bay, which overlooks the neighboring island of Saint Martin, and secluded coves reached only by boat, such as Little Bay, makes Anguilla the perfect place to soothe your soul. White sand that will float through your hands like a feather, buena vistas to make you smile and a cool Caribbean breeze, make sure you capture every special moment of your time in Anguilla.
With average high temperatures reaching to the mid-80s throughout the year, with the hottest month being August, Anguilla is a great place to visit year-round. The average low temperatures still remain in lower to mid-70s year round, with the coldest month being February. The rainy hurricane season usually falls between the beginning of June until the end of November.
You can spend your time on the Island topping up your suntan on the numerous white sandy beaches, or try your hand at scuba diving, horseback riding along the beach, or swimming with dolphins! If scuba diving is on the agenda, consider visiting during the summer months, during which time the water visibility is at its highest. Protected areas include Big Spring Cave, known for its prehistoric petroglyphs, and East End Pond, a wildlife conservation site. The island runs several day trips and excursion for these activities, all of which should be advertised at your hotel where you can find out more information. Anguilla is gorgeous for walking and sightseeing by foot. You can take the beach-front route or venture further inland. ‘Shoal Beach’ and ‘Rendezvous Beach’ are highly recommended to visit, with ‘GB ferries’ running daily trips between Saint Martin Island and Anguilla throughout the day.
With numerous beach bars and restaurants, trending cuisines such as seafood (prawns, shrimp, crab, spiny lobster, conch, mahi-mahi, red snapper, marlin and grouper), barbeque and jerk style meats, you will be sure to find somewhere to take a pit-stop, sit back, relax and enjoy your view with your breakfast, lunch or dinner. Anguillan cuisine is influenced by native Caribbean, African, Spanish, French and English. Salt cod is an Anguillan staple food, with callalloo – a stew made with callalloo greens, and fritters made with conch, coconut, fruit and other ingredients, seasoned with local all-spice and sugar, also being local favorites to try. Similar to other Caribbean countries, rum is a specialty and a recommended beverage to try.
If you visit the island during Carnival week (the first week of August), be prepared for many businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores, to be closed on Monday (August Monday), Thursday (August Thursday), and Friday (Parade of Troupes). In fact, some restaurants close entirely for the months of August and September.
The main airport is Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA/ ICAO), located very close to The Valley, the island’s capital. The main airport on the neighboring island of Saint Martin is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM/ TNCM). Inflight catering for flights departing from Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport and Princess Juliana International Airport is available through the Air Culinaire Worldwide Network.
Anguillans are very friendly, welcoming and relaxed. They will address each other by title (Mr., Mrs., etc. unless they are on very personal terms). The most common religion in Anguilla is Christianity. The local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar, with 1 USD equating to around 2.70 XCD.
As always, fly safe, enjoy the sights, and take in the wonders of a tropical Caribbean paradise!
Questions?
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