An Introduction To Anguilla Vacations
Welcome to Anguilla, the best Caribbean island (at least in this family's opinion :-) ).
The mere mention of Anguilla vacations tends to conjure images of mega yachts, a life of super luxury, the ultimate in fine dining, talcum-powdery white sand beaches, and no-limit budgets. Is it because of all the celebrities that make Anguilla their vacation hideaway? Is it a tightly held secret amongst the world's multi-millionaires and billionaires? it could be, but the "secret" is getting out!
This introduction to Anguilla vacations shows you both sides of Anguilla, with the emphasis on affordable. You can spend a week or two here as inexpensively as any other tropical island, or you can "max out your AMEX Black card."
Welcome to Anguilla Vacations, Your Way!
Step 1) Getting to Anguilla
Anguilla is "known" to be hard and expensive to reach. But flights to Anguilla can be, in fact, cheap and non-stop.
How? By flying into a major hub of an island just a few miles south and catching a boat across. It's so easy.
We learned the hard way not to fly into Anguilla. Too many stops. Snow-bound stops, sometimes, costing you a lost day. Instead...
Strongly recommended!... The secret to saving costs and time on Anguilla flights is to fly into Anguilla's neighboring island, and Caribbean hub, St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport ("SXM"). Many cheap charters fly from major American, Canadian, and even some European (Paris) cities regularly.
From the NorthEast (ex., New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto), fly non-stop to SXM. instead of flying with one or more stops (each stop being a potential snow delay), just to reach Puerto Rico. And the irregular connections from Puerto Rico often mean you stay overnight there.
The solution? Remove the Puerto Rico bottleneck. Fly straight to St. Maarten (ex., JFK has daily non-stop JetBlue service). From there, it's a simple 20 minute ferry ride to Anguilla. The boat is easy to book from home...
Arrange ahead of time to hop aboard our favorite ferry to Anguilla, Link. The people at Link are so professional (tell Key I sent you, she'll make sure you're all set). They will meet you at the airport, help you with the Customs stuff, and you'll be Anguilla-bound in no time!
So many folks either don't know about this option or are afraid that the boat won't be there to pick them up. It will be. Once you have done it the first time, you will do it every time. It's that much easier, cheaper and faster.
There are other ways of getting to Anguilla of course...
Flying to Anguilla directly...
Anguilla Airport... Wallblake Airport
The Anguilla airport is a charming Caribbean airport, simple and breezy. It's such a special, "small-island" feeling to land in Anguilla.
But there is only the one American Eagle flight from Puerto Rico to Anguilla, 3 days per week.
There is another option... Anguilla Air Express, a luxury Anguilla airline that flies to and from Puerto Rico daily. They take good care of you.
And I would be remiss if I did not mention the "rich and famous" options...
- Have a private jet? The only problem with bringing your own plane is "finding parking." Around Christmas, Anguilla's tiny airport is at capacity! I can just imagine the conversation when a Hollywood star tells a billionaire tycoon, "Move your G5!"
- Some Anguilla villas can even accommodate your helicopter (like the Anguilla villa Brad Pitt rented before splitting with Jennifer Aniston)!
Step 2) Anguilla Accommodations
The next step is finding a place to stay. Anguilla vacations offer, to oversimplify a bit, three ranges of accommodations...
First, Luxury Anguilla Villas & Hotels
Anguilla is known for its luxurious accommodations!
Staying at a villa? Some of the villas on Anguilla are truly mind-blowing. No expense is spared to pamper you. And no expense is spared by guests for the privilege... rates run as high as $80-$100,000 for one week during the island's hot season, Christmas.
Our favorite, reasonably priced, luxury Anguilla villa is Villa Black Pearl.
Villa Black Pearl
Villa Black Pearl is indeed a pearl, with the ultimate in design and finishings. Of course, location is key. Villa Black Pearl is secluded on the quiet end of the sandy shores of Shoal Bay, often voted The #1 beach in the entire Caribbean time by major travel magazines. "The Pearl" is more affordable than many other luxury Anguilla villas, if you are in this bracket.
What about hotels? Anguilla's luxury hotels provide high-end comfort, privacy and intimacy. Our favorite luxury Anguilla resort delivers classic Caribbean elegance and outstanding dining... the Malliouhana.
View of Meads Bay From Luxury Room in Malliouhana
Cap Juluca, CuisinArt and Viceroy give Malliouhana Anguilla resort a run for its money (perhaps better stated as "a run for your money").
Malliouhana was built in the 1980s, a product of passion, a labor of love. Gracing one of Anguilla's most beautiful beaches, Meads Bay, dotted with many five-star restaurants for fine dining, you can't go wrong. A junior or full suite (on private Turtle Bay Beach) at Malliouhana is our choice for Anguilla vacations.
Second, Mid-Range Anguilla Hotels & Villas
Between luxury and low cost there is a plethora of wonderful villas and hotels.
Best value hotel? The highest value, mid-range Anguilla hotel is Carimar Beach Club, directly on Meads Bay's sparkling sand, just a few doors down from one of our favorite Anguilla restaurants, Straw Hat.
Carimar
Photo From: Official Carimar Site
A small hotel with comfortable furnishings and updated modern bathrooms, each room has a flat screen TV. Your room is either on the beach or has an excellent view. Tennis courts and beach chairs and outdoor grills. At $200-600, Carimar is the best deal on the island and books up fast for Anguilla vacations!
Looking for best-buy villas in the mid-price range?
Jackie & Me
This is where Jackie Pascher really comes in handy and shows you how much she knows about Anguilla and how hard working she is!
She will work day and night to find you the best Anguilla villa. She is dedicated, knowledgeable, and all business aside, a wonderful person.
By the sea, on the beach, 2 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms, she will find you a villa that fits your budget and your other Anguilla vacations needs!
Personally, we've stayed at Tortue Villa several times and loved it.
And, Low Cost Anguilla Villas, Hotels & Accommodations
A search for cheap Anguilla accommodations starts with cheap Anguilla hotels. As you will discover, Anguilla has many charming low-cost Anguilla hotels of great value.
A few of our favorites include:
- Anguilla Ku Hotel... On Shoal Bay, one of the best beaches in the Caribbean voted by many affluent travel magazines
- Arawak Beach Inn... In the charming fishing village, Island Harbor
- Ferry Boat Inn... Right near the Anguilla ferry, Blowing Point
Is there such a thing as low-cost villas in Anguilla? Contrary to what you may believe, Anguilla villas are not just for the likes of Jay-Z and Beyonce!
Quaint Anguilla villas can be found that are a fraction of the price of the ones that attract the big celebrities. One of our favorites is C-Breeze Inn in the local fishing village, Sandy Ground. It is a cute villa, opening up onto Sandy Ground's salt pond. C-Breeze Inn is currently not available to rent, but if you contact Jackie Pascher, she will find you something in your price range.
And here's another, little-known option...
Anguilla Apartments Renting an Anguilla apartment may be the most economical approach to Anguilla vacations. Klasher Apartments, are located in North Hill, inland Anguilla. They are simple, clean and close to the island's capital, The Valley, and the popular beach Sandy Ground. Klasher apartments provide a very affordable approach to Anguilla vacations and definitely is the way to go for long-term stays!
For shorter-term stays, try Sydans, right on Sandy Ground.
Do a Google search of this site (top left corner of this page, just enter "apartments") to find more availabilities for your Anguilla vacation.
Step 3) Getting Around Anguilla
It still surprises me to hear that many travelers to Anguilla rarely leave their resort or beach where they are staying. Anguilla is safe. You can explore anywhere without any worries.
Many spend their Anguilla vacations shuttling between beaches and restaurants in buses and hired taxis. It is one way to get around, but it's certainly not the economical one and for those seeking to really see the island and get in touch with all that Anguilla has to offer. So that brings us to...
Anguilla car rentals!
Island Car Rentals is our favorite Anguilla car rental agency on the island. They are friendly and easy to deal with, setting up so much of the paperwork in advance and making it as effortless as can be.
Hop in your Anguilla rental car with a map of Anguilla and you will be on your way to experiencing all of the hidden beauty and adventure this tiny gem of an island has to offer.
For example, we recently found a little-known road that takes you out to the western-most tip of Anguilla where you can find an unknown beach and see Anguillita Island. Best part of it all. The adventure is free! That makes my Dad happy...
Step 4) Eating: Anguilla Restaurants
When I'm at school in New York City, I miss our Anguilla vacations, especially in the winter. The three things I miss the most? The sea, the sun, and the Anguilla dining experience.
Eating in Anguilla is really that... an experience. It is relaxing, calming, an event that can last an entire afternoon, or go on all night.
Like Anguilla villas and hotels, Anguilla restaurants are not all the super-high-end budget-breakers you've heard about. Again, to keep matter simple, let's divide them into three categories.
First, Anguilla's Fine Dining
We have fallen in love with da'Vida on Crocus Bay. It screams, "This is Anguilla." A must-eat.
da'Vida, Crocus Bay
Dinner is exceptional, accompanied by the rhythmic waves of Crocus, which for some reason we find particularly pleasing. Their late afternoon/sunset tapas? To die for! And what's my extra-special fave about da'Vida?
Beach day lunches! Dining at their luxurious Anguilla beach bar for lunch, devouring a delicious hot dog, burger, grilled fish sandwich or a chicken wrap, or...
My Dad always asks the cook, Vaughn (not sure of the spelling?), if he has anything special "in the back." He still raves about the tiger shark lunch he had their one day with my Mom. They both do.
Followed by a snooze under the sun, a swim in Crocus Bay's calm still water, or some sea kayaking around the bay and into the secluded Little Bay next door... One day is never enough at da'Vida!
More favorites include: Straw Hat, Trattoria Tramonto, and one of our new favorites Cote Mer.
Click here to read about more of our favorite five-star Anguilla restaurants.
Next, Anguilla's Mid-Range Restaurants
Among the best mid-priced Anguilla restaurants is Ferry Boat Inn.
Ferry Boat Inn is on Anguilla's south shore. There is nothing more peaceful than gazing out at the shiny lights of St. Maarten...
Biting Into a Burger at FBI
This family-run restaurant and inn is owned by warm and wonderful people who will make you feel right at home.
Their burger is my favorite item on the menu (best on the island!), juicy and tender, served with hand-cut potato fries. (Ask for the sauce on the side in case you don't like it.)
Yummm, no one beats Christian's (owner and bartender) burger. Their crispy chicken burger is another favorite!
Every Wednesday Christian serves wings with blue cheese sauce. On Thursdays, they do a special dinner for the family on the island. While it really is "for family," you're part of the extended family and welcome. I hope you get lucky and they make roast beef on your vacation.
More favorites include: Roy's and Picante.
Click here to read about more of our favorite mid-range Anguilla restaurants.
And, The Cheap Eats!
Anguilla's "cheap eats" is the surprise of many Anguilla vacations. From New York style pizza, to Caribbean style pasta, to basic chicken and ribs... Local favorites are favorites for a reason!
One of the best value meals you can get on Anguilla vacations is at Klassik Kafe.
Big helpings of mouth-watering food... Shrimp, rice, salad, chicken, and an outstanding steak! Corwin is one heck of a cook!
My Mom and Me with our friend, Cheddie (the owner)
Click here to read about more of our favorite cheap eats.
Activities: What To Do In Anguilla?
By Land And By Sea!
Anguilla activities, at least from my viewpoint, really should involve the water!
- Anguilla snorkeling
- Anguilla sailing
- Sea kayaking (at da'Vida)
- "Beaching" (exploring Anguilla beaches!)
And, of course, boating...
Our favorite days on the water have been with the Anguilla boat tour company, Gotcha!
They are reliable, safe and so friendly. Their captains take good care of you and will bring you to explore Anguilla's offshore cays and islands, as well as its hidden coves....
- Scrub Island, Prickly Pear, Sandy Island and Little Bay
- lesser known spots such as Dog Island or favorite St. Martin offshore islands like Tintamarre.
- for the more adventurous, try deep-sea fishing, explore farther out to Sombrero Island or day-trip to St. Barths
Land-based Anguilla activities and explorations are, of course, "permitted. They range from free to reasonable in cost.
Anguilla golf is alive and well (prices have come down considerably). And you'll find some interesting shops while shopping Anguilla. And, of course, you can play all the usual sports.
Explore the island by rental car with a good map. Visit the most impressive beaches if this is your first trip. And keep your eyes peeled, you can run into celebrities anywhere, anytime. While we're on the topic of the rich and famous...
If you stay on the larger roads, you won't find the opulent mansions that dot Anguilla. How to find them? Get off the beaten (paved) track and head down to dead-ends at the sea. And do explore the 5-star hotels, just for the experience (it makes sense to be discrete and just a little "tropical dressed up").
You can enjoy yourself immensely for the price of a gallon of gas. Want to spend less than that? For a bottle of water, you can really see Anguilla, an island that was made for easy-hiking...
- Take many interesting (even deadly if you don't bring water!) hikes during your vacation.
- Hiking out to the Western tip and Anguillita island is an oh-so-rewarding hike, perfect "to do" for a cheap Caribbean vacation.
- Exploring the opposite end of the island, climbing to the top ofWindward Point on the East tip, is also a magical experience. Look for whales! They tend to frolic between the Eastern tip of Anguilla and Scrub Island.
"Done" the tips of the island and ready for more? Drive down to any dead-end by the sea. Bring your water. Park the car. And start hiking.
Lastly, exploring by air... It may not be the most conventional thing to do on an Anguilla vacation, but it is worth every penny!
Anguilla Air Services will fly you from Anguilla to various Caribbean islands, great for day trips to St. Barths or Saba or other nearby islands. And here's a real thrill...
They also offer air tours of Anguilla. Anguilla from the sky? We just had to do this!
Seeing Anguilla from the air offers a whole new perspective... It is breathtaking, refueling all passions for the island. Explore, explore, explore... there is so much beauty to see in Anguilla.
Anguilla Vacations... Barely Scratched The Surface
There you have it! It is impossible to whittle Anguilla vacations down to an "absolute top ten favorites" list, because they are all favorites, but these are some of our most memorable must-do's. And as you can see, you can have a wonderful time for only a few dollars.
A few other good appetizer links for your Anguilla vacation...
- You Know You Are On An Anguilla Vacation When...
- More Anguilla Vacations Magic Moments
- Travel Stories From Anguilla Vacations of Others
- Anguilla Vacation Home Movies (we were so much younger)
This introduction to Anguilla vacations has barely scratched the surface. I hope you enjoy the site. Print out the pages that appeal to you the most. Please let folks here know how you found them. I love their smiles when they see me! :-)
And please pay it forward! Please share your own magic moments on Anguilla vacations! Everyone loves a great story and a super tip or two.
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