Why Anguilla?
Anguilla is a hidden gem in the Caribbean that is quickly gaining attention. In 2024, they had over 200,000 visitors, a record high. It’s comparable to Turks and Caicos but with less chaos and commercialization. Some of the main drivers for tourism are its white-sand beaches, relaxed environment, clear turquoise waters, luxury boutique resorts, marine life and untouched beauty. This British Overseas Territory is home to 14,000 full-time residents and offers a quiet, remote and peaceful escape. A bonus is there are no cruise ports on the island which increases its seclusion.
How do I get there?
There are two main ways to arrive on the island:
Option 1: Fly directly to Anguilla (AXA)
The easiest, most seamless route. Most resorts will arrange airport transfers for you.
Option 2: Fly to Saint Martin (SXM) and take the ferry
A 20–30 minute ferry ride gets you to Anguilla quickly. Ferries run often and are easy to book. A resort concierge will happily arrange these logistics for you.
ProTip: A departure fee is required whether you fly or ferry — around $28 per adult (less for children).
Should I rent a car?
Yes, especially if you want flexibility for beach-hopping or exploring local restaurants.
· Airport transfers alone often cost ~$100 (to and from)
· Public transportation is extremely limited and can add up quickly
· You drive on the left side of the road since it’s a British island
· All visitors must purchase a temporary local license (in our case was $25 per person so we opted for one driver)
After reviewing local companies, we rented through Bryan’s Car Rentals and had a great experience with easy airport pickup, fair prices, and dependable vehicles. We selected a sedan and ended up with a Kia Rio.
Where should I stay?
Anguilla is a small island and therefore offers less accommodation options compared to other Caribbean islands. With its high-end nature, most resort sare luxury hotels like the Four Seasons and Belmond properties. We chose a boutique luxury hotel, Malliouhana, and it exceeded all expectations! With iconic views of Mead’s Bay and secluded, private resort grounds and villas, a family and adult pool, this hotel offers a great experience for first time travelers to the island. A friendly and accommodating staff, award-winning spa, as well as superb on-site amenities (and many at no additional charge!)
What activities does Malliouhana offer?
This resort truly offers a unique experience for all their guests. They have complimentary and paid activities that will keep you busy without leaving the property. We arrived on the day of the resorts re-opening for the season, so it sometimes felt like we had the whole resort to ourselves!
Their complimentary activities include:
-Complimentary yoga and full-body workouts for all resort guests
-Stargazing and smores (Tuesday evening)
-Rum and Chocolate tasting (Wednesday evening)
-Water activities – snorkel gear, kayaks, paddle boards, sailing
-Gym
-Complimentary bike rentals
-Pickleball courts
Additional paid experiences:
-Full spa services
-Sunday Funday at Leon’s at Meads Bay with live music
-Taco Tuesday at Bar Soleil
-Cooking and cocktail classes
-Certain water sports and charter boat rentals
Why should you work with Jetset and Travel?
We booked through Jetset and Travel when Malliouhana was having an exclusive promotion earlier this year. With the promotion we were able to offset some of the resort cost in additional to receiving exclusive VIP perks.
Perks:
· 4th night free (limited time promotion)
· complimentary room upgrade from garden view to ocean view (guaranteed at booking)
· $350 total in resort credits
· a breakfast allowance of $45 per person at Celeste (excluding tip)
· early check-in/late check-out (subject to availability)
Her team is fantastic to work with and there is no charge on your end! They specialize in luxury resorts ($1,000+ a night) and can add their VIP perks to new and existing reservations so reach out if you have any questions or have a confirmed reservation that falls within their parameters.
What dining options are available?
We dined at the three Malliouhana resorts often:
-Celeste: fine dining curated by Keith Gumbs
-Leon’s at Meads Bay: offer beachside service and casual bites
-Bar Soleil: casual dining with wonderful sunsets
Outside of the resort we tried/were recommended the following options:
-Blanchard’s Restaurant (make reservations): Offer a variety of signature plates that you’ll want to try
-Blanchard’s Beach Shack: Caribbean cuisine in a casual setting with great happy hour specials
-Da’Vida (lunch): located in Crocus Bay offering American Cuisine
-Madeariman Bar & Restaurant: casual on the beach restaurant in Shoal Bay with everyday food and cocktails
-Straw Hat (make reservations): open air dining on Mead’s Bay
-Salt (did not try): located on the Four Seasons property with amazing sunset views but costly
-Sharky’s (did not try): local seafood cuisine that is a hot-spot for both locals & tourists
What is there to do?
Our resort recommended Calypso Charters, but since we traveled on our own, they were a bit pricey. They offer private half and full day charters to anywhere you want to go! If we would’ve done it, I would’ve loved to explore the Prickly Pear Cays. These pairs of uninhabited islands located 6-miles off the shore of Anguilla have great reefs and a couple of seasonal bars and restaurants.
Sandy Island, can be reached in around 15 minutes from Sandy Ground pier. Catch any one of our sea shuttles aptly called Happiness, Bliss, Joy, and Euphoria. Cost $40 per person round trip. With stunning views of the turquoise waters and on-site restaurant, it offers unparallel views to escape and indulge. Malliouhana can also charter you there via sailboat (depending on water conditions).
Snorkeling is one of our favorite activities to do when we travel. We opted for the more local route by visiting Crocus Bay (google map Da’Vida) and using Calvin’s Boat Rentals to Little Bay. Little Bay can only be reached via boat, but offers the best snorkeling experience on the island. There is a rock jump, small sandy beach and tons of reefs along the cliffs. Calvin dropped us off, and he let us choose when we wanted picked back up. It was a much more affordable option, only costing $40 round trip. We were able to bring our snorkel gear from the resort.
We also visited Shoal Bay because we heard there is also good reefs, but are a little further out in the ocean. Unfortunately, the water was pretty choppy on that side of the island, so we weren’t able to stay out long. We did see various fish and even a couple of spotted eagle rays! We relaxed on the beach the rest of the afternoon and rented beach chairs and an umbrella for $15.
Meads Bay is one of the most beautiful, in my opinion, so we spend a lot of time on the resorts complimentary beach loungers. Unfortunately, there weren’t a ton of great snorkeling reefs in the area other than some reefs by the Four Seasons Resort. The water activity coordinator took us to that side of the bay via sailboat and we were able to spot a lot of fish, including a puffer fish! We appreciated the water being so calm and were able to use rafts and just float for hours- talk about relaxing!
The Anguilla Arch is on the far west end of the island. The road to get there is narrow and unpaved, so it’s not something I’d go out of the way for. They also recently began charging $5 per person to see it even though you can’t get much of an unobstructed view without the railings. It was cool experience, but probably not worth the money or effort.
Rendezous Bay is on the south side of the island and therefore offers views of Saint Martin. It’s a nice bay to go for a walk and enjoy the views or grab lunch, but otherwise I preferred Meads Bay.
When is the best time to visit?
It depends on your priorities:
November (our visit):
Island reopens after shutting down for hurricane season.
Pros - the hotel prices are lower and run into fewer crowds
Cons - some restaurants and shops were still closed
December to April (peak season):
Pros- Driest weather and calm ocean
Cons- More tourists and increased hotel prices
May to August (shoulder season):
Pros- warm weather, lower hotel prices, and tourism decreases with peak season tapering off
Cons- increased humidity and rainfall
What should I not forget to pack?
There are a few items I would suggest you make sure you bring to have an enjoyable visit:
· Bug Repellent (suggest Deep Woods version as no see ums are intense)
· Reef safe sunscreen (we love sun bum mineral sunscreen)
· After-sun lotion
· Snorkel gear (or borrow from your resort)
· Sunglasses and/or straw hat
