Shhhhh!! Let’s keep authentic and luxurious Anguilla our little secret

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It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find that off-the-beaten-path, away-from-the-maddening-crowds Caribbean vacation destination that ticks all your boxes.

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Difficult, yes, but not impossible.

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If you can keep a secret, let me introduce you to the sparkling jewel that is Anguilla, a tiny and largely unknown island that features some of the finest azure water, softest white-sand beaches and most lip-smacking culinary delights you will ever find in this part of the world.

Anguilla, a 91-square-kilometre slice of heaven that is a British Overseas Territory in the eastern Caribbean and the northern neighbour of a popular destination for Canadian sun-seekers, St. Martin/St. Maarten, is a place you want to visit if you’re looking for an upmarket vacation.

Especially a getaway that involves little more than chilling on the beach with a good book and cold drink; a luxurious romantic weekend without the kids; or a combination of those where every day ends with a delicious meal served steps from the beach and the soothing sounds of the surf.

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Keep in mind that tourism as an industry is still relatively new in Anguilla — it only opened its doors about 40 years ago but now makes up a major part of the economy — and it’s one of the least accessible islands in the area, with flights from Miami into tiny Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport a recent development. But it’s also popular with A-list celebrities and athletes, with the likes of Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake (he wrote a song about the island!), Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio and LeBron James all enjoying its laid-back and friendly atmosphere.

Sure, Anguilla has been popular with the rich and famous in recent years but, frankly, the locals don’t give a damn who you are — they treat everyone the same, celebrity or not, and service always comes with a smile.

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Authentic might the best way to describe rustic but visually stunning Anguilla as a whole.

The country has exactly six traffic lights. There is no major highway running the length of Anguilla. Personal watercraft have been banned in favour of wind-powered watersports. Away from the large resorts, you’ll note the absence of flashing, lighted signs enticing you to a restaurant. Tourist traps and souvenir shops are kept to a minimum. The roads probably need a bit of work — don’t expect a major upgrade any time soon, locals and most visitors love things as they are — and the maximum speed limit is 50 km/h.

Heck, even Anguilla’s capital, The Valley, has no real downtown you can stroll around, no walkable central shopping area. But the infrastructure, which is slightly stunted compared to Canada, doesn’t seem to bother anyone and will have zero impact on your stay.

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We started our short visit to Anguilla with a driving tour that hit the highlights, like Wallblake House, a former sugar and cotton plantation built in 1787 and believed to be the oldest structure on the island, St. Gerard Church (the original and, right next door, the newer version), the Old Courthouse that sits atop Crocus Hill, the highest point on the island, and was used until it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1955 and got an incredible panoramic view of Sandy Ground and its horseshoe-shaped beach.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the great outdoors is a significant part of the attraction of Anguilla.

Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Anguilla’s rugged beauty is part of the experience, with its harsh limestone and coral shoreline and soft, sandy beaches the star attraction. And there are a number of ways to enjoy the picturesque seascape.

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On a couple of occasions we took to the water, which offers some incredible sights. An hour of night kayaking in Crocus Bay, with the friendly folks at Liquid Glow, allowed us to quietly float among sea turtles as they foraged for a meal. With clear plastic — and lighted — kayaks that let you watch the turtles swim nearby, the experience is magical.

Another popular water excursion is to take a boat to Sandy Island, a small cay north of the mainland with a bar and beach grill. As part of our relaxing, four-and-a-half-hour tour with Legacy Charters, which also included a brief stop to snorkel in the same spot we’d kayaked among the sea turtles, we stopped at Sandy Island for lunch and I had my favourite meal — crayfish (think slightly smaller lobster, with sweeter meat) grilled on a drum pan barbecue.

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If your idea of adventure is more extreme than dining on a tiny island, you should definitely hike to Goat Cave with Quest Experiences to see one of Anguilla’s hidden delights. The final destination is unlike anything I’ve seen before, a seaside opening that features a plunge pool where you can enjoy a quick dip. Traversing across rocky, jagged limestone isn’t for everyone (wear proper clothing for rock climbing and bring gloves!), though, and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone with balance/mobility issues.

Quest can also facilitate a much more laid-back experience, a rum tasting with Glo’s Flavoured Rum, a locally made product that is the brainchild of retired bartender Gloria Leveret, at your hotel. Gloria started the business with six flavoured rums but has expanded to 21 lip-smacking varieties, including banana, passion fruit, pineapple, mango and guavaberry.

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So if you are looking to sit in the sand while sipping a cold drink under bright blue skies or exploring the offshore beauty of an island, Anguilla will fit the bill. But let’s keep it our little secret.

WHERE WE STAYED: The five-star Malliouhana Resort, tucked away on an isolated bluff above Mead’s Bay and Turtle Cove on the northern side of the island, was the first of its kind in Anguilla and considered the grande dame of its luxury establishments.

And with good reason.

Opened in 1984 and renovated and reimagined twice in the last decade, the iconic Malliouhana (once the name of Anguilla in the Arawak language) was originally the vision of British businessman Leon Royden, reportedly a friend of billionaire tycoon Aristotle Onassis, and his wife Jackie, the widow of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Diving helmets once owned by Onassis, according to resort staff, occupy a place of honour in the Malliouhana’s lobby.

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Today, the 10-hectare resort boasts 63 rooms and suites, three white-sand beaches, the outstanding Celeste restaurant that overlooks the sparkling Caribbean and is open for breakfast and dinner, two freshwater infinity pools, private poolside cabanas, Bar Soleil (which is steps away from the pools and also serves finger food like burgers and tacos as well as salads and sweets), a spa and fitness centre with complimentary yoga classes, tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, a kids’ club, gift shop and beach shack/bar Leon’s, which denotes the western edge of the resort, and some of the friendliest staff you will ever encounter.

The rooms — I was allotted an ocean-view room on the third floor — were spacious, well appointed (the TV is inconspicuously integrated into a large mirror and the well-stocked mini bar is hidden away) and included a large terrace, perfect for that morning coffee or watching another magnificent sunset with the resort’s signature rum punch.

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Keep in mind that Malliouhana, which has been nominated for the prestigious TRAVEL + LEISURE 2024 World’s Best Awards, typically closes in late August or early September every year and reopens Nov. 1. Unlike many other luxury hotels, Malliouhana does not charge a resort fee.

Seaside villas are also plentiful and available to rent if you, or your group, are looking for even more privacy.

WHERE TO EAT: Anguilla has too many great places to dine in to name them all, never mind try them all, but we were treated to a few excellent eateries, including Celeste at the Malliouhana.

We stopped for lunch at E’s Oven in South Hill, a local fave named after the owner’s late mother, who prepared meals in a traditional outdoor oven that once stood where the bar is. I tucked into an island favourite, curried Anguillan goat with rice and beans.

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Dinner at Barrel Stay, one of the oldest restaurants in Sandy Ground and just steps from the surf, was another chance to stray from my usual Caribbean seafood fare. The pan-seared duck breast was outstanding but Barrel Stay, which leans toward French and seafood cuisine, also serves an incredible red snapper dish. Oh, and staff will also tell you they make the best rum punch on the island.

Shoal Bay’s Tropical Sunset, another beachside restaurant, was a great place to enjoy lunch, with amazing views of the sand and sea. The coconut shrimp dish was delicious but the whole local snapper is well worth ordering.

I probably had the best filet ever at D Richard’s steakhouse, on the property of the Greg Norman-designed, 7,165-yard, par 72 Aurora International Golf Club (voted third best in the Caribbean). The restaurant and golf course are part of the upscale Aurora Anguilla Resort, which just expanded with a water park and entertainment complex. The Aurora International is the island’s only full-sized course but the property also includes the nine-hole Avalon Links short course and all the amenities you’d expect.

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Our final meal on Anguilla was at Hibernia Restaurant and Art Gallery in Island Harbour, a French-Thai-Japanese-influenced outdoor venue that has been around since 1987. The crayfish, this time in a basil and coconut milk Thai casserole, did not disappoint.

A few locals I surveyed touted Sharky’s and Mango’s Seaside Grill as their go-to restaurants but, unfortunately, we never got the chance to try them. Maybe you will.

HOW TO GET THERE: There are no direct flights from Canada to Anguilla, unless you have access to a private jet. American Airlines flies to Anguilla with connections through Miami. It’s probably easier, though, to fly into St. Maarten and either take a public or charter ferry — we used Funtime Charters — to Blowing Point (the new Anguilla ferry terminal; it’s a 20-30 minute trip) or fly a local airline to Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport on Anguilla, which is an eight-minute trip. If you go either route, you will need to clear customs in St. Maarten and Anguilla, but it’s a relatively quick process.

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HOW TO GET AROUND: Renting a car is one option but remember they drive on the left side of the road in Anguilla, a throwback to the British colonial days, and you must buy a temporary Anguillian licence (US$28) to drive on the island. Renting a moke, a cross between a Jeep and a golf cart, can be a fun way to see the sights. Taxis are easy enough to arrange, though, and are probably be the best way to go.

NEED TO KNOW: Regardless of how you get to Anguilla, you will need to pay a departure tax. If you depart from Blowing Point to the St. Maarten ferry terminal, the tax is US$36; from Clayton J. Lloyd airport, it is US$28. The tax can be paid in cash or credit card … The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the official currency of Anguilla but U.S. greenbacks are accepted everywhere.

dpollard@postmedia.com

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