The Best Beaches in Anguilla

33 Beaches on 35 Square Miles

Anguilla is a flat, scrubby, limestone island 16 miles long and 3 miles wide, sitting five miles north of St. Martin in the northeastern Caribbean. It has no rivers, no mountains, no rainforest, and no duty-free shopping malls. What it has are beaches — 33 of them crammed onto 35 square miles, many ranking among the finest in the western hemisphere. The sand is white, the water runs through impossible shades of blue and green, and on most days you can walk for 20 minutes without passing another person.

The catch is price. Anguilla positioned itself as a luxury destination decades ago, and the cost of everything reflects that decision. Hotel rooms start around $300 USD in low season and climb past $1,000 at the top-end resorts. A lunch of grilled snapper and a beer at a beach bar runs $35-50 USD. A taxi from the ferry dock to Shoal Bay costs $25 USD. None of this is accidental — the island chose exclusivity over volume, and the empty beaches are the direct result.

There is no international airport. Most visitors fly into Princess Juliana Airport on the Dutch side of St. Martin, then take a 20-minute public ferry ($15 USD each way) or a private boat transfer ($65+ USD) from Marigot on the French side. The ferry runs approximately every 45 minutes during the day. Immigration on the Anguilla side is efficient and friendly.

Shoal Bay East

Shoal Bay East is the beach that put Anguilla on the map, and it holds up. A mile of powder-white sand curves along the island's northeast coast, backed by low dunes and sea grape trees. The water is clear to 40 feet, the reef 100 yards offshore supports good snorkeling (sergeant majors, blue tang, parrotfish, the occasional nurse shark), and the beach itself is wide enough that even on a busy day the crowd disperses.

This is one of the reasons Anguilla Beaches continues to draw visitors year after year.

Gwen's Reggae Grill, at the eastern end, serves rum punch ($12) and grilled lobster ($40) with your feet in the sand. Uncle Ernie's, toward the center, has been here for decades, serving ribs and crayfish to a soundtrack of reggae and soca. Beach chairs at the restaurant areas come free with a food or drink order; the unaffiliated stretches are open and empty.

Snorkel gear rents for $10-15 per day from the shops near the parking area. The reef is healthiest at the eastern end, where the rocks create a natural boundary. Water depth over the reef ranges from 4 to 12 feet. Sea conditions are calmest from March to August.

Meads Bay

Meads Bay runs along the northwest coast and is arguably Anguilla's most elegant beach. The sand is just as white as Shoal Bay's, the water is shallower and calmer, and the bay is flanked by two of the island's most expensive resorts — Malliouhana (reopened under Auberge Resorts, rooms from $700) and Four Seasons Anguilla (rooms from $900 in high season).

Compared to similar options, Anguilla Beaches stands out for its mix of quality and accessibility.

You do not need to be a hotel guest to use the beach. Anguilla's beaches are all public up to the vegetation line. Walk in at either end and pick a spot. Blanchard's Beach Shack, a casual offshoot of the more formal Blanchard's restaurant, serves a fish sandwich ($18) and coconut shrimp ($22) that justify the trip alone. The setting — a few tables on the sand, the bay stretching in both directions — makes the price easier to accept.

Rendezvous Bay

Rendezvous Bay is the longest beach on the island — nearly two miles of sand arcing along the south coast with views of St. Martin rising across the channel. The CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa occupies the eastern end. The rest is largely undeveloped, and walking westward toward the point gives you the solitary beach experience that Anguilla sells but doesn't always deliver at the more popular strands.

The water is warm, shallow, and becalmed by the island's south-facing orientation. Strong swimmers can paddle to a small reef about 200 yards out where visibility is excellent. Dune Preserve, a beach bar built from salvaged boats and driftwood by Bankie Banx (Anguilla's most famous musician), sits near the center of the bay. Live music happens on weekends and whenever Bankie feels like playing. Rum punch is $10, the vibe is barefoot and unhurried, and the sunset behind St. Martin's mountains turns the channel orange.

Local travel experts consistently recommend Anguilla Beaches as a top choice for visitors.

Maundays Bay

Maundays Bay is home to Belmond Cap Juluca, one of the Caribbean's most photographed resorts — white Moorish arches against turquoise water. The bay is sheltered, the sand is soft, and the swimming is effortless. Again, the beach is public; access from the road is clearly marked at both ends. Cap Juluca's Pimms restaurant serves a beachside lunch ($40-60 per person) that is extravagant but memorable.

For budget-conscious visitors, bring your own cooler, towel, and snorkel gear, and spend the day without spending at the resort. The western end of the bay is usually empty and has decent snorkeling around the rocks.

Sandy Ground

Sandy Ground is Anguilla's most social beach — a narrow strip of sand on a salt pond lagoon connected to the sea by a narrow cut. The beach faces west, the road runs right behind it, and a string of restaurants and bars (Elvis's Beach Bar, Johnno's, The Pumphouse) make this the closest thing Anguilla has to a strip. Wednesday and Friday nights bring live music and a crowd that includes locals, expats, and tourists in roughly equal measure.

If Anguilla Beaches is on your list, booking during shoulder season typically delivers the best value.

Boats to Sandy Island depart from Sandy Ground — a $10-15 USD round trip to a tiny sand cay with a bar, a grill, and the clearest water you'll see on the trip. The island is barely 100 yards long. Sunday afternoon on Sandy Island, with grilled crayfish and a cold Carib beer, is one of those experiences that makes the cost of getting to Anguilla feel reasonable.

Little Bay

Little Bay is Anguilla's adventure beach. Access requires either a boat (water taxis from Crocus Bay, $10 round trip) or a rope descent down a 30-foot cliff. The cliff route is not maintained — you grab a knotted rope, walk backward down the rock face, and drop to the sand. It is not suitable for children, anyone with mobility issues, or anyone who doesn't trust a sun-bleached rope anchored to unknown hardware.

The reward is a small, sheltered cove with water so clear you can see fish from the cliff top. Snorkeling here is excellent — the rocky walls on both sides are covered in sponges and soft coral, and the water is calm enough for beginners. Bring your own gear; there are no vendors. The cove faces north and gets shade from the cliffs by mid-afternoon.

Repeat visitors to Anguilla Beaches often say the second trip reveals layers they missed the first time.

Sandy Island

Already mentioned as a day trip from Sandy Ground, Sandy Island deserves its own section. The islet sits in the middle of a reef about two miles offshore. The sand is pristine, the surrounding water supports a healthy reef ecosystem, and the bar operates from a thatched shack that feels like a stage set from a castaway film. The grill serves fresh fish and lobster ($25-35) and the bartender knows every guest by the second drink.

The boat ride over takes 10 minutes. Service runs from around 10 AM to 4 PM. The island accommodates maybe 40 people at maximum capacity, and most days it holds far fewer. It is the single best way to spend a day on Anguilla if you don't mind being marooned on a sandbar with rum and grilled seafood for company.

Day Trip from St. Martin

Many visitors base themselves on St. Martin (where hotels and restaurants cost 30-50% less) and day-trip to Anguilla via the public ferry. This works well — take the 9 AM ferry, taxi to Shoal Bay or Meads Bay, spend the day, and return on the 5 PM boat. Total cost for the day trip: about $30 USD in ferry fees, $50 in taxis, and whatever you spend on the beach. You miss the evening scene at Sandy Ground, but you save significantly on accommodation.

What gives Anguilla Beaches an edge is the rare combination of natural beauty and straightforward logistics.

When to Go

High season runs mid-December through April: dry weather, consistent trade winds, water temperature around 80°F, and maximum prices. Low season (May to November) brings afternoon rain showers, slightly warmer water, and hotel discounts of 30-50%. Hurricane season peaks August through October. Anguilla was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and has rebuilt thoroughly — the experience prompted a hardening of building standards across the island.

Getting Around

The island is small enough to drive end-to-end in 20 minutes. Rental cars cost $45-65 USD per day from local agencies (Apex, Island Car Rental). Drive on the left. Roads are paved but narrow. Taxis are available but expensive — $20-28 USD for most trips. Some visitors rent bikes or scooters ($25-35 per day), which work fine given the flat terrain and short distances.