Splendid Anguilla

PRACTICAL INFO: Return ferry from Saint Martin 30 dollars plus 10 in taxes, Taxi to Shoal Bay East 52 dollars return, Taxi to Meads Bay 52 dollars return, Taxi to Rendezvous Bay 28 dollars return, Parasol and 2 sun loungers about 10 dollars.

If you like walking, and want to save a few dollars, on leaving the customs house at the port take the second tarmac road on the left; after about twenty minutes you will arrive at Rendezvous Bay. Near the beach you will pass a "cemetery" of shells of every size and shape, then you can decide whether to stop at the beginning of the bay or continue closer to the amenities of bars and hotels (the beach is about 1.5 km long). We ate at the last restaurant on the beach, "Dune Preserve", a characteristic rasta place where the food is excellent!!! A fish lunch cost about 84 dollars, but between the food, the setting and Bob Marley playing in the background, it was money really well spent!!

Shoal Bay East is indescribable, you just have to see it!!! There are many little places along the beach, so you can pick whichever you prefer. We ate at the famous "Ku'", three portions of barbecue chicken with fries plus two Carib beers for 52 dollars, though if we went back we would eat at Uncle Ernie's, a very popular little restaurant right by the beach entrance where the taxi drops you off. The beach is about 3 km long and spectacular at every point, turquoise water and blinding sand... when Anguillans boast that their beach is the most beautiful in the Caribbean... well, they are absolutely right!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meads Bay is a bit off the usual taxi routes, so they will ask you at least a couple of times whether you really want to go there... anyway this is also a truly beautiful beach!! At the eastern end, after a low cliff, there is a small flight of concrete steps giving access to a very small cove that we were lucky enough to have all to ourselves all day... with only a couple of pelicans and a fisherman who stayed with us just long enough to cast his net into the water a couple of times...

Well, what can I say... once you have seen Anguilla you will not forget it...