Picture this scene if you will.
You’re relaxing on a beautiful island. You look up and see turquoise water gently sliding up and down a utopian beach. Suddenly, you realize that there’s hardly a single person in sight.
Are you in Aruba? Jamaica? The Bahamas?
No! You’re in Anguilla, a British territory in the eastern Caribbean.
Now that you know where you are, it’s time to explore Anguilla’s pristine beaches.
But first let me warn you about something.
The beaches in Anguilla are so incredible that they may forever ruin other beaches for you.
In fact, after visiting it’s entirely possible that you’ll experience an insatiable need to fly to Anguilla every time you think about beaches…for the rest of your life. That’s just the price you pay.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the 3 best beaches in Anguilla.
Shoal Bay Beach
Shoal Bay is arguably Anguilla’s most famous beach, and for good reason.
This idyllic beach in northeast Anguilla is absolutely stunning and it features some of the most vibrant water in the entire Caribbean.
It was somewhat cloudy when I visited so the water had a slightly darker hue compared to certain photos online. Nonetheless, it was still magnificent.
Despite being Anguilla’s most popular beach, there aren’t too many people flocking to Shoal Bay (or any beach in Anguilla for that matter).
When you arrive at Shoal Bay you can pay to rent beach chairs for the day. If you get there before noon you’ll definitely be able to snag a front row spot.
You can even leave your chair to grab lunch at one of the many beachfront restaurants and nobody will take it. You paid for that chair so it’s yours! Just be sure to leave a book or towel to mark your territory.
While visiting Shoal Bay, I met two locals that rented out the beach chairs and snorkeling equipment. We talked about the hurricane that struck Anguilla in 2017 and the incredible recovery that had taken place on the island.
The owner told me that Shoal Bay Beach was much thinner before the hurricane and that the storm had more than doubled the width of the beach. Crazy right?
Rendezvous Bay Beach
Speaking of insane beaches in Anguilla, Rendezvous Bay is just ridiculous.
This beach is located on Anguilla’s southwestern end and overlooks the nearby island of Saint Martin. I sort of stumbled upon Rendezvous Bay one day and ended up spending the entire afternoon there.
There’s a small outdoor restaurant called Sunshine Shack that lets you use their beach chairs for free if you eat lunch there, which I would highly recommend doing.
The restaurant has a string of comfortable beach chairs underneath Rasta colored umbrellas. If this isn’t Caribbean enough for you, they also play relaxing reggae music throughout the entire day.
Whatever you end up doing in Anguilla, don’t miss out on Rendezvous Bay and the Sunshine Shack.
Out of all of the beaches that I visited in Anguilla, Rendezvous Bay was probably the nicest one. Surprisingly, it was also the least crowded.
Such is the way of life in Anguilla.
Meads Bay Beach
Just when you thought it wasn’t possible, there’s a third beach in Anguilla that’s just as nice as the first two!
Meads Bay is located on the northwestern part of the island and is flanked by numerous hotels and restaurants. Although Meads Bay seems to be the most crowded out of the three beaches in this list, it’s really not crowded at all.
The best part about Meads Bay is the diversity of restaurant options situated right on the beach. There are fancy restaurants such as Ocean Echo, Jacala, and Straw Hat as well as the popular yet casual Blanchards Beach Shack.
If you haven’t eaten lunch on a nice beach somewhere, have you really lived?
Anguilla Tourism
Anguilla is one of the least visited islands (with tourist infrastructure) in the entire Caribbean.
This lack of crowds coupled with the island’s striking beaches should give you a good idea why Anguilla is one of the better kept secrets in the Caribbean.
If you want to see unspoiled beaches, Anguilla is the place to go. Just don’t blame me if regular beaches are never the same again.
Accommodations: We recommend using Booking.com and Hostelworld for reserving accommodations. Both of these booking sites are easy to use and they feature a wide range of options. You can compare prices, view photos, and read reviews to help you find the perfect accommodation.
Here are some of our favorite hotels in Anguilla:
- Carimar Beach Club (Meads Bay)
- Malliouhana (Meads Bay)
- Frangipani (Meads Bay)
- Zemi Beach House (Shoal Bay)
- Belmond Cap Juluca (Maundays Bay)
Flights: We recommend using Kiwi to find cheap flights. Their interface is user friendly and they help you find the best deals on flights to any destination.
Travel Insurance: We recommend purchasing travel insurance from World Nomads. They’re one of the most trusted travel insurance providers and their plans cover a wide range of claims from overseas medical care to emergency evacuation. World Nomads will even allow you to purchase a plan if you’re already traveling abroad.
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I’m so glad I stumbled across your post! We are going to Anguilla next June and will definitely be going to these recommended beaches. Any suggestions for good spots to snorkel?
I think Shoal Bay beach actually has a reef that’s good for snorkeling! There’s a little shop there where you can rent gear also.
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Thanks for the kind words!
Anguilla is in fact one of the most beautiful places in the caribbean, these 3 beaches you mention are stunningly beautiful, but for the visitors, there are so many more to see and enjoy and personally, I think what makes Anguilla special is their welcoming people, they make you feel at home from the moment you step there for the first time, you can watch beautiful sunsets and if you are lucky enough, see double rainbows that will take your breath away. Thank you so much for your promotion to this beautiful place
Thanks for the awesome comment Malena! Yes I wish I could have spent time on more beaches (I did see Crocus Bay) but at least I got to see these three. And you’re right in saying that the people there are very welcoming, I feel the exact same way.
Having visited 25 different Caribbean islands, people always ask me which one we like best. Without hesitations, the answer is always Anguilla. We now travel there at least every other year. Incredible beaches, no crowds, no huge cruise ships, fantastic dining and the most friendly locals in the Caribbean. I would rank these three beaches as all being in the top 10 in the Caribbean. My order of best to third best – Mead’s, Shoal Bay East and Rendevous Bay. We have stayed at properties on all three.
I’m so happy to read your comment Tom! I’ve only been to Anguilla and St. Martin but I knew after researching that Anguilla would be the best island in the Caribbean for the exact reasons you listed. I stayed on Mead’s Bay while I was there and it definitely was beautiful!
Oh my goodness, these beaches are gorgeous! I’ve never been outside of the US before, though it’s making its way to the top of my to-do list. Great post 🙂
Thanks Megan, I appreciate you stopping by!
Great post
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Thank you Tia 🙂
What a nice post about those three beautiful beaches!
The Sunshine Shack sounds like my kind of place indeed!
Thanks for inspiring me to visit Anguilla.
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Thanks Fanuel, I’m glad that you’ve been inspired!
Oh wow, these beaches are so beautiful. I would adore going on a sandy beach again but in a wheelchair is kind of hard now, lol. 🌸💜
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Hi Alisha, they really are beautiful aren’t they! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Wowsers!!! I truly love an unspoilt beach and they are just breathtaking. I will spend this evening googling holidays to Anguilla
Thanks for the comment Sophie. Yes Anguilla is the king of unspoiled beaches!
These look gorgeous! I didn’t know Anguilla before now but I’ve added it to my travel bucket list 😍
Awesome! It’s definitely a great bucket list destination!
Never been to the Caribbeans so your whole post is like a dream to me. Really enjoyed all of the details!
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Thanks Tammy! I hope you’re able to visit someday 🙂
Wow you are literally living a dream of mine traveling lol. I’ve only been to DR and Jamaica thus far but heading to Barbados next month. I looked into Anguilla as well wasn’t sure if I should go as you mentioned it’s not a big tourist place but you convinced me lol it’s only my list again thanks for sharing
Hi Adrienne! Those all sound like great Caribbean destinations! If you go to Anguilla you’ll also be able to spend time in Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, which is another beautiful island nearby and it’s a bit more touristy. These two make a great combination trip 🙂
Wow! We’re certainly not without good beaches here on the Gold Coast but those three you wrote about look fantastic! Anguilla is on my travel list now. 😁
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Thanks for the comment! It’s hard to not put this one on your list 🙂
Oh wow, those beaches are absolutely stunning – gorgeous blue water, sandy beaches… I’d give anything to be there right now lol
And I’d give anything to go back there right now!
Gorgeous! The water and the beaches look amazing. I love the relaxing video – perfect for a mini meditation, thank you for including those!
No problem, I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the content! 🙂
Beautiful Post and such a pretty scenery!!! 🌸
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Thanks Jessica! Yes the scenery is breathtaking!
I’m actually trying to plan a short vacation and blam! Here comes your post. Were you off season? I get the hurricanes thinned the crowd, but I’m curious how busy or not it is in offseason. Some locations still are massively crowded and I don’t want a crowd. Looks fun though!
Hi Heather! I actually went during the high season believe it or not! I imagine that it’s a ghost island in the offseason. I think you could go at almost any time of the year and you’d still be avoiding the crowds! 🙂
So many great beaches to explore and the water looks absolutely dreamy! Crazy how the Shoal Bay beach was made wider from the hurricane! Need to put these places on my bucket list!
Looks like a fabulous time. What were your hotels like?
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My hotel was very nice, it was directly on the beach and I could step onto the balcony and see the ocean anytime. Thanks for the comment!
So beautiful! I would like to go visit one day!
Yes it’s very beautiful, I hope you make it there someday! 🙂