The Caribbean island of Anguilla enjoys a lot of traffic from tourists, who come for the beaches, a variety of watersports, and to relax on a tropical island.
While they are on the island, they are likely to find a lot of things to do and places to go, which are the focus of topics in this guide.
The capital city of Anguilla, The Valley, is unlike other capitals in the Caribbean. First of all, it has a population of just over a thousand. It is also spread out, reaching from Crocus Bay in the west, Stoney Ground in the east, and as far south as the airport. There is no discernable downtown district, although there is a central market. There are also several places of historical interest, such as the Wallblake House, the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Koal Keel, and The Cotton Gin. The Old Court House is a ruin, but it's an interesting place to visit.
The Anguilla Tourist Board is located in the Valley, and that is a good place to get brochures and information about other places of interest, recreational opportunities, and events.
As might be expected of a tropical island, Anguilla is all about the beaches. The main island of Anguilla is surrounded by thirty-five white sand beaches. These include Sandy Ground, Sandy Island, Long Bay, Mead's Bay, Barnes Bay, West End Bay, Sherrick's Bay, Shoal Bay West, Maunday's Bay, Cove Bay, Merrywing Bay, Rendezvous Bay, Blowing Point, Pelican Bay, Round Rock Bay, Lockrum Bay, Little Harbour, Elsie Bay, Corito Bay, Forest Bay, Auntie Dol Bay, Sandy Hill Bay, Mimi Bay, Savannah Bay, Junk's Hole Bay, Windward Point Bay, and Captain's Bay. Island Harbour is a fishing village with a long, crescent-shaped beach. Scilly Cay is a tiny island just off the shore of Island Harbour. Then, there are Upper Shoal Bay, Limestone Bay, Little Bay, Crocus Bay, Katouche Bay, and Road Bay.
Besides swimming and lying on the beach, there are other water-based activities, such as snorkeling. The reefs are popular with scuba divers, and the island has several dive schools that cater to people who have never dived before, as well as advanced divers.
There are several marine parks, including Dog Island, Prickly Pear, Seal Island Reef, Little Bay, Sandy Island, Shoal Bay Harbour Reef, and Stoney Bay Marine Park. Boating and fishing are other popular pastimes. Kayaks and canoes can also be rented, and kite surfing, windsurfing, and parasailing are available.
The uninhabited islands of Anguilla are home to several interesting birds.
There are things to do in the interior of the main island, as well. Horseback riding is one of them. Seaside Stables offers trail rides, beach rides, and even opportunities to take your horse for a swim. For hikers, there are several maintained trails. Don't forget to bring good shoes and a camera. Anguilla is a coral limestone island, so there are several caves, some of which can be explored.
There is also an eighteen-hole golf course. The Temenos Golf Course is located at the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa.
For the more cultured visitors, Anguilla is not without its artists and art galleries. In fact, there are quite a few of them scattered throughout the island.
Anguilla is rich in history. The Anguilla Heritage Trail is a signposted trail across the main island, taking in some of the most important historic sites on the island. A map and a brochure can be obtained from the Heritage Collection Museum or the Anguilla Tourist Board. Significant locations along the trail are marked with a plaque and a description of the site. The Wallblake House, in The Valley, is the only surviving plantation house on the island, but there are other historic homes and churches
Several festivals are held on the island throughout the year, many of them involving boating.
Whatever it may be, attractions, events, and recreational opportunities in Anguilla are the focus of this category.
Recommended Resources
The 16-mile long island of Anguilla is home to some of the best beaches in the world, offering snorkeling, windsurfing, day cruising, or sailing to one of its offshore cays. Anguilla is also a popular destination for sports fishing. Anguilla Fishing Charters offers fishing expeditions for Swordfish, Wahoo, Marlin, Blackfin and Yellowfin Tuna, as well as shark, sailfish, mahi-mahi, grouper, snapper, and others. Its packages, schedules, rates, and online reservations are featured.
http://anguillafishingcharters.com/
Beginning on the first Monday of August, the typical Caribbean emancipation celebration has taken place for more than twenty-five years, its roots in the old traditional August Monday fairs, bazaars, and old-time Christmas celebrations, with a focus on African-influenced cultural expressions of island life. A calendar of events is published to the site, the winners of previous festival events are displayed, along with a gallery of photographs from previous events, and contacts.
https://www.anguillasummerfestival.com/
Open seven days a week seasonally, Anguilla Water Sports operates the Anguilla Aqua Park at Cove Bay Beach, which consists of interconnected trampolines, slides, and climbing structures, and offers kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, snorkel gear, and floating party islands. The company also offers kiteboarding lessons and down winders, stand-up paddleboard tours, glass-bottom kayak tours, and a Scrub Island hiking excursion, all of which are highlighted here.
https://www.anguillawatersports.com/
Based in Anguilla, the crewed charter boat company provides private charter services to the island of Anguilla, as well as St. Martin/Sint Maarten, and St. Barths, specializing in snorkeling adventures, swimming, sunbathing, sight-seeing cruises, and sports fishing, although the company also offers private airport transfers and other services. Its history and a profile are offered, and an overview of its services, as well as reasons why Gotcha should be chosen, are included.
http://www.gotchagarfieldseatours.com/
Operating Sunday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm, Junior Fleming has more than twenty years of experience in glass-bottom boats on Anguilla waters. Based at Shoal Bay East, taxi service can be arranged from any of the hotels in Anguilla. Besides the sightseeing tours on his glass-bottom boat, he also offers snorkeling lessons, fishing tours, and cruising to offshore cays like the uninhabited Scrub Island or other locations. Contacts and reservation information are provided.
http://www.junior.ai/
Featuring eighty acres of locally-owned tropical rainforest environment, the only natural forest of any kind on the island of Anguilla, Katouche Tours offers guided hikes that include facts about the island’s native plants and wildlife, as well as cave explorations of Katouche Cave and Cavannagh Cave, with full-day or half-day packages available. Highlights of each of these tours are presented, along with a gallery of photographs, pricing and schedules, and a map showing the location.
http://www.katouchetours.com/
Led by PADI qualified staff, who are current in CPR and Wayfarers’ certification, the PADI Dive Resort is on the beach at Roy’s Bayside Grill in Sandy Ground, Anguilla, where a full range of diving and snorkeling services, sales, and rentals are available. The Lady Lou is a custom dive and snorkel vessel made for Anguilla’s waters, and able to seat twelve as well as a two-person crew. The Scuba Shack offers scuba diving adventures, as well as courses for beginners and advanced refreshers.
https://www.scubashackaxa.com/
The Tradition was handcrafted in Grenada in 1978, built for sail trading through the Caribbean, carrying cargo and contraband. Today, the Tradition enjoys a new purpose in Anguilla, offering sailing adventures to guests. Its packages include a day sail to Prickly Pear Cay, a half-day sail and snorkel trip to Little Bay, a two and a half hour sunset sail, and exclusive private excursions, each of which is highlighted here, with rates, details, and online bookings.
https://www.tradition-sailing.com/
