Island Dreaming: The allure of Anguilla
The Island Runaways' one regret about our recent trip to St. Maarten/St. Martin? That we didn't make it to the nearby island of Anguilla. Mark it down to sheer vacation laziness, or our enjoyment of exploring St. Martin, but we did not take the ferry to see vistas like this:
(Cap Juluca on Anguilla. Photo by Tiarescott, Flickr.)
Our friend Brian, a professional photographer and videographer of Sun King Studio fame, had set us a mission: visit Scilly Cay restaurant in Anguilla and bring him a good shot of conchs. Not only does Brian have a bit of a thing for conchs, he has also captured the beauty of many Caribbean islands and has circumnavigated the world on photo shoots, so if he recommends Anguilla, well then, that's a recommendation that Zickie and I take seriously.
(Conch shell on beach. Photo by Flowizm, Flickr.)
Not only had Brian set us a quest, the ferry from Marigot, the capital of French St. Martin, to Anguilla takes only 20 minutes! Yes, you have to arrive in advance, and remember to bring your passport, but these are hardly insurmontable obstacles in order to reach a tropical paradise.
(The serene beauty of Anguilla. Photo by Alan Turkus, Flickr.)
Meanwhile, my (Laura's) cousin Matt had tagged Anguilla as the island he most wanted to visit in 2015. So, what exactly IS Anguilla? It's an overseas territory of Great Britain, just north of St. Martin and east of Puerto Rico. This tiny slice of heaven isn't large: only 16 miles long by 3 miles wide. It's known as a Caribbean destination that has stayed true to its soul and authentic island roots.
(Anguilla, Anguilla... Photo by Aurimas, Flickr.)
On the other hand, I hear that Anguilla is definitely not a budget destination; in fact, it trends toward the upscale. Taking a ferry from St. Martin would have been a fairly easy, low cost way to day-trip and see this enchanting place for ourselves.
(Please come again...we wish! Photo by Tiarescott, Flickr.)
We were going to take the ferry over our next-to-the-last full day, then our last-full-day in the islands, but at some point, Zickie and I looked at one another and said, "Would you rather just stay here in St. Martin?" We'd reached that point on any island escape when you really and truly start to relax. We'd discovered some beautiful beaches like Grand Case and Baie Rouge where we could truly decompress and where the ocean wasn't rough so you could paddle around in a happy daze. Why leave?
But we knew we were missing out, by not seeing Anguilla. Hopefully, there will be another chance to explore this gorgeous, remote spot in the tropics. Someday...
Have you ever been to Anguilla? If so, hope you will share a photo with us on Facebook -- and make us jealous! Cheers, fellow island runawyas.