My assignment: Go behind the scenes of Anguilla, a 35-square-mile island in the eastern Caribbean that ranks high on the list of uber-chic superstar hideaways.
I didn’t object. Who would complain about a winter trip to the British West Indies? Besides, Anguilla (rhymes with “vanilla”) has been generating a lot of buzz in travel magazines as a new luxury capital of the Caribbean, and a celebrity winter vacation destination of the year.
So I flew to Miami, then southeast three hours to the island of St. Maarten, then climbed aboard an interisland ferry for a 25-minute ride to this new Eden.
After all the hype, it was a shock to see how downright homely Anguilla is. It’s flat, dry and covered with scrub brush and brackish ponds.
In fact, it’s lacking the rudimentary qualities needed for World’s Favorite Island status: no cascading waterfalls, soaring volcanic mountains or luxuriant tropical foliage. There aren’t even many palm trees. And if you’re looking for a nightclub or casino or boutique shopping–forget it.
But those things matter little to Anguilla’s A-list guests, who have found other qualities to commend this island of 12,000 souls. Its beaches are narrow, but the sand is dazzling, as white and fine as powdered sugar. The sea is a brilliant turquoise. On shore are palatial villas for multimillionaire guests in search of serenity and seclusion.
In Anguilla, that can mean $1,000 a night for a standard hotel room and $75,000 a week at a villa such as Exclusivity, a 15,000-square-foot bluff-top mansion that was a favorite of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
“It’s very, very private,” said Terry Peck, Exclusivity reservations manager. “There’s a staff of 15, all of whom are trained to be invisible.”
Discretion is the maxim in Anguilla.
“It’s part of the appeal,” said Amelia Vanterpool-Kubisch, director of tourism. The island’s celebrity guests appreciate the anonymity. “They tell their friends and more come. They spend a lot of money.”
Unlike Anguilla’s high-profile guests, I was traveling on a budget. My options for staying at one of the island’s outrageously priced resorts–the kind celebrities prefer–seemed limited.
I groused about this to Wendi, a friend who didn’t hesitate before volunteering to come along. She needed some sun, she said, and if a star or two wandered onto a beach nearby, she would be even happier. We checked into Cap Juluca, where, we heard, actor Liam Neeson had just checked out.
The hotel, an “Arabian Nights” fantasy of Moorish towers and domes, is frequently chosen as one of the best in the Caribbean by travel magazines. We soon found out why.
We were taken through lush grounds to our room in one of the 18 villas spread along a mile-long crescent of sand and water. Some of the villas have bonuses: private towers that open to the sky–for sunbathing or whatever–or marble bathrooms that open onto private gardens.
The largest villas have five bedrooms, pools and butler service and cost $7,740 a night in high season, January through March. All have access to the beach, where attendants set up umbrellas and serve sorbets.
While Wendi sat on the beach watching for stars, I explored the island.
Anguilla–derived from the French word for “eel,” a reference to the island’s narrow shape–is 16 miles long and 3.5 miles wide. Other than 33 sun-swept beaches, there’s not a lot to see.
Away from the coast, small concrete-block homes dot the scrubby terrain, and goats graze on brush. The island is a low-key beachcomber’s paradise, with two stoplights, friendly residents and a laid-back attitude. Crime, although not nonexistent, is so rare that many doors have no locks.
Unlike many colonial regions, Anguilla was so happy under foreign rule that it fought to stay that way.
The English colonized it in 1650 but eventually found the soil too poor to support a plantation economy. Britain recommended an island union of St. Kitts, Anguilla and Nevis, but the Anguillans rebelled, causing English troops to intervene. Their island became a dependent territory in 1980.
“It’s not like some other places in the region,” said Victor Banks, minister of finance. “Anguillans own the shops, the banks, the businesses, and 95 percent own their own homes. They have power. And they like to share their island with others.”
Anguilla’s hospitable service, uncrowded beaches and high-end resorts have turned it into a Caribbean success story.
Construction of villas and hotel rooms is booming, the island’s first golf course–Temenos Golf Club with the course designed by Greg Norman–will be completed in November at a new upscale residential complex, St. Regis Resort, Temenos Anguilla, where homes start $1.4 million.
Last year, the island’s main runway was expanded to allow private jets to land. My island tour took me past some of the villas those elite guests occupy. I peeked inside, pretending I was a show-business mogul with $6,000 or so to burn nightly.
Altamar, a trio of houses on a deserted beach, ranked high on my list of wanna-stay places. The stark white villas have soaring open spaces, fitness centers, home theaters and double kitchens–“for people who like to entertain,” said a staff member. From there, I zipped over to Covecastles, a group of 15 villas. The luxurious beachfront homes are a geometric fantasy of high ceilings and beautiful views.
My drive eventually took me to The Valley, the island’s capital and its only real town. It is unassuming, with a few businesses, a police department and a hospital. The three cars at the stoplight on Coronation Avenue probably would be considered a traffic jam. I kept going, heading for Shoal Bay, the island’s best-known beach.
I had read quite a bit about Shoal Bay Beach, which, according to magazines, is home to the whitest sand on the planet. It’s also one of the few places that may be crowded. About 60,000 day-trippers from St. Martin/St. Maarten descend annually to snorkel and swim.
Rain and winds kept the crowds away the day I visited. But the hype was right: The sand is white and fine; the water clear and aquamarine, even with storm clouds overhead.
A refurbished all-suite resort called Ku opened in fall 2005 at Shoal Beach. I had heard it had reasonable prices, so I looked at a suite.
The resort isn’t elegant or grand, but it’s cool, with large rooms. There are full kitchens, and each suite is oceanfront or has an ocean view. It was still pricey, but the tab–from $295 per night in high season–was nearly half that of many places I checked.
“It’s totally different” from Cap Juluca, said Sue Ricketts, marketing director for Ku and Cap Juluca. “And it’s supposed to be different. We’re looking for a younger market, families with kids and teens, the children of the people who go to Cap Juluca.”
I wandered back out to the beach, where it was raining, and dived into Uncle Ernie’s beach stand for shelter.
While I munched on barbecued chicken and pigeon peas and rice, an island staple, Ernie Harrigan, 87, told me about life on Shoal Beach. And he took credit for Anguilla’s success as a tourist destination.
“I’ve been here 22 years, and I started it all,” said Harrigan, who may be the island’s most famous restaurateur, although his cuisine–ribs, lobster, crayfish, burgers–costs less than $10 per meal. Add $2 and he’ll serve you a Heineken beer.
Harrigan’s prices are bucking a trend. Anguilla’s wealthy visitors enjoy dining out and have no trouble finding restaurants that cater to their palates; $100 per-person dinners are common at Blanchard’s, Pimms and Oliver’s restaurants. But there’s a bonus to dining out here; the local restaurants can be a good place to see superstars.
Hibernia, a 13-table open-air restaurant at the eastern end of the island, specializes in French-Asian cuisine. Its guestbook is a who-who’s of island visitors: Robert De Niro, Kevin Kline, John Malkovich, Elvis Costello, Mariah Carey, Aidan Quinn, and Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.
It’s almost like being in Beverly Hills.
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IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE
There are no direct flights from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Anguilla, but American Airlines currently has a daily flight from San Juan to Anguilla and will add a second on Dec. 14. The airline also has daily service via Miami and San Juan to St. Maarten’s Juliana International Airport. A recent check showed a round-trip airfare in early November of $500.
Link Ferries connects Marigot on French St. Martin, to Blowing Point, Anguilla. A boat makes round-trips every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Tickets $12, with a $3 departure tax. Reservations are not necessary. The 6:15 p.m. ferry from Anguilla and the 7 p.m. ferry from St. Martin costs $15, plus departure tax. There also is service from Juliana airport on Dutch St. Maarten. Reservations are necessary, and prices vary depending on the number of passengers. For more details, call 264-497-2231 or see www.link.ai.
Taxi service is also available from the Dutch side to Marigot. Rates vary based on departure point. Figure about $15-$20 for a ride from Juliana airport to catch the ferry in Marigot.
WHERE TO STAY
Hotels add a 20 percent fee (10 percent service, 10 percent government tax) to bills; many require a minimum stay during high season or holiday periods. High season varies by resort, but generally starts around mid December and continues through early April. (CuisinArt, for instance, requires a 10-day stay during the Christmas holiday.) Hotel and villa prices are lowest during the steamy summer season, when they often decrease by about 50 percent.
Cap Juluca, P.O. Box 240, Anguilla; 888-858-5822, www.capjuluca.com. Fine service, accommodations and dining on Maunday’s Bay. Doubles start at $825 a night in high season.
Covecastles, P.O. Box 248, Anguilla; 264-497-6801, www.covecastles.com. Ultramodern beach houses and villas on a secluded shoreline at Shoal Bay West. Doubles start at $1,595 a night in high season.
CuisinArt, P.O. Box 2000, Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla; 800-943-3210, www.cuisinartresort.com. Take cooking classes while you relax at this high-end full-scale resort on beautiful Rendezvous Bay. Yes, it is owned by the same folks who brought you the kitchen appliance. Doubles start at $875 a night in high season.
Ku, P.O. Box 51, Shoal Bay East, Anguilla; 800-869-5827, www.kuanguilla.com. Refurbished all-suite beach resort opened in the fall of 2005. Doubles start at $295 a night in high season.
La Sirena Hotel, P.O. Box 200, Meads Bay, Anguilla; 264-497-6827, www.la-sirena.com. Travelers will find clean rooms at this informal budget-style motel. It’s not on a beach, but you can walk to one. You’ll probably need to rent a car to get around. Doubles start at $260 a night in high season.
WHERE TO EAT
Mango’s Seaside Grill, Barnes Bay, Anguilla; 264-497-6479, www.mangos.ai. Delightful open-air restaurant on the beach offers grilled and seared lobster, snapper and other seafood, pasta and chicken.
Tasty’s, South Hill, Anguilla; 264-497-2737. Fun murals and excellent island cuisine are found at this small, casual Anguillan-owned restaurant. Chef and owner Dale Carty has been featured in Bon Appetit and Travel + Leisure magazines. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Blanchard’s, Meads Bay, Anguilla; 264-497-6100, www.blanchardsrestaurant.com. Wonderful Caribbean flavors and decor at this pricey seaside restaurant. Many say it’s the best on the island. Lovely setting in a garden. Next month the owners will open a second restaurant–Zurra–at the new St. Regis Resort with a menu featuring Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Caribbean food. OTHER DETAILS
Anguilla is English-speaking and is two hours ahead of Central Standard Time. Cars are driven on the left side, as in Britain. There’s a $25 departure tax.
INFORMATION
Anguilla Tourist Board, Coronation Avenue, The Valley, Anguilla, BWI; 877-426-4845 or 264-497-2759, www.anguilla-vacation.com.
–Rosemary McClure
