Anguilla / Driving/Parking

With its British heritage, driving in Anguilla is on the left. There are only a few tarmac roads on the island so many beaches and restaurants are fed by unsealed tracks cut into the island’s scrub and limestone base-rock. These can be quite rough and bumpy, so if you know you will be going off the beaten track then you might prefer to rent a jeep.

The pace of life is slow in Anguilla and generally drivers aren’t in a rush and proceed at a gentle pace. The official speed limit throughout the island is 30mph, which drops to 20mph in villages and school areas. You should also look out for a small number of strategically placed sleeping policemen that are not always that well marked. There are no more than a handful of petrol (usually known as gas) stations on the island, so keep that in mind when heading out to remote beaches. Many of the cars in Anguilla, imported from the States, are left hand drive.

Another thing to note is that Anguillians (true of most West Indians) toot their horn as a greeting to passing friends. Sometimes they simply stop in the middle of the road and talk. A warning will come as a longer blast. You may also see locals nodding or raising a hand as a pleasantry, so do wave back.

Be careful driving at night. There are few street lights and there are no pavements, so you need to keep an eye out for pedestrians and cyclists. Often drivers will forget to dip their headlights, so just give yours a flash to remind them. Not all glaring headlights are necessarily on full beam. Some may be angled for driving on the right side of the road rather than the left.