The Caribbean: Top Tourist Attractions In The Beautiful Anguilla

Beautiful and modest, Anguilla is a Caribbean jewel. The island’s main draw is its beautiful beaches, friendly residents, and real ambiance.

Romantic couples and serenity seekers lounge on Anguilla’s velvety beaches, swim in dazzling water, play Robinson Crusoe on its offshore islands, and snorkel or dive the fish-filled reefs and wrecks.

Popular Anguilla activities include dining at fancy restaurants and visiting art galleries and museums. You can also visit St. Barts by ferry or small plane for a day.

History buffs should follow Anguilla’s heritage route in The Valley, the tranquil capital. The Anguilla Summer Festival include boat racing, dancing, beauty pageants, and parades.

Our Anguilla sights and activities list is a great way to explore this beautiful island.

1. Meads Bay Beach

One of Anguilla’s most popular west-end beaches is Meads Bay. The 1.5-kilometer white sand beach with clean, quiet seas is great for a swim.

The velvety sand seems like finely crushed flour when you dig your toes in.

Rent beach chairs and umbrellas and swim in the clear blue water. Luxury homes and resorts are hidden in tropical forest along the coastline.

This part has some great Anguilla eateries. Blanchards is one of the Caribbean’s top fine-dining restaurants, although its sibling restaurant, Blanchards Beach Shack, is more casual.

2. Soak Up the Vibe at Sandy Ground Village

To experience island life, visit Sandy Ground Village. It’s also a top Anguilla nightlife spot. Anguilla’s primary yacht harbor is Sandy Ground’s fishhook-shaped cove, one of the island’s most protected.

Sandy Island, a popular day trip location, is accessible by ferry from the pier, and most of the three-day Anguilla Regatta in May takes place at Sandy Ground, with entertainment at tiny family-owned restaurants and other venues.

The white-sand beach is popular with local kids and has eateries, a dive shop, and some low-key accommodations.

Birders should visit Road Salt Pond behind the village to see egrets, stilts, herons, and other wading birds.

3. Anguilla Dive Sites

Divers will enjoy Anguilla’s twin reef system with many corals. The island has many wrecks, including purposefully sunken ships that thrive as artificial reefs.

Dog Island, Prickly Pear, Seal Island Reef System, Little Bay, Sandy Island, Shoal Bay Harbour Reef System, and Stoney Bay Marine Park surround the island. Many diving spots have turtles, stingrays, and garden eels, and Scrub Island has sharks and barracuda.

In 1772, the Spanish galleon El Buen Consejo shipwrecked off the southeast coast of Anguilla and was buried at Stoney Bay Marine Park. The award-winning underwater park welcomes certified divers.

4. Rendezvous Bay Beach

Rendezvous Bay is a stunning four-kilometer crescent of white sand and transparent sea surrounded by coconut trees.

This calm and shallow stretch of coast is ideal for families with young children. Sunbathers, swimmers, and shell collectors will all be impressed.

Small beach shacks dot the sand, and you can see Saint Martin from the shore. This is also a great beach for a sunset stroll.

If you’re looking for a little more action, head to the western end, where you’ll discover exciting locations to grab a refreshing drink. Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve is a must-see if you’re seeking for an authentic Caribbean vibe with live music.

5. Bask on Shoal Bay East

Shoal Bay East, a vast and lengthy swath of brilliant white sand, is one of the Caribbean’s top beaches. The seas are ideal for swimming and snorkeling, with some of Anguilla’s most spectacular coral gardens teeming with hundreds of small iridescent fish, and the sand is smooth and squeaky clean.

Umbrellas and lounge chairs are available for rent, and there are a few expensive Anguilla hotels in this region, including Shoal Bay Villas and The Manoah Boutique Hotel Anguilla. Restaurants line the beach as well. Despite its splendor, this beach remains serene and uncrowded.

6. Take Day Trips to Anguillita, Sandy, and Prickly Pear Islands

Scuba divers and snorkelers visit Anguilla’s offshore islands of Anguillita, Sandy, and Prickly Pear for day outings.

These rough coasts of Anguillita are wonderful for snorkeling and diving, but there are few beaches. Divers witness barracudas, nurse sharks, stingrays, eels, and turtles on small walls and caves.

When St. Martin/St. Maarten boats arrive, Prickly Pear can be packed. People swim and snorkel in the turquoise ocean and sunbathe on the beautiful beach. Umbrellas and sun loungers adorn the smooth sands.

Visitors enjoy hand-feeding banaquits. Friendly yellow and gray birds will fly down and sit on your hand. A restaurant serves seafood and drinks.

You can sail to Prickly Pear Cays on Anguilla’s Traditional Sailing Adventure on a classic Caribbean sailing schooner. Lunch, snacks, drinks, and snorkeling gear are included.

Sandy Island, a little island with a beautiful lagoon for snorkeling, attracts castaways and lovers. This tiny island has a café, sun loungers, and umbrellas. Sandy Ground’s pier offers Sandy Island and Prickly Pear tours.

7. Explore Island Harbour

Local fisherman launch from Island Harbour, a sheltered fishing town on the island’s northeastern side. Visit this area to see local life. Watch the fishermen unload their colorful boats on the narrow beach late in the afternoon.

Some tourist sites are in Island Harbour. Big Spring National Park protects a partially collapsed cave with 28 Amerindian petroglyphs from the 9th to 15th centuries near the village’s main road.

Island Harbour’s Festival Del Mar, a two-day “celebration of the sea,” features entertainment, competitions, cuisine, music, activities, and a fishing contest in late March or April. Bring the kids for more fun—this is one of the best family activities.

Nearby Scrub Island has a gorgeous western beach with superb snorkeling, but you may have to navigate heavy seas to get there.

8. Little Bay

Little Bay is one of the most lovely locales. This horseshoe-shaped beauty, accessible only by boat, is perfect for a romantic afternoon in the sun. The beach overlooks calm Crocus Bay on western Anguilla.

The area is ideal for swimming and snorkeling due to its clear water and calm weather. We recommend bringing a mask and snorkel to see brightly colorful marine life. Crocus Bay has eels, parrotfish, and stingrays, so you won’t be disappointed.

Swim out to Jumping Rock for extra adventure. Jumping into the blue surf from here is a Little Bay highlight. Tourists can often see cute crabs and iguanas on land, so keep a look out.

Free beach access, but you must take a boat here and back. Bring sunscreen, water, snacks, and a towel because this secluded area has no amenities.

The Half-Day Sail, Snorkel Adventure, and Lunch at Little Bay makes Little Bay easy to enjoy. Get on a West Indian sloop and cruise to the bay for a swim and snorkel. Lunch, snorkel gear, and drinks are included.

9. Maundays Bay Beach

Maundays Bay Beach, which stretches for one and a half kilometers, is a magnificent expanse of fine, powdery sand and blue sea. The iconic Moorish-themed Cap Juluca luxury resort stands out along this beach, greeting both guests and day visitors.

Beachgoers can enjoy wonderful snorkeling and swimming in beautiful water in calm conditions. Sailboats and windsurfers skim the bay on breezy days.

With a view of Saint Martin across the ocean, this lovely beach is also a popular wedding location.

10. Scilly Cay

Small private island minutes from Island Harbour. It has nice, sandy beaches, but most tourists come for the food.

For almost 30 years, the family-owned Scilly Cay restaurant has served delicious fresh fish. Do you dislike fish? No worries. Their menu has several options. You can’t fail.

As delicious as the food, Island Harbour’s sea views and conch shell-lined walls are Instagram-worthy.

The restaurant only serves lunch at 11am on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Plan ahead since the kitchen shuts at 3:30 but guests can lounge till 5pm. From Island Harbour pier, Scilly Cay is easiest to reach by boat. If you have a helicopter, you can hitch a quick ride.

11. The Valley

The modest, rambling Valley is Anguilla’s capital, geographic, commercial, and political core. The Anguilla National Trust’s natural and cultural history exhibits are a fantastic starting point for a sightseeing tour. You may also organize Anguilla Heritage Tours, birdwatching tours, and nature hikes here.

Wallblake House, a 1787 plantation estate, is a popular Heritage Trail destination that requires previous notice for tours.

The Valley’s modest galleries feature vibrant Caribbean art and unusual items for Anguilla shoppers.

Traveling with kids? Aguilla Watersports has one of the Caribbean’s largest inflatable aqua parks. Kitesurfing, glass-bottom kayaking, and SUP trips and rentals are all available. These fun activities are great for Anguilla families.

Crocus Hill, Anguilla’s highest point, offers stunning views of the city and island. For a refreshing swim, explore neighboring Crocus Bay Beach, which has smooth sands, beautiful waters, and a café with sun loungers.

12. Wallblake House

One of the main attractions on the Anguilla Heritage Tour, Wallblake House is a plantation home built in 1787 by sugar planter, Will Blake (Wallblake is probably a corruption of his name).

It is thought to be the oldest building on the island and is one of only a small number of plantation houses in the Caribbean where the entire complex of buildings, including the stable, slave quarters, and kitchen have survived almost intact.

The spacious rooms contain interesting exhibits illustrating Anguilla’s history. Tours must be arranged in advance.

Address: Wallblake Road, The Valley

13. Fountain Cavern National Park

Close to Shoal Bay, the Fountain Cavern is Anguilla’s top archaeological site. This natural and cultural wonder is home to two freshwater pools and many Amerindian petroglyphs, which lie 15 meters below ground in a cave. The most significant of these is a tall stalagmite carved in the shape of “Jocahu,” the supreme God of the Taino Indians.

The Fountain Cavern is thought to have been a major regional worship site and a place of pilgrimage for Amerindians.

Known locally as “the Fountain,” the cavern is home to fresh drinking water that has nourished generations of inhabitants.

Address: Shoal Bay Village, Anguilla

14. Day Trip to Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts)

A day excursion to Saint Barthélemy, south of Anguilla, will reveal its European beauty. St. Barts (also St. Barths) is a French West Indies island known for its red-roofed capital Gustavia, isolated beaches, and gourmet restaurants. Movie stars and moguls frequent the island. Staying a day in St. Barths lets you enjoy its beauty and luxury without breaking the bank.

You can go here two ways: Our weekly 45-minute speed boat shuttle from Anguilla to St. Barts leaves at 9am and returns at 5pm. Seas can be rough on this journey, thus service varies on weather.

You can also take a 15-minute Anguilla Air Services flight. Whatever way you travel, luxurious St. Barts contrasts with tranquil Anguilla.

15. Heritage Collection Museum

Discover Anguilla’s history at the Heritage Collection Museum. From the Taino to the present, island relics, early 20th-century pictures, postage stamps, and crucial documents illustrate the island’s history. In East End Village, near the Salt Pond.

Tourists visiting Anguilla’s only museum are interested in its culture and history. The 1994 Queen Elizabeth II visit to Anguilla and Arawak information are also on display.

Colville Petty, the museum’s friendly curator, is an Anguilla history expert and author. Invite him to tell stories. They’re as interesting as the exhibits.

Location: Across from East End Pond