On Island Time: Caribbean Culture at its Finest in Anguilla

Beaches

• Meads Bay: A long, beautiful white sand beach, great for walking to a variety of beach bars, fancy hotels and restaurants. The water here is inviting with infinite shades of blue and turquoise.

• Rendezvous Bay: This beach is home to a couple of great beach bars and the new Aurora Anguilla Resort. Fabulous for swimming, there’s even a floating raft you can swim out to – enjoy the beautiful views across the bay of hilly St Maarten.

• Shoal Bay: Incredibly calm water, excellent for swimming. Come on a Sunday to experience the live reggae music at Gwen’s Reggae Grill.

Excursions

• Charter a beach-hopping boat tour to snorkel and discover secret cays such as sandy island, prickly pear island and little bay.

Live music at Bankie Banx's Dune Preserve

Owned by the famous Anguillan musician Bankie Banx, this is truly a unique place - a rustic wooden structure on the beach, built like a tree house, with multiple levels and secret hangout spots. Go on a Sunday for live music and dance the afternoon away with a rum punch in hand. There are also evening performances by Bankie and his band. And, if you want a real island music experience, you should go for the MoonSplash Festival in March.

Spa at Malliouhana

The spa at the absolutely gorgeous Malliouhana Resort was named one of the “World’s Best Hotel Spas” by Harper’s Bazaar. Relax after your treatment in the infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean sea, and stay for cocktails and lunch on the terrace with a view at Bar Soleil.

Day Trips

You can easily take a quick puddle jumper flight to St. Barths for the day if you want to experience a taste of the French Caribbean.

Restaurants

• Blanchards: Excellent restaurant for dinner on Meads Bay, featuring fresh seafood with delicious tropical sauces and incredible desserts. Get the grilled langoustines, and if you're a rum connoisseur, check out their impressive and extensive rum list.

• Dolce Vita: Lively Italian restaurant on Sandy Ground with a friendly staff and delicious food – highly recommend the linguine with lobster, eggplant parmesan and gnocchi a la gorgonzola.

• Jacala: French fine dining restaurant on Meads Bay - go for a long, lazy lunch with a view or a nice dinner. Excellent service and French cuisine on the beach.

Beach Bars

• Sunshine Shack: Garvey’s Sunshine Shack is a colorful, lively and casual watering hole on Rendezvous Bay beach. Rustic tables and stools in the sand, amazing BBQ with Garvey himself behind the grill and tropical drinks. Hang out and swim out to the floating raft after your lunch, and take in the views of the lush green hills on St. Maarten across the bay.

• Cap Shack: Part of Cap Juluca Resort, this casual lunch spot has a VW bus with a vintage food truck vibe parked on the beach, serving up delicious BBQ ribs. Sink into the most comfortable papasan chairs with your feet in the soft white sand and chat with the super friendly staff.

• Elvis Beach Bar: A bar built out of an old wooden boat on the beach in Sandy Ground, this is the perfect place to watch the sunset with a rum punch in hand and feet in the sand. Elvis himself will most likely be there - and you’ll know it’s him because he’ll be behind the bar chatting with all of his customers - and he’ll be wearing a basketball jersey.

• Gwen’s Reggae Grill: Go on a Sunday for live reggae from the local Scratch Band – some of whose instruments are handmade – and order the best rum punch you’ll ever have from the wonderful Gwen herself. Relax in a hammock on the beach or listen to the tunes while floating in the calm waters of Shoal Bay.