Anguilla is the long, flat island that fills the northern horizon from Marigot and Grand Case. It is a British Overseas Territory of around 15,000 people, with no cruise port, no casinos and no high-rise hotels — and a coastline of thirty-odd beaches that regularly top lists of the best in the Caribbean. The channel between the two islands is only a few miles wide.
That makes it the easiest foreign day trip from Sint Maarten. You can go independently on the public ferry from Marigot and take a taxi to a beach, or let a catamaran do the work: day sails from both sides of the island cross to Anguilla’s beaches and offshore cays with lunch and an open bar. Either way you will need your passport, and you will find that Anguilla drives on the left and prices things in US and Eastern Caribbean dollars.
Top things to do: Anguilla
Lie on Shoal Bay East
The island’s best-known beach is on the north coast, about 25–30 minutes by taxi from the ferry terminal: a long ribbon of powder-fine, very white sand with luminous water, a reef for snorkelling and a line of relaxed beach bars renting chairs. If you see only one beach on Anguilla, this is the usual choice.
Choose a closer beach
Rendezvous Bay, a huge arc of sand facing Saint-Martin, is only a few minutes from the ferry at Blowing Point. Meads Bay, further west, is lined with smart hotels and some of the island’s best restaurants. Both are quieter than Shoal Bay.
Sail to Prickly Pear or Sandy Island
The uninhabited Prickly Pear Cays, north-west of Anguilla, and tiny Sandy Island, off Sandy Ground, are classic catamaran stops: white sand, a beach-shack lunch and snorkelling over the reef. Day sails from Simpson Bay go to Prickly Pear without your having to set foot on the main island.
Eat well
Anguilla takes food seriously, from roadside barbecue and johnny cakes to grilled crayfish — the local small spiny lobster — at beach restaurants. Lunch is often the centrepiece of a day trip.
Listen to the music
The island has a strong live-music tradition, centred on a handful of beach bars at Sandy Ground and Rendezvous Bay. Most of it happens in the evening and at Sunday lunchtime.
How to get to Anguilla
- Public ferry from Marigot: boats leave the Marigot ferry terminal for Blowing Point roughly every 45 minutes during the day; the crossing takes about 25 minutes. You pay the fare plus departure taxes on each side, and clear immigration at both ends. Schedules and fees change — check locally the day before.
- Shuttle boats from the Dutch side: private operators run scheduled speedboats between a dock near Princess Juliana airport and Blowing Point. They cost more than the public ferry but save the drive to Marigot.
- By catamaran day trip: the simplest option, with everything included; departures from Simpson Bay and Anse Marcel.
- On Anguilla: taxis wait at Blowing Point and charge fixed zone fares; agree the return pickup time with your driver. Rental cars are available at the terminal (a local temporary licence is required).
Insider tips
- Take your passport — and check before travelling whether your nationality needs a visa for Anguilla, which has its own entry rules separate from both Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin.
- Budget for the extras: ferry fare, departure taxes in both directions and taxis add up, which is why an all-inclusive catamaran trip is often comparable in cost.
- The last public ferries back leave in the early evening. Do not plan on the final one.
- Sunday is very quiet on Anguilla; some restaurants close on particular weekdays. In September and October many businesses shut entirely.
- Cruise passengers: only attempt Anguilla on a long port call and with an organised tour that guarantees your return.
Best tours for Anguilla
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Anguilla:
Catamaran day trip from US$197 Anguilla South Full-Day Catamaran Cruise
A full day from Anse Marcel on the French side across the channel to Anguilla: open bar on board, snorkelling in very clear water and lunch ashore at a beach restaurant.
- Anguilla’s beaches by catamaran
- Open bar on board
- Lunch at a beachside restaurant
Catamaran day sail from US$135 Full-Day Catamaran Sail to Prickly Pear Cays
A whole day under sail from Simpson Bay to the Prickly Pear Cays off Anguilla — an all-inclusive day on board with a long stop at one of the most photogenic cays in the region.
- A 65-foot sailing catamaran
- Beach and snorkel time at Prickly Pear
- A swim stop off an Anguillan beach on the way back
