Visitors planning an Anguilla vacation will find hotels, villa resorts, apartments, condo hotels, guest houses, self-contained holiday suites and more than 300 villas for rent. Anguilla accommodations range from upscale to affordable (a group of small hotels, inns and villas called The Charming Escapes Collection).
Located in the Eastern Caribbean, Anguilla measures only 26 kilometers long and five kilometers wide. The population of Anguilla is 14,000.
Several developments appeal to visitors looking for sophisticated, but unpretentious, places to stay in Anguilla.
Cap Juluca
Cap Juluca Properties has bought Cap Juluca. The owners are investing more than $13 million to renovate the interiors of 98 luxurious suites and bedrooms in 18 guest villas, build a new spa, pool and shops, and develop a second beach at Cove Bay. (Cap Juluca is located along 3.2 kilometers of pristine white beach.)
French chef, Réne Bajeux, oversees three restaurants, including Pimms' fine dining, as well as in-room dining and catering. George's restaurant has been renovated with new furniture and décor. Kemia is a Pan-Asian restaurant.
Viceroy Anguilla
In 2009, 172 villas and single-storey resort residences opened at Barnes Bay and Meads Bay, on 35 acres of beachfront land.
Viceroy Anguilla restaurants include Cobá (meaning cliff-top temple sitting atop highest point above ruffled waters in the Arawak language). The 144-seat restaurant offers ocean views, with indoor and outdoor dining on seafood and local foods, prepared Asian-style.
Reeds is a casual 100-seat restaurant, where diners can enjoy grilled foods and steak on the beach, terrace or in the shade. During the evening, Viceroy Anguilla hosts crayfish and lobster beach barbecues with steel drum music at Reeds.
Cassia is a 200-seat restaurant on a terrace above the sunrise pool at Viceroy Anguilla. Cassia is surrounded by big pots of cassia trees, which bear both fruit and flowers. Its Caribbean cuisine menu includes organic breakfasts, fresh salads, curries and West Indian rotis for lunch and à la carte dinners.
Alcyon Villa
Alcyon Villa is an 8,000 square foot Mediterranean-style villa, on the waterfront in Seafeathers (eastern Anguilla).
Alcyon Villa has a two-storey living room, two master bedrooms, two guest bedrooms, six terraces, an infinity pool, whirlpools and modern appliances. Guests receive daily continental breakfast and car rental.
Shoal Bay Resort
The first five-star resort on Shoal Bay East will open in late 2010. Shoal Bay Resort & Spa will be the first resort on Anguilla with a green design. Two- to five-bedroom villas have cathedral ceilings, eco-friendly roofs and numerous windows for panoramic views. Condo studios, penthouses and duplexes are located at the highest elevations to offer views of Anguilla and the Caribbean Sea.
Highlights of Shoal Bay Resort include two lagoon-style pools, a spa pool, an ocean-side pool, a 7,000 square foot holistic spa and fitness center, a tennis court and pro shop, a signature restaurant, clubhouse and business center.How to get to Anguilla
The fastest and easiest way to reach Anguilla is by flying to St. Martin and taking a seven-minute flight to Anguilla. Visitors can also ride the Anguilla ferry from Marigot, St. Martin, to Blowing Point, Anguilla. The ferry leaves every half hour between 7:30 am and 6:15 pm. The 15-kilometer (nine-mile) ferry crossing takes 20 minutes.
Canadians wanting an Anguilla vacation can book flights to St. Martin/St. Maarten from Toronto with Air Transat, Air Canada and Signature Vacations.
Total Vacations, Air Canada Vacations, Transat Holidays, Alio and Fun Sun Vacations offer Anguilla packages.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Anguilla Tourist Board: www.anguilla-vacation.com
More information on Anguilla:
Anguilla Spa Treatments and Wellness Centres
Sandy Island, Anguilla