THE LEEWARD ISLANDS, “CARIBBEAN UNPLUGGED”

ANGUILLA, “ ISLAND OF THE IGUANAS”

BY Clay Larroy

The purposes of traveling are different for different people. There are some people who travel for the sake of pleasure. The people that are heavily burdened either at their domestic front or at their offices move too far off places for relieving their worries and anxieties. The poets and writers make a trip to distant places for collection of facts for their writings. Businessmen also visit various places to enquire as to whether there are scopes for expansion of their business. Travelling provides the benefit of sightseeing and gives pleasure to the visitor. In addition, it gives a scope to an individual to have firsthand knowledge of variegated people inhabiting the world. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

What Anguilla lacks in size, it more than makes up for in that much-sought Caribbean asset: pristine, powdery beaches. Boasting 19km (12 miles) of white coral coastline, Anguilla's calm and polychromatic waters are enough to lure any potential visitor. As an exclusive and quite expensive island with some top class hotels and private villas, Anguilla has gained a justified reputation in recent years as a holiday haven for the rich and famous. Sandra Bullock, Paul McCartney and Kelly Osborne have all relaxed in the island's vivid blue ocean, no doubt sipping on expensive cocktails.

For those seeking an altogether cheaper type of cocktail, nothing can beat staring out at a Caribbean sunset while sipping an Anguillian tipple in one of the many beach bars. And those who like their food are in for an unexpected treat for the Caribbean, since restaurants on the island are excellent. There is a surprising range, from fine French fare on the sand and home-grown Anguillian haute cuisine, through Mexican and Italian, to the hands-on experience of a buttery Anguillian lobster.Nightlife is centred on barefoot dancing in those beach bars.  

If you ever get bored of relaxing on the beach, there are loads of activity choices. Several hotels have spas and all offer watersports – scuba diving or deep sea fishing – and, most popular of all, a day trip to an island offshore. For the culturally minded, Anguilla, despite its diminutive size, has around 15 art galleries to stroll around and observe Anguillian and expatriate talent, and a delightfully eccentric museum. Wherever you are though, those beautiful beaches are only minutes away.

Things to see and do in Anguilla

Anguilla Heritage Trail

A series of 10 signposted, historic sights’ around the island, self-guided by map. They include several locations in the Old Valley, with its historic 'skirt and shirt' (stone and wooden) homes, and other sights’ around the island (see below).

Coral beaches

Explore Anguilla's many idyllic, white coral beaches at a leisurely pace: some of the best beaches are Rendezvous Bay, Shoal Bay, Road Bay, Maundays Bay, Cove Bay, Meads Bay, Long Bay and Crocus Bay. Taxi drivers will happily drop you off and collect you later in the day.

Dive in marine parks

Explore scores of award-winning underwater parks that attract schools of fish by diving in one of the seven marine parks that Anguilla offers: Prickly Pear, a beautiful canyon characterized by ledges and caverns, where nurse sharks can be seen; Little Bay, a calm, sheltered site suitable for training and night dives; Shoal Bay Harbour Reef System; Stoney Bay; Dog Island; Seal Island Reef System and Sandy Island. A number of wrecks were deliberately sunk around Anguilla in order to encourage marine life. These are now covered in coral and make excellent dive sites.

Go golfing

Play a round of golf on the 7063 yard, 18 hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman. Set overlooking the south coast with lovely views of St Martin, it has 13 holes with water features, coastal winds and impenetrable scrub in the rough.  

Heritage Collection Museum

A simple but very nicely presented museum with displays of Anguilla's geology, early Arawak past and British colonial history, right up to the Anguillian revolution and separation from St Kitts and Nevis. The story is told in artifacts such as model boats, shoes made from tyres and local household items such as brooms and irons.

Historic tour

Take a historic tour of The Valley, available every Tuesday and Thursday (1000-1200), and also enjoy a guided rainforest tour.

Old Salt Mine and Pumphouse

Take a tour of the restored Old Manse and then visit the old salt ponds in Sandy Ground, and see the salt harvesting machinery on view in the Pumphouse (now a bar).

Paintings and pampering

Follow the guided map tour of Anguilla's 15 galleries and studios for a bit of culture, and consider buying your own watercolor painting for a permanent reminder of your holiday. For those who wish to dabble in aesthetics of the self, take a trip to one of Anguilla's (attractively priced) spas and be pampered.

Pelican Trail, Crocus Bay

A wooden stairway that runs down the steep hillside into a tiny enclosed cove, Pelican Bay (with shaded platforms on which to rest and catch the view), ending on the beach with snorkeling and glass-bottom kayaking.

Relax at a spa

Several of the major hotels in Anguilla have spas in dedicated buildings, offering an excellent range of treatments, some with products derived from the region. They permit outside visitors. Try Malliouhana Hotel (with a his and hers room), Cusinart, the Viceroy hotel and Cap Juluca.

Sandy Island

Visit Sandy Island, 15 minutes from Sandy Ground Harbor, or Sombrero Island, 48km (30 miles) northwest of Anguilla, which has a picturesque lighthouse, for some relaxing solitude; even smaller sandy cays, such as Scrub, Dog and Prickly Pear Islands, are within reach of Anguilla by powerboat.

St Maarten

See some more of the Caribbean by taking a day trip to nearby St Maarten, which is part French - with great restaurants and fashion - and part Dutch, offering great shopping. Or St Barthelemy by ferry, cruise boat or aeroplane.

Swim with dolphins

Penetrate Anguilla's waters: do something you will never forget and swim with friendly dolphins; go shore- or deep-sea fishing and discover an abundance of marlin, tuna, swordfish and wahoo.

The Fountain

Peer into Anguilla's many grotto-like rock areas and hidden coves, which are dotted all around the island's 30-odd beaches - one to definitely not miss out on is the historic landmark The Fountain, a huge underground cave with a constant supply of fresh water at Shoal Bay. Visits can be arranged via the Anguilla National Trust.

Trips to Offshore Islands

Day trips, with lunch included, are on offer to the beaches on offshore islands. Sandy Island and its beach bar is just 15 minutes from Sandy Ground Harbor and Prickly Pear is 25 minutes away. Scilly Cay, another favorite for lunch, sits in the bay just off the fishing village of Island Harbor.

Wallblake House

Pop into the impressive Wallblake House, a restored plantation house whose foundations date back to 1787, complete with outside kitchens, stables and workers' quarters intact.

REFERENCE SITES

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/blog/index.php/destination-guides/

“Every island to a child is a treasure island.”
― P.D. James

Travel to create marvelous memories for you and your family or friends!