East Shoal Bay Beach
Jim Dobson for Forbes
The beautiful 16-mile-long unspoiled and not overly developed island of Anguilla has always been one of my favorites in the Caribbean. Amazing white sandy beaches (33 of them) filled with conch shells on an uncrowded island offering fine dining and stunning boutique hotels. What more could you ever ask for? With Covid testing requirements now dropped for vaccinated visitors and daily direct flights from Miami and upcoming direct flights from New York, it is easier than ever to visit the island.
Anguilla has made a significant comeback since the devastating Hurricane Irma ripped through in 2017. The island rarely feels crowded, even during the high festive season. There are no large cruise ships or superyacht marinas, and the small airport is usually only filled with private jets and commuter planes. With the new direct flights, you can avoid the often rough waters of the 40-minute ferry ride from nearby St. Maarten.
Impossibly white sand beaches in Anguilla
Anguilla Tourist Board
I met with numerous experts on my recent visit and regulars who have been visiting for decades. The regulars are very vocal about their favorite restaurants and hotels, and I personally visited most of them to see why they ranked so high.
I spoke with Anguilla’s Director of Tourism, Stacey Liburd, who filled me in on the new developments on this unspoiled island. “Anguilla has emerged from the pandemic with a huge rebound in visitor arrivals to the island, new product development, and new on-island events coming on stream. Winter 2022/23 season will be our best ever on record.”
Alkera Villa on Shoal Bay
Alkera
“We continue to work on expanding access to Anguilla, as this is essential to our future growth,” she added. “And in May, we completed our 20-year Airport Masterplan with the first phase seeing the construction of a new terminal building which we hope to break ground in 2023.”
For new properties, she highlighted a new luxury rental property Alkera, which opened in January. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom villa is located in scenic Shoal Bay. And on the horizon, Ani Private Resorts will open a second property on Shoal Bay in 2024. The 15-suite estate will have a tennis court, a gym, and an ÀNI Spa.
And with several resorts now staying open year-round, she says this is “a major step towards our long-term strategic goal of moving from a 10-month to a 12-month destination.”
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla
Four Seasons
HOTELS
Four Seasons Resort & Residences
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