Stylish Anguilla

Linda Buckingham on 24 September 2011
Anguilla – an island that stands by her principles of a ban on cruise ships, casinos and high rise buildings – what’s not to like about this Caribbean gem?

This island is only 35 square miles in size and has 33 pristine beaches so it’s not surprising that island life revolves mainly around the beach for accommodation, dining and activities!

Imagine my disappointment when I found that my home for our relatively short stay would be the Paradise Cove – a property that’s not actually on a beach! This hotel is owned and operated by a local lady who has won countless awards and when we settled in it became clear to see why. It’s officially a 3* but would pass for a 4* on many other islands with just 29 suites surrounding a good pool. It’s only a few hundred yards from both Cove Bay Beach and Rendezvous Bay West Beach. The rooms are huge with flat screen TV’s, a kitchenette and an equally huge bathroom. The air conditioning worked a treat and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. This is a haven of peace just steps from the beach without a big price tag - always a bonus.

Our first meal on the island was at the local beach – where else? Smokey’s on Cove Bay serves an extensive menu which is far from what I would expect in what looked essentially like a small ‘beach bar’. Over the course of my (lobster) lunch music struck up and people were soon dancing on the deck and lounging on the beach sofa – unexpected at 3pm midweek? - apparently that’s not unusual! We had a couple of hours to relax and soak up the last of the sun before meandering back to the Paradise to unpack feeling as if we’d already been on island for days.

Anguilla is the secret choice for celebrities and two of the places to be seen at are the Viceroy and Cap Juluca. Both have style and elegance but are totally different. At Cap Juluca you can have a room, a suite or have your own contemporary beach house villa including sunbeds laid out on the beach each day with fresh towels - the views are stunning as is the in-room Bose sound system. The Viceroy is more minimalistic & marble but the bathrooms are amazing and it’s very hi-tech whilst having driftwood carvings and many natural feature pieces dotted around the resort.

Driving round the island on good roads was a pleasure and being so small it was hard to get lost. Driving on the left helps and there aren’t many roads where you can actually reach the speed limit of 30mph. There are 10 Heritage points on the island’s new heritage trail plus the rustic Heritage Museum, but be sure to ask a local to tell you more as it really brings it to life.

We expect to eat well at hotels but often people are wary of venturing out to eat - we ate at ‘Veya’ whose directions state ‘located behind the Anguilla Garden Center’. Sure enough, the lights of the restaurant sparkle in the trees and when you go upstairs, many of the tables are on an open sided terrace which gives you the feel of eating in a tree house! However, the menu here was sophisticated, the food was wonderful and this hideaway is reputedly one of the best restaurants on the island.

In complete contrast, we were told we must meet ‘Elvis’ on the way back. So we ventured down a tiny track in Sandy Ground to find a boat which has been made into a beach bar. The home of the Full Moon Lunasea party, ‘Elvis’ makes sure everyone has a good time. He’s a tall, slim local guy with not a quiff or white suit to be seen – again – I’m sure there’s a story there!

Anguilla also has some lovely villas - we visited several from the simple to the ultra modern. For on island activities there’s golf, tennis and good sailing plus ten shipwrecks and a double reef for divers and snorkelers. If you crave shopping you can get to St Maarten in 20 minutes by ferry or 7 minutes by air. Anguilla's not a straight forward journey from the UK but maybe that’s what makes this island so charming – only those that know are prepared to make the effort to get there - and I for one will be back!