Destinations / Anguilla

Anguilla is a popular Caribbean island with high-end restaurants and small, intimate hotels that have become copied by the rest of the Caribbean. Several well-known artists and wealthy individuals have built private residences making Anguilla there home away from home.

Located in the Northern section of the Leeward Islands, Anguilla is 35 sq. miles of alternating soft white sand and tough scrub. With over 25 beaches surrounded by sea grape trees, one can always find a secluded spot to enjoy the ocean view. The island is relatively dry and flat. Its highest point, Crocus Hill, rises just 213 feet above sea level. Anguilla's capital, The Valley, is located in the center of this coral-based island. The other two popular towns: Island Harbour, known for its great fishing, and Sandy Ground, the main port of the island; are fun places to visit.

Besides Anguilla's great diving, the island offers other activities such as birdwatching, snorkeling the reefs just offshore or just enjoying beautiful Caribbean sunsets.

LOCATION :
Located in the Eastern Caribbean, most northerly of the Leeward Islands.

LANGUAGE :
English

CURRENCY :
Eastern Caribbean Dollar (US currency widely accepted)

TIPPING :
10% service charge is added to all meals and hotel bills.

ELECTRICITY :
110 volts 60 cycles

HIGHLIGHTS

• Diving or snorkeling Stoney Bay Marine Park
• Visiting the Old Salt Factory at Sandy Ground
• Sunning on Shoal Bay beach
• Day tripping to Scilly Cay

A trip to Anguilla would not be complete without a swim, snorkel or dive into the beautiful turquoise sea. Limited infrastructure and low-volume tourism have kept the island's excellent diving a little-shared secret.

A number of day trips are recommended, including Sandy Island, reef-ringed Prickly Pear Cays (don't forget to bring sturdy walking shoes since the terrain is rather rough) and Scilly Cay, where the spiny lobster is luscious.

Archaeology-minded landlubbers could spend an afternoon at The Fountain, a cave filled with Arawak-carved petroglyphs. Recently, some 40,000 Amerindian artifacts have been uncovered on the island. A few of the local residents are in the process of inventorying the remaining undisturbed sites, so tread carefully when checking them out. As a matter of fact, tread carefully wherever you go; despite some development, this island is still quite pristine.

GEOGRAPHY
Topography: Just 16 miles long and 3 miles wide, flat Anguilla points northeast-southwest and is dotted with numerous salt ponts. The island's highest point is Crocus Hill, which reaches just 213 feet. Anguilla's vegetation is semi-desert to subtropical. The vegetation is sparse and scrubby.

Climate: The average annual temperature is 81º F and is hottest during the late summer, which is also the rainy season.


HISTORY
The Arawaks were the first to call Anguilla home. Then the Caribs settled the island, calling it Malliouhana, the Carib word for "eel," a loose description of the island's shape.

Next came Columbus in 1493, who agreed that the island's shape was eel-like, and promptly dubbed it Anguilla, the Italian word for the snakelike fish. Although Columbus lay claim to the island, Spain never colonized it. British settlers from nearby St. Kitts arrived in 1650 and established the first European settlement.

Since then Anguilla, unlike many Caribbean nations, has fought to maintain its dependence on Britain. When Britain tried to loosen its ties with the island in 1967 by making it an Associated State (along with St. Kitts-Nevis), Anguilla rebelled. In 1969, Britain sent paratroopers to restore peace. The paratroopers were greeted by smiling Anguillians holding candy bars for their "saviors." It seemed that while the island wished to break away from St. Kitts-Nevis (which it did in 1971), it wanted to keep its relationship with the mother country. In 1980, Anguilla became a "dependent territory," which it remains today.

WEBSITE :
www.anguilla-vacation.com

TOURIST INFORMATION :
800-553-4939

TAXES :
10% Government Room Tax. Airport Departure Tax is $20 US (children $10).

TIME :
Atlantic Standard Time

DOCUMENTS :
Passport or official photo ID accompanied by birth certificate with raised seal, plus onward/return ticket.

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE :
Upper 70s to lower 80s

TYPES OF DIVING :
Wreck dives, shore dives, mini wall dives, night dives and heritage diving

BEST TIME TO DIVE :
Summer months