Anguilla Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

• Explore Anguilla's many idyllic, white coral beaches at a leisurely pace: some of the best beaches are Rendezvous Bay, Shoal Bay, Road Bay, Maundays Bay, Cove Bay, Meads Bay and Crocus Bay.

• Pop into the impressive Wallblake House, a restored plantation house whose foundations date back to 1787.

• Peer into Anguilla's many grotto-like rock areas and hidden coves, which are dotted all around the island's 30-odd beaches - one to definitely not miss out on is the historic landmark The Fountain, a huge underground cave with a constant supply of fresh water at Shoal Bay.

• Ponder the ruins of the Dutch Fort, built in the 1700s and located at Sandy Hill, famous as the scene of fierce fighting during the second French invasion of Anguilla in 1796, and gaze upon the well-preserved Tomb of Governor Richardson (1679-1742), also in Sandy Hill.

• Take a tour of the Old Salt Mine and Pumphouse at Sandy Ground and see the Salt Ponds at Sandy Ground and West End.

• Visit Sandy Island, 15 minutes from Sandy Ground Harbour, or Sombrero Island, 48km (30 miles) northwest of Anguilla, which has a picturesque lighthouse, for some relaxing solitude; even smaller sandy cays, such as Scrub, Dog and Prickly Pear Islands, are within reach of Anguilla by powerboat.

• See some more of the Caribbean by taking a day trip to nearby St Maarten and St Barthelémy by ferry, cruise boat or airplane.

Top Things to Do

• Explore scores of deliberately sunken wrecks and award-winning underwater parks that attract schools of fish by diving in one of the seven marine parks that Anguilla offers: Prickly Pear, a beautiful canyon characterized by ledges and caverns, where nurse sharks can be seen; Little Bay, a calm, sheltered site suitable for training and night dives; Shoal Bay Harbour Reef System; Stoney Bay; Dog Island; Seal Island Reef System and Sandy Island.

• Savour traditional reggae music and cocktails under a luminous full moon at Anguilla's annual music festival, Moonsplash.

• Make the most of being surrounded by water by trying any of Anguilla's numerous watersports on offer, such as parasailing, windsurfing and waterskiing, easily organized through Shoal Bay or individual hotels.

• Penetrate Anguilla's waters: do something you will never forget and swim with friendly dolphins; go shore- or deep-sea fishing and discover an abundance of marlin, tuna, swordfish and wahoo.

• Dance yourself silly at Anguilla's annual summer festival of fun, and expect to experience everything from calypso and pageants to street jams, fireworks and boat races (Anguilla's national sport).

• Take a historic tour of The Valley, available every Tuesday and Thursday (1000-1200), and also enjoy a guided rainforest tour.

• Stroll through any of Anguilla's 15 galleries and studios for a bit of culture, and consider buying your own watercolor painting for a permanent reminder of your holiday.

• For those who wish to dabble in aesthetics of the self, take a trip to one of Anguilla's (attractively priced) spas and be pampered: Cap Juluca; CuisinArt Resort & Spa; and Malliouhana Hotel & Spa.

• Sip a traditional Caribbean tipple while gazing at a magnificent sunset.