Why go
The beaches are the reason. They are long, pale and uncrowded, and the water is the clear turquoise the brochures promise. Nothing on the island is built tall, and there is no cruise port, so even in high season it stays calm.
The other reason is the food. For a small island, Anguilla has a remarkable number of good restaurants, from smart dining rooms to beach shacks grilling lobster and crayfish.
When to go
Mid December to April is the dry, breezy high season, with the highest prices. In those months, swells from the north can make the north-west beaches such as Meads Bay rough for a few days at a time, while the south-facing bays stay calmer. May to early August is hotter, quieter and better value.
Late summer is storm season. Most of the large hotels and many restaurants close from about mid August to mid October, and some stay shut into early November. From November on you have the full choice.
Where to base yourself
Meads Bay, in the west, has a long beach and the best run of restaurants, many of them a walk along the sand. Maundays Bay, at the far western end, is a calm crescent and the most romantic spot on the island.
Rendezvous Bay, on the south coast, is long and sheltered, looks across to St Martin, and has the island's golf course. Shoal Bay East, in the north-east, is the showpiece beach, with reef snorkelling and beach bars, about half an hour from the west end.
What we would build into your trip
A boat out to Sandy Island, a sandbar with a lunch restaurant known for grilled lobster. A day at the Prickly Pear Cays for snorkelling. An afternoon at Bankie Banx's Dune Preserve, the driftwood beach bar on Rendezvous Bay, and at least one long dinner on Meads Bay.
Good to know
Anguilla's airport opened a new terminal in December 2025 and now has direct flights from Miami, with seasonal winter flights from several other North American cities. Many visitors still fly to St Maarten and cross by speedboat from the dock opposite the airport, which takes about 25 minutes. The scheduled boats stop in the late afternoon, so a late flight means a private boat or a night on St Maarten.
Driving is on the left. US dollars are accepted everywhere. There is a departure tax when you leave by sea, and we check the current amount before you travel.