Combing Anguilla's Beaches for the Best

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Anguilla Beach Lovers

Issue #065, October 7th 2012

It's October!

In Anguilla, that means we are turning over a new page, rounding the corner to high-season. September is the height of the low-season, and is one of the quietest months on the island.

This was my first September in Anguilla. Previous Septembers were spent in school in NYC. What a great trade! ;-)

September is one of the best months on the island.

Why? Anguilla is noticeably more peaceful and calm (I didn't even think that was possible!). If you love the island at its most tranquil, September is prime vacation time.

Though many of the big hotels and restaurants close for all of September, a handfull of tasty local restaurants and luxury villas, and modest inns and guest houses remain open. Accommodations are a fraction of their high-season prices. And, depending on when, flights are more affordable, too.

Here's what's new...

Some of The Best Low-Season Accommodation Options

• Lloyd's B&B Located on Crocus Hill, near daVida, this charming and historic, family-run B&B makes you feel right at home. Rooms start at under $100/night!
 
• Milly's Inn Overlooking Shoal Bay, Milly's Inn's holiday apartments are comfortable, clean and have all that you need (including full-kitchens). Rates in high-season are under $200/night.
 
• Spyglass Hill Villa Perched on the edge of North Hill, with endless views of Sandy Ground and even St. Martin, Spyglass Hill Villa is one of the island's gems. Famous architect, "Sugar George's" use of wood and warm hues throughout makes this villa comfortable and luxurious.
 
• Meads Bay Beach Villas Hidden by lush gardens, Meads Bay Beach Villas sits right on Meads Bay, though many have a hard time locating it from the beach! This boutique resort is intimate and private, with comfortable and nicely furnished villa units and five-star, personal service.

Top Spots to Grab a Quick Bite in The Low-Season...

• The Pelican Bar Want to eat and hang like a local? The Pelican Bar is THE place! Right on the beach of Island Harbour's fishing village, The Pelican Bar has cheap and good food and drinks, and friendly Anguillian company.
 
• Mary's Bakery Quick, affordable and convenient, Mary's Bakery offers a range of freshly baked goods and filling sandwiches.
 
• Tropical Treats A local favorite, Tropical Treats is famous for their homemade ice cream. Don't miss their sundaes and shakes, too!
 
• Sunshine Shack On the sand of Rendezvous Bay, staring out to St. Martin and the clear, blue Caribbean sea, it's hard to top the Sunshine Shack. The food is a little pricey, but the atmosphere is one of a kind, with Garvey Lake as your host. Sunshine really does beam from his sunshine shack!

Getting to Anguilla in the Low (and High) Season

The #1 rule when flying to Anguilla?

Don't fly to AXA (Anguilla's airport code), without pricing the route to SXM (St. Maarten's airport code).

Many major airports (New York's JFK, Boston's BOS, North Carolina's CLT, Miami's MIA, Paris' CDG, Amsterdam's AMS) fly direct to St. Maarten. St. Maarten is Anguilla's neighboring island that is just a 20 minute boat ride away.

Traveling to Anguilla via SXM is not only more affordable, it's faster too. Once you're in SXM, getting to Anguilla is a breeze.

Note: Getting from SXM to AXA is about to get easier with a new Anguilla pier located right outside of Princess Juliana International Airport. The pier is scheduled to open this month. Stay tuned for updates!

In the off-season months, airlines fly direct to St. Maarten a few times per week. The flights can be quite cheap, too. Daily flights will be added back as we get closer to the high-season.

Click for more info on how to get to Anguilla.

Meeting New People

Over the summer we had the chance to meet an interesting man, Mr. Bob Conrich.

Originally from San Francisco, Bob Conrich has lived in Anguilla for decades. He's extremely insightful and knowledgeable about Anguilla, and the entire region. He's an arbitrator here in Anguilla. Arbitration is a much less expensive, more timely and private way of settling legal matters.

You can read up about Bob Conrich and arbitration in Anguilla here...

• A primer on arbitration in Anguilla
• Details on Anguilla arbitration

Looking Back... Special Summer & September Memories

The highlight of the off-season is having beaches like Shoal Bay and Meads Bay entirely to yourself.

There were days when we were the only ones on shore!...

We even found a special sea treasure on an early morning Rendezvous Bay swim...

As for the evenings in the off-season? The sky never fails to amaze...

Lastly, foul weather. It's true that the off-season, specifically September and October, are high-risk months for hurricanes. Luckily, they have stayed at bay so far this year.

We only received a few "ripples" from Tropical Storm Isaac that passed to the South in late August...

An Exciting Month Ahead!

We are now onto October, which promises a little more action!

Favorites like Roy's, SandBar and Viceroy have re-opened. Dolce Vita opens tomorrow (Monday). CuisinArt opens next week (mid-October), and Cap Juluca opens next month (mid-November).

Elite and Ocean Echo are two new restaurants to the scene. Ocean Echo will fully open later in October. Reviews coming soon.

And, of course, at the very end of this month, we won't miss Pumphouse's famous Halloween party and the pre-Halloween party, dinner and festive fun with Jacquie Ruan at Ripples. Click for more on Halloween in Anguilla.

Happy Halloween From Jacquie Ruan!...

Until next time,
Nori