The Beaches of Anguilla - 33 Possibilities

Every Caribbean island has beaches, so what’s so extraordinary about the beaches of Anguilla? Travel + Leisure magazine recently named Anguilla the best island in the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda, and the Anguilla beaches were one of the reasons for the accolade. With 33 pristine, public beaches to explore, it becomes a highly enjoyable and achievable challenge for beach lovers to visit as many as possible. Here, the concierge team at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla offers a brief guide to their favourites:

The Crown Jewels

These beauties are the best of the best.

• Meads Bay is a destination unto itself, a perfect arc made for your pleasure. The good news for guests at Four Seasons is that the Resort is right on Meads Bay. In addition to the sunning, swimming, and watersports, this stretch of island features some of the best restaurants on Anguilla including Blanchard’s, Jacala and Straw Hat.
• Shoal Bay East is justifiably famous for its incredible natural beauty, teaming offshore reefs and selection of restaurants. It’s frequently named as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
  
• Legendary crescent shaped Maundays Bay and adjoining bay The Cove - a wild and beautiful stretch backed by sandbanks and nature rich salt ponds, are just a five minute drive from our Resort.
• Rendezvous Bay is a long quiet curve with gently shelving sand lapping the calm Caribbean Sea and stunning views of neighbouring islands. Experience reggae vibes at Garvey’s Sunshine Shack or the Dune Preserve, home of Anguilla’s famous son, singer Bankie Banx.
• Sandy Island or Prickly Pear - To get to either you have to catch a boat from Sandy Ground, or hire a private boat. These exquisite offshore gems will make you feel like you have arrived in Robinson Crusoe territory - all be it with a Rum Punch and great BBQ available.

Hidden Gems of the West  

All of these lesser known beaches are close to the Resort (one is at the Resort) and can be reached on foot or by our Resort bikes, and all have something in common - a sense that you have found somewhere special away from it all.

• Barnes Bay, home to Half Shell Beach Bar and the Resort’s Beachfront and Oceanfront Villa, this beach nestles on the western end of our Resort is one of Anguilla’s quietest bays – perfectly quiet and serene. It’s also great for snorkeling or simply enjoying a cold beverage and lunch at Half Shell.
• West End Bay, at the end of a quiet track, is often deserted and this reef fringed secret beach is great for beachcombing and snorkeling.
• Shoal Bay West has lovely swimming and you can satisfy your appetite for traditional Italian food at the celebrity favourite Trattoria Tremonto.
• Long Bay is an extremely quiet spot fringed by palm trees, with gentle cliffs that are home to some of the island’s most exclusive private homes.

Stars of the East

You will need to hire a car or take a taxi to visit the following special beaches.

• Nature lovers will enjoy Crocus Bay, Little Bay and Katouche Bay, three golden sand beaches side by side, nestled at the base of Anguilla’s north coast. Katouche is a deserted wild beach, backed by mangrove tree where you can find fossils, shells and spot seabirds; Crocus Bay is the most accessible - providing safe harbour for visiting motor yachts as well as refreshments and water sports at charming DaVida Bayside, and Little Bay is a nature reserve, with the island's best snorkeling and birdlife, that you can only reach by boat or by scaling the cliff with a rope ladder.
• All the way east the pink, coral rich sands of Savannah Bay and neighbouring Junk’s Hole are accessed by driving through sand dunes until you reach Nat’s Palm Grove, a local BBQ spot, whose tag line “where happiness awaits” is apt and where, if conditions are favourable you can kite surf. If you fancy a trek - take your walking shoes and enjoy Anguilla’s robust native flora and fauna and search out the wild beauty of Windward Point - our most easterly beach. If walking seems a little too energetic, ATV tours of this exciting natural landscape are recommended.

Social Sand

• Sandy Ground beach, Road Bay, is Anguilla’s night life capital and pleasure port. This placid harbour is edged with bars and restaurants and on many nights’ pulses with the rhythms of soca, reggae and calypso - it’s also the centre for Anguilla’s national sport, Boat Race, from Easter to August’s Summer Festival.
• Island Harbour, reached by taxi from the Resort, is an authentic fishing village where you can watch the brightly coloured boats bring in the day’s catch and sip a cold beer at one of the inexpensive local bar/restaurants that line the bay - it’s also home of Festival del Mar, an annual seafood festival that takes place over Easter.

Local Treasures

If you want to stamp your Anguilla beaches passport with every beach you can also visit Black Garden Bay, Sile Bay, Captain’s Bay, Windward Point, Pelican Bay, Little Harbour, Lockrum Bay, Dropsey Bay, Merrywing Bay, Seafeathers Bay, Mimi’s Bay, Corito Bay, Sandy Point Bay and Limestone.

Although it might be possible to visit all 33 Anguilla beaches in one visit, we’ve found that guests return year after year and discover new favourites with each trip. Some prize familiarity over adventure and simply return to their preferred beach. One thing is definitely true for all, visit Anguilla once and you’ll easily find a beach to call your own.