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Anguilla has over 30 beaches with a white and powder-soft sand and electric blue sea, excluding the offshore cays and islands. These beaches are usually secluded and prove ideal for sunbathing, swimming or simply beach walking. Many beaches provide an excellent opportunity for snorkeling. |
The island's interior may be barren, but there's no denying the beauty of its shores. Miles and miles of pristine, powdery-soft sands open onto crystal-clear waters. Many of the beaches are reached via bone-jarring dirt paths that ultimately give way to sand and sea. All the beaches are open to the public, and you may have to walk through the lobby of a deluxe hotel to reach one.
The best beaches in Anguilla are on the west end of the island. Rendezvous Bay is the island's most famous beach. It stretches along the bay for 2 ½ miles. It is calmer, warmer, and shallower than Shoal Bay, which is on the Atlantic side.
The 2-mile Shoal Bay is in the northeast of the island and is one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. With silver-white, powder-soft sands, it also boasts some of Anguilla's best coral gardens. The beach is the habitat of hundreds of tiny iridescent fish, making it an excellent spot for snorkeling. This beach is often called "Shoal Bay East" to distinguish it from "Shoal Bay West". The waters are usually luminous, transparent, and brilliant blue. Shoal Bay West is next to Maunday's Bay. It has perfect white sands on the southwest coast. Adjoining Shoal Bay West, and site of Cap Juluca, is mile-long, white-sand Maunday's Bay Beach, it is one of the island's most popular shorelines offering exciting opportunities for snorkeling and swimming. Though the waters are luminescent and usually calm, sometimes the wind blows enough to attract windsurfers and sailboats.
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Sandy Isle, on the northwest coast, is a tiny islet with a few palms surrounded by a coral reef. It lies offshore from Road Bay. One is also go farther out, to Prickly Pear Cay, which stretches all the way to a sand spit. |
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The northwest coast has a number of other beaches worth seeking out, notably Barnes Bay Beach, filled with powdery white sand and opening onto clear blue waters. Little Bay Beach is also one of the most dramatic in Anguilla, set against steep cliffs. The beach also attracts bird-watchers and picnickers. Road Bay Beach, also on the northwest coast, is known for spectacular sunsets and clear blue waters, often filled with yachts coming from St. Martin.
The beaches along the northeast coast are calm and tranquil. The incredibly blue waters of Island Harbour Beach attract both locals and the visitor. The Captain's Bay's beach near Junk's Hole on the north east coast is a secluded beach and is ideal for picnics. It is a nice place for enjoying the sun and sand than swimming.
The beaches on the north east coast and the northern tip of the island are rougher and not very good for swimming. The Barnes Bay on the north-west coast is good for swimming and snorkeling. Blowing Point on the south west coast is the ferry port for St. Martin. Cove Bay is a mile of beach and sand dunes on the south west coast. This is a popular and excellent beach for swimming and walking. Crocus Bay on the north-west coast is a lively and colorful fishing village. The waters off here are good for swimming and snorkeling.
Little Bay is in the middle of north coast, just north of Crocus Bay. It is a small and secluded area. To reach the beach one has to climb down a cliff. Access by road is difficult and reaching by sea is a preferable option. Forest Bay in the middle of south coast offers interesting snorkeling. Island Harbour on the north east coast is the centre for lobster fishing and local boats. Scilly Quay is 3 minutes away by boat and offers excellent swimming & snorkeling. Mimi Bay on the south east coast is an isolated area. This area is surrounded by bushes and ponds and along with the rugged coastline and washed up corals and shells, proves to be ideal for seaside walks.
