It seemed appropriate to me that this was how I said goodbye to Anguilla. It wasn’t just Leveret and his rum that were accommodating. Anguilla, with its beaches, beach bars, and some of the best chickens I’ve ever eaten, charmed me.
“It’s such a unique place,” said Sara Steele-Rogers, a former Bostonian who now owns a bar studio called AXA pension in Anguilla with her husband, JW Craig. “You ask someone for directions and instead of explaining to you, they will do their best and forward them to you there. “
But before going any further, I think it’s important to eliminate one annoying detail: how do you pronounce Anguilla? I heard a few different versions before I arrived, but was taught to say it like ann-gwill-ah. In the Caribbean island hierarchy, it’s not as glitzy as nearby St. Barts, it’s smaller and less populated than St. Maarten, and it’s far less commercial than other British outposts. , such as the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos.
“This is the authentic Caribbean,” said my taxi driver as he drove me to my hotel.
I suspected that the ‘authentic Caribbean’ line was a malarkey from the local tourism office. If I had a dime for every time I had heard of an “authentic” place, I would have enough pennies to buy my own island and fill it with cats. But the more I learned about Anguilla, the more I learned that the taxi driver didn’t just spit out advertising slogans. After a few days, my cynicism, which is the cornerstone of my personality, started to erode. There are no fast food chains on the island. Plus, no skyscrapers, no cruise ships, and no casinos.
Most people who come here take a flight to St. Maarten (JetBlue offers non-stop flights to St. Maarten from Boston every Saturday), then a ferry from St. Maarten to Anguilla. There are very few – two to be exact – direct flights from the United States to Anguilla, so people who want to come to Anguilla usually work to get here. COVID-19 protocols (as of this writing) require travelers to download a copy of their immunization card from the country’s website and complete a visit request. A nasal swab test should be performed within 48 hours of arrival. Once approved, you will receive another nasal swab test upon arrival. The cost for this test is $ 50.
Anguilla may be more sleepy than other Caribbean islands, but you can still find activities such as mountain biking on one of the small islands (which are more like oversized sandbars) just off the coast, horseback riding on the beach or hiking to several very Instagramable Locations. There is a classic West Indian sloop that will take you for a day of snorkeling or a sunset cruise. Boat racing is Anguilla’s national sport, so getting out on the water is an essential part of the trip. My snorkeling time was cut short by rough seas (as evidenced by the amount of salt water I ingested), but on the days I was able to snorkel I swam, not far from the shore, and I encountered friendly turtles.
What Anguilla lacks in tourist traps, it makes up for with white sand beaches (there are over 30 of them) and hospitality. There’s the kind of hospitality you can find at the island’s few luxury resorts, most of which cater to American tourists. At the top of the ladder is the Four Seasons on Mead’s Bay Beach. Rooms start at $ 750 a night and go up from there, but 80% of rooms have ocean views. There are several swimming pools on the property, tennis courts and a beach where you can relax in the sun. Those who stay in the villas have access to butlers (!). Even if you don’t have the money to stay at the Four Seasons, you can still stop by, eat at one of the resort’s four restaurants, and live like the other half, even if it’s just for a drink. and a slice of carrot cake. If you have been there, let me recommend the Sunset Lounge. He delivers on the sunsets and the bartenders make a killer rum punch.
There is also an abundance of mid-range and inexpensive properties, such as Serenity Chalets, Carimar Beach Club, Turtle’s Nest Beach Resort, and the Anguilla Great House Beach Resort. Places on (or near) the beach that don’t break the bank.
On the other end of the hospitality spectrum is a gentleman named Sydney Gumbs. Anguilla native rents rooms in his house via AirBnb for $ 150 a night, and it’s also a bit of an island historian. Her airy, multi-level home, filled with heirlooms and two cats, both named Angus, is not on the beach, but on a hill with views of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barth.
Gumbs invited me over for tea, which I guess meant a cup of tea and maybe a cookie. Instead, he filled a table with enough appetizers for a small wedding party. When I told him I could stay for about an hour, he looked at me skeptically and said it would take us about an hour and a half to talk about Anguilla, so I settled in with a cup of tea and a plate of meatballs. Here are some important things I learned: There are very few secrets on the island. Most residents know what everyone is doing, for better or for worse. The island had no electricity until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Before tourism, the main industry was salt. There was a revolution in Anguilla in 1967 to secede from St. Kitts and establish a direct relationship with England.
But for me the most interesting part of the afternoon tea was understanding why Anguilla was different from other Caribbean islands.
“I think we are still a little more unique than the other islands,” he said. “We have good manners, respect, we are open to people and welcoming. These are the things that are important. We still have these values.
Steele-Rogers and Craig, the former Bostonians who now own the exercise studio in Anguilla, were kind enough to act as tour guides and took me around the island. We saw it all, from Anguilla Arch, a natural limestone rock formation, to Nat’s, a roadside restaurant that looks like an orange clubhouse. I had a lot of johnnycakes while on Anguilla (don’t judge), but my favorites have come from Nat. One of the most important lessons Steele-Rogers and Craig taught me is that some of the best food on the island can be tasted in nondescript places like Indian cuisine in the blink of an eye and you won’t will not miss it. tiny restaurant stalls, or drinks from the gentleman who sits on a bench and sells bags of slushy cocktails from a village cooler.
We tried restaurants like the Straw hat, Olas Tacos and the legendary Sharky’s restaurant. All recommended. But my favorite options were the beach clubs. TO Blanchards beach hutyou can dine, drink, and rent a beach chair and umbrella for $ 5 for the day. I was most struck by the SunShine cabin on Rendezvous Bay. It’s really a collection of cabanas, plus a few tables and a tidy parade of lounge chairs. I swam, ate the best chicken I have ever tasted, drank rum punch, and got sunburned. In other words, it was a real Caribbean day.
Christopher Muther can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @Chris_Muther.
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