Anguilla, British West Indies

Some helpful information about Anguilla

Language: English

Currency: US Dollar is accepted everywhere. Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC) is the local currency: 2.63 EC = $1.00 US

Temperature: 80ºF / 27ºC year round

Voltage: 110V – same plugs and voltage as in US, no need for an adapter

Time: 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (Fall and Winter); same as US in Spring and Summer

Local drivers license sold at rental car agencies for $20

A brief history of Anguilla – via Wikipedia

Anguilla was first settled by Amerindian tribes who migrated from South America. The earliest Native American artifacts found on Anguilla have been dated to around 1300 bc; remains of settlements date from ad 600.^[9] The Arawak name for the island seems to have been Malliouhana. The date of European discovery is uncertain: some sources claim that Columbus sighted the island during his second voyage in 1493, while others state that the island was first discovered by the French explorer René Goulaine de Laudonnière in 1564.^[10]

Traditional accounts state that Anguilla was first colonised by English settlers from Saint Kitts beginning in 1650.^[6][11] In this early colonial period, however, Anguilla sometimes served as a place of refuge and recent scholarship focused on Anguilla has placed greater significance on other Europeans and creoles migrating from St. Christopher,^[12] Barbados, Nevis, and Antigua. The French temporarily took over the island in 1666 but returned it to English control under the terms of the Treaty of Breda the next year. A Major John Scott who visited in September, 1667, wrote of leaving the island “in good condition” and noted that in July, 1668, “200 or 300 people fled thither in time of war.”^[13]

It is likely that some of these early Europeans brought enslaved Africans with them. Historians confirm that African slaves lived in the region in the early 17th century. For example, Africans from Senegal lived in St. Christopher in 1626. By 1672 a slave depot existed on the island of Nevis, serving the Leeward Islands. While the time of African arrival in Anguilla is difficult to place precisely, archival evidence indicates a substantial African presence of at least 100 slaves by 1683. These seem to have come from Central Africa as well as West Africa.^[14]

Attempts by the French to capture the island during the War of Austrian Succession (1745) and the Napoleonic Wars (1796) ended in failure.^[10]

During the early colonial period, Anguilla was administered by the British through Antigua; in 1825, it was placed under the administrative control of nearby Saint Kitts.^[10] In 1967, Britain granted Saint Kitts and Nevis full internal autonomy. Anguilla was also incorporated into the new unified dependency, named Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, against the wishes of many Anguillians. This led to two Anguillian Revolutions in 1967 and 1969 headed by Ronald Webster. The island briefly operated as the independent “Republic of Anguilla“. The goal of the revolution was not independence per se, but rather independence from Saint Kitts and Nevis and a return to being a British colony. British authority was fully restored in July 1971 and in 1980 Anguilla was finally allowed to secede from Saint Kitts and Nevis and become a separate British Crown colony (now a British overseas territory).^[3]

Great food, from 3 stars to roadside barbecue

Anguilla is celebrated for its inspired cuisine at many fine restaurants. It’s also easy to eat well on a budget. There are beach restaurants, roadside stands, and barbecue galore. Casual attire is accepted almost everywhere.

Large and small supermarkets, scattered throughout the island, carry food and household supplies, as well as wine and liquor. The best supermarkets are BEST BUY, LAKE’S, ASHLEY’S and PROCTOR’S – but SYD & PETE’S on the main road, across from the optical store on the way into The Valley, has a good assortment of food and is often open when nothing else is.

At night, live music is the entertainment of choice. Reggae, calypso and jazz bands perform at beach front venues throughout the island.

Click here to see our top picks

You’ll never be bored here

The island is 16×3 miles. Anguilla’s beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. ALL BEACHES, even in front of fine hotels, are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

So let’s go sailing, boating, snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, wake boarding, windsurfing, parasailing, kayaking, fishing, Anguillan boat races, cycling, motorbiking, horseback riding, and building sand castles!

No matter how much you love Calindius with its luxurious deck, 180º ocean view and private pool, you should explore a little! Grab a map of the island, rent a car and pick a beach – there are more than 30 of them all with sugar-fine white sand and turquoise water… succumb to Anguilla’s irresistible atmosphere!

Here's a google map of the Calindius on the Cliff's location on Anguilla.