Anguilla is a beach island in a way that almost nowhere else in the Caribbean is. It is flat and dry, so there is no rainforest and no mountain view to distract from the coast — the beaches are the attraction, and they are not interchangeable. Some are two miles of swimmable sand; some are photogenic coves you would not want to swim in; the best two are not on the island at all.
Shoal Bay East
The one Anguilla is famous for, and the one that lives up to it: roughly two miles of white sand on the north-east coast with clear, shallow, reliably calm water and beach bars rather than resorts behind it. It is the best swimming beach on the island and the one to build a day around.
Three villas sit at Shoal Bay East: Alkera (sleeps 10), Villa Fiore (8) and Waves Villa (6). Note it is at the opposite end of the island from Shoal Bay West, which catches people out.
Meads Bay
A long, calm north-west beach and the most practical base on the island: excellent swimming, several very good restaurants within walking distance, and the densest concentration of beachfront villas. If you want one beach for the whole week without driving, this is it.
Villas on Meads Bay run from The Cottage (6) up to Kishti Villas (22), with The Beach House (16), Kishti East (12), Kishti West (10) and Frangipani (8) in between.
Rendezvous Bay
A long south-coast beach looking across the channel to St Martin, with calm shallow water and the best sunset view on Anguilla. Quieter than the north-coast beaches and particularly good with young children.
At Rendezvous Bay: Ocean Pearl (12), Songbird (10), Rendezvous Villa (10) and Villa Shiloh (8).
Barnes Bay and Long Bay
Two smaller north-west bays either side of Meads Bay, both calm and both quieter. Barnes Bay holds Cerulean (18); Long Bay is a protected cove with the Elements villas — Elements Sea (12), Elements Sky (10) and Elements Sand (10) — plus Nevaeh (20) and Santosha (16).
Little Bay, Limestone Bay and the coves
This is the category worth understanding before you book. Several of Anguilla’s most photographed beaches are small coves with surf, rock or difficult access — spectacular to look at, not places to put a five-year-old in the water. Limestone Bay on the north coast is the clearest example: beautiful, rugged, and not a swimming beach on most days. Sandcastle Villa (20) and Villa Azul (10) sit there, and both are excellent — just plan your swimming elsewhere.
The same applies along stretches of the north coast at Black Garden Bay, Elsie Bay and Long Pond Bay. Ask us about swimming conditions for the specific villa rather than judging from photographs.
Sandy Ground and Crocus Bay
Crocus Bay sits below the cliffs just north of The Valley and is the departure point for boats to the offshore cays. Sandy Ground, on the same stretch of coast, is the island’s harbour and the centre of its beach-bar and live-music scene — less a swimming destination than the place you go in the late afternoon.
The two best beaches are not on Anguilla
Sandy Island and Prickly Pear are uninhabited cays a short boat ride offshore, each with a beach bar and little else, and both are routinely rated above anything on the mainland. A half-day boat trip to one of them is the single best excursion on the island, and our concierge books it — along with Scilly Cay off Island Harbour, which operates seasonally.
If you take one boat trip during the week, make it this one.
Choosing a villa by beach
Beachfront on Anguilla means genuinely on the sand far more often than it does elsewhere in the Caribbean, so the question is which sand. For swimming every day: Meads Bay, Rendezvous Bay or Shoal Bay East. For a dramatic view with swimming a short drive away: the north-coast coves, the headlands at Lockrum, or Little Harbour on the south coast. Our where to stay in Anguilla guide covers all nineteen bays.
Book direct
We book every villa directly — no platform fees, one point of contact, and a concierge for chefs, boat trips to the cays, car hire, the ferry connection and restaurant reservations. Tell us how you want to use the water and we will match the villa to it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best beach in Anguilla?
Shoal Bay East is the most famous and the best for swimming on the island itself. Sandy Island and Prickly Pear, the offshore cays, are frequently rated higher still.
Which Anguilla beach is best for families?
Rendezvous Bay or Meads Bay — long, calm and shallow, with restaurants close by. Shoal Bay East is also excellent but a longer drive from most villas.
Are all Anguilla beaches swimmable?
No. Several north-coast coves are rugged with surf or rock and are better to look at than swim in. We confirm conditions for the specific villa you are considering.
How do you get to Sandy Island or Prickly Pear?
By boat, typically from Sandy Ground or Crocus Bay, as a half-day trip. It is the best excursion on the island and worth booking in advance in high season.
Is Shoal Bay East the same as Shoal Bay West?
No — they are at opposite ends of the island. Shoal Bay East is the famous two-mile beach on the north-east coast; Shoal Bay West is a quiet bay at the western end.
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