Anguilla / Beaches

Anguilla has magnificent beaches. The sand is bright white, there is plenty of it and it gives into stunning jade and turquoise shallows. And the island is almost completely surrounded by it, in sweeping curves that are wonderful to walk and tiny inlets in the coral limestone cliffs that offer secluded stopovers on a boat trip. Even the main port is on a fantastic beach (it is about to move), so very likely your hotel will be too. The only thing that Anguillian beaches tend not to have is shade - not many are backed by palm trees - but if you want to spend the day away from your hotel, some beaches have facilities and bars and a certain ‘atmosphere’.

Anguilla's perfect sand comes from the coral limestone from which the island is made. Created by generations of corals it is broken down by wave action and the activity of fish (some fish eat the coral, crunch it up and then spit it out after sifting the nutrients). The result is some of the finest beaches in the area.

Several of the beaches have beach bars, and of course there are the hotel facilities, but there is just one area with its own beach ‘life’, Shoal Bay (East), where there are watersports shops with equipment for hire and several good bars. All the beaches in Anguilla are public of course, up to the high water mark, and most are accessible. If you cannot find one from the map then ask.

It is well worth heading off for the day to explore other areas. For some remoter beaches, see below. Not all the beaches in Anguilla have bars, so remember to take water and food if you will want it.

Here is a selection of the best Anguilla beaches...

Barnes Bay - a pretty beach with nice views, good for a stroll or windsurfing. Swim with caution. A number of villas, hotels and restaurants are located here.

Captain’s Bay - wild and remote, a dramatic half moon of sand between limestone cliffs. Not considered safe for swimming because of strong currents and an undertow.

Cove Bay - lovely, long, gentle curve of supreme sand with calm waters, popular picnic spot, good for children.

Crocus Bay - set against a backdrop of cliffs with great views from up top. Good snorkelling and swimming beach, and gateway to Little Bay. Also home of Roy’s Place beach bar.

Gorgeous Scilly Cay - small cay located in Island Harbour, reached by the free boat service which picks guests up for the short journey – just wave from the pier or one of the many boat trips. Great for a day’s swimming, snorkelling and grilled lobster or crayfish lunch. Live music on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. Closed Mondays and Sep-Oct.

Little Bay - a glorious tiny cove which attracts some day trippers, accessible only by a water taxi from Crocus Bay or a hike down steep cliffs. Good snorkelling spot. No facilities and little shade, so go prepared.

Long Bay - a lovely stretch of sand, good sunbathing and a great view of the sunset.

Maunday’s Bay - a magnificent curve of beach, home to Cap Juluca, whose white domes stand stark against the tropical blue sky. You cannot access the beach without going through the resort.

Mead’s Bay - another amazing stretch of blazing white sand, one of the longest beaches on the island. Relatively quiet, because the development – some hotels and a top restaurant – are well spaced. Ideal for morning or evening strolls, and good for swimming and snorkeling.

Mimi Bay - a remote, romantic, windswept beach more suitable for walking or simply enjoying the solitude rather than swimming, as the sea can get a little tricky.

Prickly Pear Cay - a lovely uninhabited cay with wonderful beaches and some good snorkelling. Popular stop for yachts and day trippers from St Martin. There are two beach bars serving food, one of which offers special packages to include snorkelling equipment, kayaks and sun loungers. Boats leave from Sandy Ground for the 15 min trip.

Rendezvous Bay - a beautiful arc of powder soft sand with calm and clear water, the longest beach in Anguilla. There are splendid views across to the hills of St Martin. A number of hotels, villas, restaurants and bars are located here including Anguilla Great House, which offers a cheap and cheerful lunch on the beach.

Sandy Ground - a harbour and beach community set in a huge protected bay with fishing boats and other craft and a long stretch of straight beach and a number of bars and restaurants. Epicentre of Anguilla’s nightlife. The salt pond that backs the bay was commercially harvested until the mid 1980s.

Sandy Island - a tiny desert island a couple of miles offshore to the north of Anguilla, with just a few palms and a beach bar serving BBQ lunch, a great spot to chill out and snorkel. Occasional live music on Sunday afternoons. Free boat service from Sandy Ground Bar, closed Saturdays and mid August for one month.

Savannah Bay - a breezy beach with shallow and occasionally lively waters, which makes for good body surfing and boogie boarding. There is some good snorkelling in one protected corner and the beach is ideal for beach-combing. The popular Palm Grove beach bar is located here at Junks Hole nearby.

Shoal Bay East - Anguilla’s most famous and popular beach. Startling white, powder soft sand that stretches for miles with plenty of bars. There is a string of beach bars, some smallish resorts, glass bottom boat trips, snorkelling (‘shoal’ means reef and this is some of the island’s best snorkelling) and places to rent sun shades and loungers from which to enjoy the closest Anguilla has to a beach scene. Things heat up on Sunday afternoons when bars have live music and attract a crowd. The more sheltered Lower Shoal Bay has calm water that gently slope from the beach.

Shoal Bay West - a much quieter beach than its easterly namesake, but equally beautiful with a perfect crescent shaped bay, fine white sand with sometimes exposed rock, good swimming, and views to St Martin. There is a beach restaurant and two of Anguilla’s architecturally striking resorts.

CAUTION

For your own safety it is advisable not to go swimming alone from remote beaches, especially if you are not a strong swimmer. Several of the dangerous ‘Lionfish’ have been spotted in Anguilla waters, which are venomous and should not be touched by humans. There are usually very few jellyfish or sting-rays in the coastal waters, but these should both be avoided if encountered. Some beaches have undertows and there are no life guards. Nudity and toplessness are both against the law in Anguilla and they are also frowned on by the Anguillians, so you are asked not to do it.