There’s one cocktail that can ease just about every problem, and it only has a few ingredients: a sprinkle of white sand beaches, a ripple of clear blue water and a friendly and thriving local culture that welcomes you with an affable smile. Throw in a couple of palm trees and it’s ready to savour.
That’s Anguilla, a tiny British Overseas Territory that wears its ‘hidden gem’ status like a badge. This tranquil corner of the Caribbean is no tourist trap, but often the best hosts make the least noise. Like the sun that gives this island its luscious glow, Anguilla’s welcome is warm and genuine.
But first I have to get there. With no direct flight from the UK, I plan to fly in by nine-seater plane from nearby Antigua. The service is running late, but it doesn’t seem to matter – even airports aren’t stressful in the Caribbean. “Don’t worry,” the check-in assistant reassures me. “It won’t leave without you.”
She’s true to her word. The tiny flight carries me over fishing boats and turquoise waters and lands 45 minutes later on the laid-back island of Anguilla, and before I know it I’m at Zemi Beach House, greeted like an old pal with a rum punch and a cold towel to stave off the evening heat. After a day of travel, I can’t decide which I appreciate more.
Zemi Beach House is an oasis on sand, and staff are proud to point out their favourite features, each one nestled among green forests of palm. The most striking is the Thai House Spa, a 300-year-old teak house originating from Chiang Mai that was painstakingly rebuilt here on the island.
For now, though, my room is calling me. I’m so close to the beach that the sound of lapping waves can be heard through the balcony doors, and the setting sun is getting the birds excited too. I would stay here all evening if it were not for the prospect of rum tasting followed by dinner, all within sight of the pool.
That’s the beauty of Zemi Beach House – it has all the amenities you’d expect of a large resort, yet it offers a modest 76 rooms.
I walk past two pools, three restaurants, a boutique shop and a beach bar on my way to the oceanfront, enjoying some relaxing live music as I go, and yet I don’t encounter a crowd. That British instinct of racing to secure a sunbed in the morning is wasted here. I’m certainly not complaining.
It would be easy to while away weeks at a time here, but I can’t resist the allure of the island itself. Anguilla resists the temptation of all-inclusive offerings – a rare stance in the Caribbean – because its local dining scene is so impressive.
It lures tourists out of the resorts and into the bars, restaurants and beaches on our doorstep, and I couldn’t be more impressed.
Veya Restaurant offers what it refers to as ‘Cuisine of the Sun’, a menu of inventive dishes using ingredients and flavours from warmer climates, such as lobster fritters and miso-glazed grilled mahi mahi, on an elevated treehouse balcony. Salt at the Four Seasons Resort offers fine dining inspired by local cuisine, with amazing views over Barnes Bay and Meads Bay.
Fresh seafood is on every menu, the ribs are as big as your forearm, and the fruit and salads taste like they were picked that morning. In fact, they probably were. It’s a good thing the food is so good here, because it’s easy to work up an appetite after an afternoon swim or a splash of watersports.
Anguilla’s limestone geology differs from its more volcanic neighbours and gives it its characteristic white powder beaches and shallow bays. The result is a flat island surrounded by beautiful waters – the perfect spot for both relaxing and adventuring.
Wanting to take advantage of its natural beauty, I head to Crocus Bay and jump in a kayak to see the island from a new perspective.
The friendly guides direct me to a cove known as Little Bay, hidden from view from the mainland.
A curious sea turtle pops its head out of the water to see what’s going on, as I take a dip armed with snorkel and flippers, and I spot a couple of sting rays among the colourful fish darting between the rocks.
If the view under the water was good, the view from the hillside above is enough to blow my flip-flops off.
As I check into CeBlue Villas & Beach Resort perched on the highest point in Anguilla, for the final two days of my trip, I’m struck by a panoramic vista of the forests of palms that frame the Atlantic Ocean, all from the comfort of a sun-baked deck with a private swimming pool.
Its five rooms are each like hotel suites of their own, and you can order a mouthwatering spread of barbecued meat, fish and salad prepared by the property’s private chefs. Naturally, the first thing I do is grab a beer and take a dip in the pool just in time to see the sunset give the landscape a dreamy pinkish glow. On the horizon I notice a tiny cay, seemingly no more than a spit of sand in a turquoise reef, which turns out to be my next destination.
Sandy Island styles itself as the Caribbean’s ‘best beach bar in the middle of the ocean’, always changing as tides and storms take their course. But when I arrive the next day, I don’t feel much change. As I sip a cocktail – The High Tide and JoJo’s Rum Punch are favourites here – with sand between my toes, a boat journey away from permanent civilisation, all I feel is tranquillity. That’s an apt word to describe this island, but it isn’t the only one.
I found relaxation whenever I looked for it, but to lie back in a hammock and ignore the world would be doing this destination a disservice. Had I done that I’d have missed the sight of neighbours gathering for a kerbside barbecue where everyone’s invited. The glimpse of tiny flying fish circling me during a morning swim. The sound of being welcomed to a late-night bar by complete strangers, and the pride of tour guides pointing out the village where they grew up.
Anguilla is a mix of all those ingredients, and the result is a joyous cocktail you’ll want to sip again and again.
Book the holiday
- British Airways flies from Gatwick to Antigua starting at £498 return. ba.com/antigua
- TransAnguilla Airways flies from Antigua to Anguilla starting at around £297 return. transanguilla.com
- Anguilla Air Services flies from Antigua to Anguilla starting at around £399 return. anguillaairservices.com
- Rooms at Zemi Beach House in Shoal Bay East, Anguilla, start at around £538 a night. zemibeach.com
- Villas at CeBlue Villas in Crocus Bay, Anguilla, start at around £5,348 for a week room-only (accommodation sleeps six). ceblueanguilla.com
- More info at ivisitanguilla.com
