Car Hire Anguilla - Mini guide to Anguilla

Located among the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, Anguilla has escaped the development and influx of tourists, and presents a perfect hideaway if you’re seeking an unspoilt island basking in sunshine.

The Valley, the island's only significant settlement, is a ramshackle, but curious, town with a few attractive old colonial buildings. Most visitors head for Sandy Grove, a lovely beach lined with restaurants, guest houses, and dive shops. The bay is dotted with yachts, and a large salt pond inland attracts a variety of birds.

The best beaches are found on the northeastern side of the island, Shoal Bay East is typified by gleaming white sand and turquoise water. Snorkeling here is also good and it’s sparsely developed. Shoal Bay West is less attractive. Meads Bay is another resort beach with a handful of hotels and a lovely mile-long sweep of white sand. It’s uncrowded and is also backed by a salt-water pond.

Island Harbour is a charming old fishing village, where locals go about their business scarcely disturbed by tourists. Anguilla has several fascinating caves, and the Big Spring, located nearby, is worth checking out. Another similar site, known as the Fountain, has scores of Amerindian petroglyphs and was formerly used for worshipping gods.

Off shore are a number of remote islands, which you can visit by chartered boat and enjoy all to yourself if you’re lucky. Sandy Island has good snorkeling, there are also the Cays, consisting of Prickly Pear Cay and Scilly Cay.

If you’re looking for action, Anguilla isn’t the place to find it; people come here for peace and quiet to escape the clutter of nearby St. Martin. The island is relatively dry and flat so there’s little to do except bask in the sun and enjoy a rum punch.

Anguilla’s international airport only receives flights from St. Martin, Antigua, St. Kitts, or St. Martin. But connections to U.S. and European destinations are numerous. There’s also a ferry from Marigot Bay in St, Martin.