The Top Highlights of Anguilla

In an all-white open-air dining room that spills out onto the sand overlooking Meads Bay on Anguilla’s west end, Jacala serves just 35 guests a night. Chef Alain Laurent’s French-inspired menu includes dishes such as fennel-spiked conch chowder, snapper meunière, and a steak tartare prepared tableside upon request.

Many Caribbean islands (Anguilla included) are made primarily of limestone. Over many thousands of years, caves often form in this type of rock speckling the islands with tons of little caves to explore. On Anguilla there are plenty to explore, but the hike to the Iguana Cave is particularly pleasant. It starts on the quiet and isolated sands of Katouche Bay Beach just past the Masara Resort. It’s pretty much due West of the capital of The Valley and very easy to find. The only awkward part is the very steep road that descends the last mile toward the shore. There you should find a gap in the sea grape trees. Staying on this path will take you past a salt pond, through a forest crawling with hermit crabs, up an old stone staircase, through a grove of cactus, past the occasional red-footed tortoise, and finally to the cave. Going at an easy pace, the hike clocks in at around 45 minutes up and 45 minutes back. For the most part, it’s pleasant and I highly recommend it as a way to break up a bounty of beautiful beach days.

One of Anguilla’s most secluded beaches, Little Bay is tucked beneath a series of bluffs on the island’s northwest. Usually reached by boat or kayak from Crocus Bay, this tiny, undeveloped stretch of sand hugs a cove with calm turquoise waters filled with small tropical fish, sea turtles, and starfish. Bring drinks and snacks, rent gear from Da Vida Restaurant, and kayak (or boat taxi) over in the morning to avoid the crowds and spend a couple of blissful hours away from it all.

Finding a fun bar that’s popular with locals is almost a travel imperative: While hotel bars have their charms, local bars offer travelers a way to explore a destination through its people. This beach bar at the heart of Sandy Ground fits the bill. Mellow by day, the vibe picks up at night, with dancing out on the sand, occasional live music and DJs, plus famous full-moon celebrations. On Sunday afternoons, grab a fish taco and a beer and join the crowd watching the football or basketball game on the huge outdoor screen.

The grande dame of Anguilla’s luxury resorts, Cap Juluca originally opened in 1988, debuting its signature Greco-Moorish architectural style. Its 70 guest rooms are housed inside 15 white stucco villas spread across 180 acres on Maundays Bay, with its crescent-shaped white-sand beach and impossibly pale blue water. The resort’s domed roofs, arcade plazas, and terra-cotta tile floors lend an air of novelty and romance to the property, which is popular among honeymooners. With four restaurants, a full-service spa, swimming pools, and private yacht charters at guests’ disposal, the resort is a destination unto itself. Plan for a lavish dining experience at Pimms, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which serves fresh local seafood from rock lobster to yellowtail snapper, followed by a nightcap at the adjacent Moroccan-inspired Spice lounge with live music. The resort features a wide range of room categories, from standard with traditional dark-wood furniture to the lavish two-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot Jonquil Suite.

Following damage sustained during Hurricane Irma, this property reopened with a new direction, including a top-to-bottom redesign by internationally acclaimed interior firm Rottet Studio, new healthy dining options, an infinity pool overlooking the bay, and a new spa villa just steps from the beach.