This is the Best Way to See All of Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory
Welcome to the British Caribbean!
It would be very easy to write something here about the island of Anguilla not necessarily being anyone’s first choice when it comes to planning a Caribbean vacation. It would be even easier to say that you might instead consider destinations such as the Bahamas, St. Thomas, or the Dominican. And it would be tempting to remark that you could hardly be blamed for choosing one of those other destinations. So let’s not do any of that.
Instead, let’s just give you a little idea of what you’re getting into if you do ever happen to step foot on Anguilla, a British overseas territory that is small enough to be fully explored in a single day. I hate to use the term underdeveloped, due to the negative connotations it conjures up, but it is a fitting word to describe the island, some parts of which are still dealing with the damage wrought by hurricanes that have rolled through in the last few years.
When we came over from Sint Maarten, where we’d stayed the previous two nights and would return the next day after a single night on Anguilla, it was clear we had stepped into a whole different world. Blowing Point Ferry Terminal, the port where the fine folks of Calypso Charters dropped us off, provided the first impression of the island, and, as the photo below will show, it was undergoing some heavy repairs/renovations.
From there, we set off on foot up the road leading north, passing various small structures in various states of disrepair, including what appeared to have once been a little shopping center that had been overrun by wild goats. Eventually, we came to D&D Rentals, a car rental business that is so unassuming, you could easily mistake it for a scrap yard. There, after being summoned from another part of the island with help from some of the locals, the owner loaned us a pair of scooters ($45/each for the day).
For the next 24 hours, we would zig and zag our way all across Anguilla, from Island Harbour in the northeast, where our Airbnb was located, all the way down to West End Bay on the southwestern tip, where the Anguilla Arch can be found. Having not planned a single thing for the Anguilla portion of our trip to the Caribbean, exploring the island via moped was easily the most spontaneous thing we did, and may well have been the most memorable experience of our entire trip.
Scroll on to (vicariously) experience Anguilla the best way possible: from the seat of a bright yellow moped.
Blowing Point Ferry Terminal, the landing spot for visitors coming to Anguilla from Sint Maarten/St. Martin, welcomes you to the island with this big blue sign
Walking north from Blowing Point, we came across various structures, including… (keep scrolling)
…this building that I endearingly dubbed (in my head, at least) the “Goat Motel”
When we pulled up to D&D Rentals a short time later, the place was a ghost town. It took some help from the locals to track down the owner
It took our guy probably about a half hour or so to make an appearance, thus we have a photographic depiction of that age-old activity known as “killing time”
It took about 3.4 seconds to realize that the scooters were an amazing idea (not to mention a steal at $45 for the day)
From Blowing Point, around Sandy Ground and through the Valley, we eventually came to Shoal Bay on the north side of Anguilla
And once there, it was time to partake in our first meal on the island: this Italian pizza (tomato, mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto) served up at Madeariman
Lunch at most any place along Shoal Bay Beach comes with a complimentary beach chair and umbrella
Once we reached our Airbnb in Island Harbour, the last bastion of society on the northeastern end of the island, we were treated to this incredible sunset
In the morning, that same view from the Airbnb offered this little masterpiece
Blue is the warmest color — but I’ve got to say this pool was a little chilly
As I stood here, looking out over this barren peninsula, a voice began to speak from the heavens: “Everything the light touches, is our kingdom…”
All those heavenly visions got us hungry, so we stopped at The Village Bakehouse on our way to the southern end of the island for a little brunch
Anguilla’s West End Bay is home to numerous rock outcroppings, including this one just to the north of the Anguilla Arch
A nondescript (and rather bumpy) dirt road leads to this colorful fence, on the other side of which you will find…
…the Anguilla Arch! (that’s it; that’s the caption)
Found toward the end of Route 1 (AKA Anguilla’s main drag), these abandoned villas on Shoal Bay West make for a haunting scene
Speaking of haunting… this decrepit house near West End Village also caught my eye
As our adventures on Anguilla drew to a close, we stumbled upon Unique Bar & Grill, a tiny spot atop a hill that overlooks the harbor in an area called Sandy Ground
Ending our visit the right way: with an ice-cold bottle of Carib Lager, “the undeniable brew of the Caribbean”
-LTH