The Caribbean Island With 33 Beaches and Not a Single Cruise Ship
5 Reasons to Visit® · Caribbean
The Caribbean Island With 33 Beaches and Not a Single Cruise Ship
No cruise ships. No high-rises. No casinos. Just 33 beaches of powder-soft white sand and turquoise water — Anguilla is the Caribbean's worst-kept secret among those who know, and its hardest-earned one.
Advertisement
Anguilla is the Caribbean island that people who know the Caribbean save for last — and then never stop talking about. A flat sliver of a British territory at the northern edge of the Leeward Islands, it has quietly become the region's byword for "barefoot luxury," and it guards that reputation fiercely. There are no cruise ships here, no high-rise hotels, no casinos, and no mass tourism — just thirty-three beaches of impossibly powder-soft white sand, glowing turquoise water, and a food scene that punches absurdly above the island's size. It is, by design, one of the most serene escapes in the Caribbean.
Advertisement
The beaches are the whole point, and they are extraordinary. Anguilla's thirty-three stretches of sand range from the celebrated to the secret: Shoal Bay East, a two-mile ribbon of blinding white sand and vivid blue water regularly ranked among the best beaches on earth; sophisticated Meads Bay, lined with beach clubs and sunset restaurants; the long serene sweep of Rendezvous Bay looking across to St. Martin; and the perfect crescent of Maundays Bay. Strict building-height limits keep every one of them low-key and open — even in peak season, it's easy to find sand that feels nearly private.
For an island this small, the food is world-famous. Anguilla has an outsized culinary reputation, from the legendary beachfront institution Blanchard's to the barefoot ceremony of Sunday at Elvis' Beach Bar and the smoky ribs-and-crayfish glory of Johnno's fish fry at Sandy Ground. It's a place where a shack on the sand and a chef's tasting menu are both taken equally seriously, and where a long, salt-air lunch can easily become the whole afternoon.
Thirty-three powder-white beaches, no cruise ships, and barefoot luxury in the Caribbean.
Advertisement
The luxury here is the understated kind. Anguilla's resorts — Belmond Cap Juluca on its dazzling bay, the Four Seasons, boutique retreats like Zemi Beach House and Quintessence — trade flash for discretion, blending into the landscape rather than dominating it. This is "luxury without the signs of luxury," the antithesis of the glitzy, built-up Caribbean, and it draws travelers who want beauty and privacy over spectacle. Beyond the beaches, there's world-class snorkeling, sea turtles, limestone caves, and boat trips to uninhabited offshore cays.
Its greatest protection is how hard it is to reach. There are no direct flights from Europe or most of the U.S.; getting to Anguilla means flying into St. Martin and taking a short ferry across to Blowing Point, or a small plane. That deliberate inconvenience is precisely what has kept the island unspoiled while flashier neighbors grew crowded — the extra step filters out the crowds and preserves the calm. Anguillans like it that way, and so do the travelers who make the effort.
Anguilla is honest about being an upscale, low-key destination rather than a lively party island or a budget getaway — there's no nightlife scene to speak of, and reaching it takes a connection and a ferry. But that's the entire appeal. Thirty-three powder-white beaches, no cruise ships or high-rises, a world-class food scene, and understated barefoot luxury have made Anguilla one of the most coveted islands in the Caribbean. For the visitor willing to make the trip, it delivers the region's beaches at their most pristine and its pace at its most serene — the Caribbean the way it used to be.
Anguilla, Anguilla: FAQ
Is Anguilla worth visiting?
Yes, especially for travelers seeking beaches and tranquility over nightlife. Anguilla is a low-key British Caribbean island with 33 powder-white beaches (including world-famous Shoal Bay East and Meads Bay), turquoise water, a renowned food scene from Blanchard's to Johnno's fish fry, and understated luxury resorts like Cap Juluca and the Four Seasons. With no cruise ships, high-rises, or casinos, it's one of the most serene escapes in the Caribbean.
What is Anguilla known for?
Anguilla is known as the Caribbean's low-key 'barefoot luxury' island, famous for its 33 pristine white-sand beaches, turquoise water, and the absence of cruise ships, high-rise hotels, and casinos. It's also known for an outsized gourmet food scene, understated luxury resorts, world-class snorkeling, and being one of the region's most peaceful, best-kept-secret destinations.
How do you get to Anguilla?
Anguilla has no direct flights from most of the U.S. or Europe. The usual route is to fly into St. Martin (SXM) — which has many international connections — then take a roughly 20-minute ferry from Marigot or a shuttle to Blowing Point in Anguilla, or a short connecting flight. This extra step is part of what keeps the island uncrowded.
Does Anguilla have cruise ships?
No. Anguilla deliberately has no cruise ship port, along with no high-rise hotels and no casinos, and it enforces strict building-height limits. This keeps its 33 beaches uncrowded and pristine and is central to the island's reputation as a serene, upscale, low-key Caribbean escape.
Advertisement
