Anguilla

The Island of Anguilla is located a 20 minute ferry ride from the island of St Marten. It is a long, narrow island - 17 miles long and 3 miles at it's widest. With over 30 gorgeous white sand beaches, Anguilla is paradise for boaters or trekkers, on the shore or off.

We arrived in the early morning, the green mountains of St Maartin on our left - and the rugged shoreline of Anguilla to our right. We headed to Road Bay, where we proceeded to do our check in with customs, which was relatively painless. We then inquired about a taxi so we could go into "The Valley" - the main town located in the centre of the island. A kind local told us that it was cheaper to rent a car for the day - should we wish to explore the island at our leisure. This we did - and paid under $60 US for the privilege! Aside from having to remember to drive on the "other side" of the road (being Canadian!) the driving on the island was a breeze!

There are some lovely views of the ocean from most of the island, with beautiful white sand beaches strewn throughout. The atmosphere on the island seemed very laid back, the locals friendly and helpful. The town of `The Valley`is an off-shore banking mecca - and there is more than a few obvious signs of wealth on the island - large homes, expensive cars - and the people dressed to `kill`with big brand designer suits and high heels so high that you would need to train with Cirque Du Soleil for a year to learn to walk upright!

Back at Road Bay - we realised that every business on the beach was closed - Monday being a day off for the local workers and owners. We enjoyed the evening on our boat - and to our surprise - a few of the bars opened after dark and the sounds of partying went on through out the night!

 

 

Anguilla Information from Wikipedia

(pronounced ang-GWIL-ə) is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 26 km (16 mi) long by 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The island's capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 102 km2 (39 sq mi), with a population of approximately 13,500 (2006 estimate). Anguilla is a flat, low-lying island of coral and limestone in the Caribbean Sea, east of Puerto Rico.Anguilla is noted for its spectacular and ecologically important coral reefs. Apart from the main island of Anguilla itself, the territory includes a number of other smaller islands and cays, mostly tiny and uninhabited. Some of these are:

• Anguillita
• Dog Island
• Prickly Pear Cays
• Sandy Island
• Scrub Island
• Seal Island
• Sombrero, also known as Hat Island

Climate

Anguilla has a tropical though rather dry climate, moderated by northeast trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. Average daily maxima range from about 27 °C (81 °F) in December to 30 °C (86 °F) in July. Rainfall is erratic, averaging about 90 cm (35 in) per year, the wettest months being September and October, and the driest February and March. Anguilla is vulnerable to hurricanes from June to November, peak season August to mid-October.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	28 (82)	28 (82)	28 (82)	28 (82)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	28 (82)	30 (86)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26 (79)	26 (79)	26 (79)	27 (81)	27 (81)	28 (82)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	27 (81)	26 (79)	27 (81)
Average low °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	26 (79)	26 (79)	26 (79)	26 (79)	26 (79)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)
Precipitation cm (inches)	7 (2.8)	4 (1.6)	4 (1.6)	7 (2.8)	9 (3.5)	7 (2.8)	8 (3.1)	11 (4.3)	11 (4.3)	9 (3.5)	11 (4.3)	9 (3.5)	102 (40.2)

(from Wikipedia)