If you live in Paris or Puerto Rico, getting to Anguilla through air travel is a breeze (on a breeze, actually). Why?

Because St. Martin is a french Caribbean island that lies just a few miles south of Anguilla. France flies jumbo jets, loaded with tourists -- you can get some great discount air fares to St. Martin, according to all the ads we've seen in their newspapers.

Those jets are also packed with french wine, foie gras and all kinds of other french goodies, which is why St. Martin is our favorite day trip from Anguilla.

So, if you're coming to Anguilla from Europe, the best way is air travel through Paris.

Then ride those plane tickets non-stop into St. Martin.

From there, we highly recommend our 2005 Anguilla taxi boat discovery to get to Anguilla!

What about air travel from North America, directly to Anguilla? It's a different story. No jumbos. The final leg of your air travel is most likely from Puerto Rico. And, as of March 2005, there is only one flight per day from San Juan. So things may work out best if you, too, fly to St. Maarten.

Yes, it's a hassle to get to Anguilla. But that's the barrier that helps keep Anguilla so special. It also prevents Anguilla from going "package tour" and "mass market." (Same goes for their lack of cruise ships.)

It's worth bit of extra bother when you can have even the most popular beach in Anguilla (and the best in the Caribbean at that) almost all to yourself.

2005 Anguilla Airport Update

Since I first wrote this page, the Anguilla airport (especially the runway) has received quite a makeover! Click here for the Anguilla Airport 2005 update, including new information about the fastest, cheapest and most relaxed way to get to Anguilla now.

Anguilla airport's charming "teeniness" otherwise remains the same. So keep reading for the original story about "AXA"...

So why are prop planes the only means of air travel to Anguilla?

Here's why...


 
You are looking at the entire airport. It's a picture-perfect, charming little Caribbean airport, the kind you see in movies. Friendly. Cozy. Even the customs agents are nice!

Click here for more information about Wallblake, the Anguilla Airport (AXA).

The American Eagle turboprop that you see above and below is the biggest plane that can land or take off from the short runway...


 
From North America, air travel directly to Anguilla is generally through the major Caribbean hub, which is Puerto Rico, or via smaller Caribbean airlines directly from other islands. (However, some cities do have flights directly into St. Martin, too. So check with your local travel agent.)

American Eagle is the major airline in this area. You can find some excellent discount airfares for air travel to Anguilla through Puerto Rico, especially in the off-season (August is our favorite time -- click here to see why).

Finally, St. Martin has many charters flying into it all year long. While you won't find any charters into Anguilla, do check locally -- charter flights often run at deep discount air fares.

No matter how you do it, air travel to Anguilla is a bit of a hassle. Many Anguillians think they should have a mega-airport and start flying big jumbo jets in there too (one almost did land in Anguilla -- it scared everyone in the island, before the pilot realized his mistake at the last second!).

But a major airport in Anguilla would ruin it. Anguilla would lose all the little things that make it the special magical place that it is. My family and I are more than happy to take that extra flight to Anguilla... any time!

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