19 Best Sights in Anguilla

Follow the signs to Smokey's at the end of Cove Road, and you will find water that is brilliantly blue and sand that's as soft as sifted flour. It's just as spectacular as its neighbors Rendezvous Bay and Maundays Bay, though this one is more secluded. You can walk here from Cap Juluca for a change of pace, or you can arrange a horseback ride along the beach. Weekend barbecues with terrific local bands at Smokey's are an Anguillian must.

The dazzling, platinum-white mile-long beach is especially great for swimming and long beach walks. It's no wonder that the Belmond Cap Juluca, one of Anguilla's premier resorts, chose this as its location. Public parking is straight ahead at the end of the road near Cap Juluca's Pimms restaurant. You can have lunch or dinner here (be prepared for the cost) or, depending on the season, book a massage in one of the beachside tents. There are bathroom facilities.

Arguably Anguilla's premier beach, Meads Bay is home to many of the island's top resorts (Malliouhana, Four Seasons) and a dozen fine restaurants. The powder-soft champagne-color sand is great for a long walk and is as beautiful now as it has ever been. Park at any of the restaurants, and plan for lunch. Several of the restaurants offer chaises for patrons.

Before there was tourism, Anguilla relied heavily on salt production. At 100-acres in size, Road Salt Pond is the largest enclosed body of water on the island. Filled with highly mineralized salt, it's a very therapeutic and shallow pond. Ideal for bird watching, it's considered an "Important Bird Area" by the local government and hundreds of species have been spotted. For visitors who want to get their hands dirty (or rather, wet), Quest Salt Picking Experience will take them into the pond to pick the salt.

Anchored by seagrape and coconut trees, the 2-mile (3-km) powdered-sugar strand at Shoal Bay (not to be confused with Shoal Bay West, at the other end of the island) is one of the world's prettiest beaches. You can park free at any of the restaurants, including Tropical Sunset or Gwen's Reggae Bar & Grill, most of which either rent or provide chairs and umbrellas for patrons for about $20 a day per person (some offer chairs and umbrellas free of charge with lunch). There is plenty of room to stretch out in relative privacy, or you can bar-hop. The relatively broad beach has shallow water that is usually gentle, making this a great family beach; a coral reef not far from the shore is a wonderful snorkeling spot. Sunsets over the water are spectacular.

This 6.8-acre outdoor oasis features over 600,000 gallons of nonstop waterpark fun, plus pickleball, basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts; 18-holes of minigolf; food trucks; a kid's club; and more. Relax in a lounge chair (or a cabana if you're feeling fancy) along the huge lagoon-style pool, shoot down one of three epic waterslides, or coast through the lazy river with a drink in hand that you've ordered from the shade-covered swim up bar. There's also a climbing wall and a splash pad. With activities for all ages, the park promises a grand time for the whole family.

Not far from Sandy Ground, this charming little church, which celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2018, is an excellent example of skillful island stonework. It also has some colorful stained-glass windows.

On the north coast just before the eastern tip of the island, this quarter-mile stretch of perfect white sand is bounded by a rocky shoreline where Atlantic waves crash. If you make the tough, four-wheel-drive-only trip along the dirt road that leads to the northeastern end of the island toward Junk's Hole, you'll be rewarded with peaceful isolation. The surf here slaps the sands with a vengeance, and the undertow is strong—so wading is the safest water sport.

Although the prehistoric cavern, 50 feet below the surface, itself is not open to the public, there is an interesting exhibit with information and artifacts of the ancient Amerindian inhabitants of the island. Thousand-year-old carved fertility figures and petroglyphs in the rock surround the pool, which is believed to have been a pilgrimage site; it's the oldest known and longest used such ceremonial cave site in the Caribbean.

For centuries, Anguillians have ventured from these sands in colorful handmade fishing boats. Mostly calm waters are surrounded by a slender beach—good sightseeing, but not much for swimming or lounging. But there are a couple of good restaurants (Hibernia, offering dinner, and Falcon Nest, a casual spot for lunch and dinner). This area is also the departure point for a three-minute boat ride to Scilly Cay, where a thatched beach bar serves seafood. Just hail the bar's boat (it's $5 round-trip) and plan to spend most of the day there (only open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday). 

Anguillians have been fishing for centuries in the brightly painted, simple, handcrafted fishing boats that line the shore of the harbor. It's hard to believe, but skillful pilots take these little boats out to sea as far as 50 or 60 miles (80 or 100 km). Late afternoon is the best time to see the day's catch, and there are a couple of good, laid-back beach restaurants here.

On the north coast, not far from The Valley, this small gray-sand beach is a favored spot for snorkeling and night dives. It's essentially accessible only by water, as it's backed by sheer cliffs lined with agave and creeping vines. The easiest way to get here is a five-minute boat ride from Crocus Bay (about $10 round-trip). There are no amenities, so take some snacks with you. The only way to access the beach from the road is to clamber down the cliffs by rope to explore the caves and surrounding reef—for young, agile, and experienced climbers only. Do not leave personal items in cars parked here, because theft can be a problem.

Follow the signs to Anguilla Great House for public parking at this broad swath of pearl-white sand that is some 1½ miles (2½ km) long. The beach is lapped by calm, bluer-than-blue water and a postcard-worthy view of St. Martin. The expansive crescent is home to three resorts; stop in for a drink or a meal at one, or rent a chair and umbrella at one of the kiosks. Don't miss the daylong party at the Dune Preserve, where Bankie Banx, Anguilla's most famous musician, presides. (Jimmy Buffett recorded a concert there several years back, too.) There's parking and toilets. 

The big pier here is where the cargo ships dock, but so do some impressive yachts, sailboats, and fishing boats. The brown-sugar sand is home to terrific restaurants that hop from day through dawn, including Roy's Bayside Grill, Johnno's, and Elvis', the quintessential (and rather famous) beach bar. This beach is where the famous "August Monday" annual beach party takes place. There are all kinds of boat charters available here. The snorkeling isn't very good, but the sunset vistas are glorious, especially with a rum punch in your hand.

Almost everyone who comes to Anguilla stops by this central beach, home to several popular open-air bars and restaurants, as well as boat-rental operations. This is where you catch the ferry for tiny Sandy Island, 2 miles (3 km) offshore for about $40 round-trip.

You can park anywhere along the dirt road to Sea Feathers Bay to visit this popular fishing center. What's good for the fishermen is also good for snorkelers, with a coral reef right near the shore. The beach here is not much of a lounging spot, but it's a favorite spot for local families to picnic. For those with creative culinary skills, it's a great place to buy lobsters and fish fresh from local waters in the afternoon.

A popular day trip, tiny Sandy Island shelters a pretty lagoon nestled in coral reefs about 2 miles (3 km) from Road Bay/Sandy Ground, with a restaurant that serves lunch and great islandy cocktails. From November through August, you can take the shuttle from Sandy Ground ($40 round-trip). There are moorings for yachts and larger sailboats. Small boats can come right into the channel. The reef is great for snorkeling.

This glittering bay bordered by mangroves and seagrapes is a lovely place to spend the day. The 1-mile-long (1½-km-long) beach offers sublime tranquility with coral reefs for snorkeling not too far from shore. Punctuate your day with lunch or dinner at beachside Trattoria Tramonto and you can use their chairs and umbrellas. Reach the beach by taking the main road to the West End and bearing left at the fork, then continuing to the end. Note that similarly named Shoal Bay is a separate beach on a different part of the island. There's parking and toilets.

Anguilla's only surviving plantation house, Wallblake House was built in 1787 by Will Blake (Wallblake is probably a corruption of his name). The place is associated with many a tale involving murder, high living, and the French invasion in 1796. On the grounds are an ancient vaulted stone cistern and an outbuilding called the Bakery, which wasn't used for making bread at all but for baking turkeys and hams. You can visit the thoroughly and thoughtfully preserved house and grounds only on a guided tour, usually offered two days a week. It's also the information center for the Anguilla Heritage Trail. Call for tour reservations.