The island of Anguilla has beautiful beaches of soft white sand, its beaches are crystal clear with a predominance of blue colours that invite all aquatic activities, but this island offers much more, it has a history, traditions and a human warmth that deserves to be known. We invite you to discover more about this paradise island.
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Where is the island of Anguilla?
The island of Anguilla is located in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, it is a British Overseas Territory which means that it belongs to the British Crown but is not part of the United Kingdom, it is one of the British colonies that did not break away or vote to remain dependent on the United Kingdom.
Although the island of Anguilla is a colony, it is a self-governing territory, a status established by the United Nations (UN) so that interested peoples can initiate the administrative processes of decolonisation to abolish colonialism. The capital of the island of Anguilla is El Valle and its dimensions are 26 km long and 5 km wide, an area of 91 km2, it has a population of 15,500 people, the island has no rivers, there are some saltwater lagoons, it has 33 beaches, its borders are with the island of St Martin to the southeast and with the British Virgin Islands to the west.
The island of Anguilla can be reached by air, as Anguilla has an international airport called Clayton J. Lloyd, whose runway can accommodate medium capacity aircraft such as the Boeing 727 and 737. Most international flights from Europe stop at nearby islands such as Puerto Rico or St. Martin, as their airports can accommodate larger aircraft, from where tourists take another flight to the island of Anguilla; from the island of St. Martin, tourists can also take a ferry and arrive at the port of Anguilla in 20 minutes.
The island’s main economic activities are tourism, offshore banking, as the island does not levy direct taxes on bank deposits, and fishing; Anguilla imports almost everything it consumes. It is a fragile economy as the land is not suitable for cultivation and there is no industrial infrastructure to employ the workforce.
History of the island
The island was originally inhabited by the Arawak Indians, who were dedicated to the cultivation of corn, cotton, sweet potatoes and fishing. The original name of the island was Malliouhana, which means sea serpent, but in 1493 the navigator Christopher Columbus arrived on the island and named it Anguilla because of its elongated shape and resemblance to an eel.
The island of Anguilla was colonised by the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1650 and remained under its direct rule until 1825, when the administration of the island was transferred to the islands of St Kitts and Nevis, which were also under the tutelage of the United Kingdom. In 1666, the French occupied the island for a year before returning it to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Breda, signed on 31 July 1667 to end the wars between England, Holland, France and Denmark.
On 11 July 1967 the island held a referendum in which the decision to become autonomous was put to the people, and they won the referendum, but Britain did not accept the decision of the islanders. On 19 March 1969, British troops occupied the island, but there was no violence and the occupation lasted until 16 September 1969. In 1971, under the Anguilla Act, the island was administered by a British commissioner and a council whose members were all prominent people living on the island. In 1976, the island of Anguilla remained a British dependency but gained administrative autonomy through the efforts of Anguillan James Ronald Webster, a politician who was a member of the island’s council.
In 1980, the island of Anguilla formally separated from the associated state it had with the islands of Kitts and Nevis and became an associated state directly with the United Kingdom. In 1992, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), whose aim is to promote economic integration and cooperation among all its members in an equitable manner, accepted Anguilla as one of its associate members.
The island of Anguilla has a constitution which was adopted on 1 April 1982. The Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the Governor of the island is appointed by the Queen, there is a Head of Government who is appointed by the Governor, the Legislative Assembly is made up of eleven seats of which seven are elected by popular vote and four are appointed by the Governor for a five year term.
Things to do on Anguilla Island
There are many activities that can be done on Anguilla Island, among which we can highlight the following:
- Visit the Old Mill: This is where cotton was processed for export, it has been renovated and some of the machinery from that time has been preserved and is now the Anguilla Tourist Office.
- Old Fort at Sandy Hill: witnessed several wars between the British and French in 1796.
- The ruins of Sobrero Lighthouse: Built in 1868 but destroyed by Hurricane Donna in 1962, this lighthouse is a National Heritage Site and has appeared on stamps since the 1950s.
- The keeper’s place: In the 1970s this was the house where sugar was traded, there were sugar cane plantations on the site, later it was the house of the island’s administrator.
- Old Salt Works and Pump House: This was the place where the salt from the nearby salt mines was processed.
- Museums: If you want to immerse yourself in the traditions and culture of Anguilla, don’t miss the Wallblake
- House Museum and the Heritage Collection Museum.
- Hiking: As the island is 25 kilometres long it is very easy to go for walks and hikes, the island government has created the Anguilla Heritage Trail which is well signposted, there are many opportunities to discover picturesque places such as Savannah Bay to Mimi Bay which is a salt pond and rock formation, these trails also take you to the historic areas of Anguilla Island.
- Horseback riding: The island’s stables and horse rental services allow you to tour the entire island, other services are related to coastal riding both day and night.
- Visit the nesting sites of the green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles, this process takes place between the months of April and November.
- Visit the caves: In them you can do diving activities, among those that can be mentioned are Dropsey Bay Cave and Goat Cave.
- Dancing in the various clubs or bars such as the Red Dragon Disco.
- All the water and nautical activities that the island has to offer such as swimming, surfing, kite surfing, paddle surfing, water skiing, windsurfing, flyboard racing, sailing and canoeing.
Snorkelling
On the island of Anguilla you can practice many water activities, but the one that stands out the most is snorkelling, and this happens because all its beaches invite you to practice this sport, in almost all the beaches you can rent equipment to practice snorkelling.
The island has coral reefs and cays that surround it, these natural environments form lagoons of crystal clear water where you can observe marine flora and fauna, the most popular places for snorkelling are Junk’s Hole, Sandy Island, Bay East and Crocus Bay.
The island has seven marine parks, including some old shipwrecks, where snorkellers can observe marine life and experience a bit of the island’s history.
Other interesting snorkelling sites and modern shipwrecks to visit include a small island called Anguilita:
- A small island called Anguilita, located off the west coast of Anguilla, has three walls of coral and small caves inhabited by turtles, lobsters and manta rays.
- Authors Deep, another great snorkelling spot, is an area of black coral with a great depth and lots of small fish.
At Crystal Reef beach you can find hard and soft corals and live with angelfish, trumpetfish and crabs.
Heritage Museum
The Heritage Museum, a private museum run by local historian Colville Petty, preserves valuable information on the history, traditions and culture of the island, starting with the indigenous period, the British settlement, the slavery process and the social revolution of 1969.
The museum also emphasizes the history of the island, so the events and personalities that have marked the progress of the island, as well as events of great importance, such as the endemic diseases that affect a specific area, like malaria, which hit the population, there is an informative sample of the hurricanes that devastated the island, which were the activities that the slaves carried out and also includes geological information of the island, the museum has a lot of photographic material, utensils, tools and archaeological findings of its original inhabitants and the time of colonization.
Historic Churches
There is freedom of religion on the island of Anguilla. 90% of the population are Protestant Christians who worship as Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists, Adventists, Pentecostals and Church of God; 6% are Catholic and 3% are Rastafarian and 1% are of other religions such as Muslim, Hindu and Jewish.
Due to the multiplicity of religions there are many religious buildings, one of them stands out for its history and it is the San Gerardo Church located in the town of El Valle, it dates from 1948 but was destroyed by a hurricane in its foundations, another church was built in 1961 and was completed in 1966.
The Wallblake House Church, administered by the Roman Catholic Church, was the infrastructure that served as a support for the San Gerardo Church while it was being rebuilt, it dates back to 1787. The foundations of the Wallblake House Church are made of stone and the roof is made of wood and tiles, its exterior is covered with stone from the East End of the island of Anguilla, the joints that join the walls and roofs are made with a mixture of burnt coral, shells, molasses from sugar cane residues and marl, a rock composed of clay and limestone, this mixture acted as the cement of the time; the structure is declared a Heritage Monument.
Its best beaches
The island of Anguilla has more than 30 magnificent beaches, all of them public, some more popular than others, but most of them secluded and offering total relaxation, with calm waves that invite you to enjoy water activities such as diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, among others. Here is some information about a few of them:
Little Bay
Little Bay, is a small beach surrounded by cliffs, located on the east coast of the island, near the city, to reach it you have to go down with a cliff, so it is recommended for people with adventurous spirit and with good physical conditions, but if you do not have the physical conditions, you can hire a boat in the fishing village of Crocus Bay and they will take you to Little Bay, the boat ride takes about five minutes, when you arrive you will find flour soft sands, crystal blue waters and tranquility for total relaxation, the beach has small restaurants and snorkel rental services.
Maunday’s Bay
Maunday’s Bay, is a beach very popular with tourists because it is very close to the hotel chains, it is located in Manundays Bay south – southwest of the island of Anguilla, to get to it can go through some corridors established by the hotels that give direct access to the beaches without having to enter the hotel, its waters are clear and calm and its sands are white and silky, has a variety of restaurants, services chairs and umbrellas and offer services to practice water sports or diving.
Near Maundays Bay you can also enjoy the art gallery, the dolphin encounter service, the old salt factory, the old cotton mill, among other activities.
Mead’s Bay
Mead’s Bay is a very popular beach, close to several hotels, located in Meads Bay on the southwest coast of the island of Anguilla, is a quiet beach, with crystal clear waters and white sand, ideal for relaxing and swimming, Mead’s Bay, has no reefs and has no snorkel rental services. Along the shore you can enjoy the services of restaurants, sun loungers and awnings.
Near Mead’s Bay is the Devonish Art Gallery, a centre where owners Courtney and Carrole Dovonish exhibit and sell their ceramic sculptures, as well as local artisans, so you can see many sculptures of various sizes in wood and clay, as well as handmade jewellery and other items.
Rendezvous Bay
Rendezvous Bay is a beach very visited by tourists, it is near several hotels, in the place there is an interesting abandoned hotel and a kitsch beach pub, which is a tavern or lounge where local artists are presented and the assistants spend a time of amusing relaxation.
Rendezvous Bay, is located on the southwest coast of the island of Anguilla, its waters are crystal clear and its sands are very white, it is a very propitious place to spend it with the family since it has restaurants and if you prefer they take the food or some snacks literally to the edge of the beach, there are rental services of awnings and chairs, you can also rent diving or snorkelling equipment, if you love golf a few minutes away is the golf course CuisinArt Resort and spend a different moment.
Features of the island of Anguilla
The island of Anguilla is considered a paradise where the beaches are its main attraction, however the geography of this island is marked by the climate, flora and fauna present in the region, each of which is described below:
Climate
The predominant climate on the island of Anguilla is tropical with an average temperature of 27°C, the dry or hot season is from July to October and the cold season is from December to February with an average temperature of 26°C, the wettest months are September and October and the driest months are February and March.
The average number of tropical storms that hit the island is two per year. As for hurricanes, they arrive unexpectedly, but the hurricane months in the Antilles – Atlantic Ocean are from July to November. The most devastating hurricanes were Hurricane Luis in 1995, Hurricane Lenny in 1999 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. The water temperature is pleasant all year round, 28°C from June to November and 26°C from December to May.
Flora
As the island’s soil is limestone, it is very thin and the fertile layer is very fragile; there are no rivers, so fresh water is quite scarce. The predominant vegetation is sparse, with the characteristic of small bushes that do not cover the entire area where they are located, this type of vegetation is nourished by the salty conditions of the island and the xerophytes, such as cacti, which also develop in an environment where water scarcity and aridity are the predominant factors.
The fauna
The fauna of the island of Anguilla is very varied, it is inhabited by tree frogs originating from the island of Cuba, the green iguana and the species of green turtle, tortoiseshell and red-legged leatherback, the latter coming from South America, you can also see five species of bats, the Antillean, Jamaican fruit bat: Antillean, Jamaican fruit bat, Mexican and velvet-tailed free-tailed bats; among the birds there are the beach gull and the crowned pigeon; in the marine area there are an endless number of fish, dolphins, lobsters and manta rays.
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