Anguilla will forever have a special place etched in my heart..it truly is a magical island, one that makes a lasting impression and one that you will crave going back the moment that you leave.
We recently visited Anguilla for the first time and to say that we had THE. BEST. TIME is an understatement. It's hard to put into words how an island, like Anguilla, can ignite your soul and make you have major wanderlust for your next adventure.
Our stay was rather short and we didn't even get to scratch the surface of this beautiful island so we have already agreed that we will return to Anguilla someday, hopefully in the near future.
We traveled to Anguilla to celebrate the marriage of two dear friends and during our time on the island, we were surrounded by a group of wonderful friends and some family too (Peter's parents were there as well).
Everyone who traveled to Anguilla for the wedding stayed at the
CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, which was absolutely beautiful!
I'm pinching myself that I didn't capture any images of our room (it was so spacious, the bed was beyond comfortable, it had the most gorgeous view, and the bathroom was what every girls dreams are made of). But I did my best to capture the property during our short stay there. Of course I also shot pictures on my phone of me and Peter, the wedding, our friends, etc but I didn't want to bombard you with too many images!
We were there in late April, which apparently is a slow time on the island. Lucky for us, that worked out perfectly because it felt like we had the resort to ourselves. We spent so much time on the beach and at times, we were literally the only beach goers in site. We couldn't help but feel like we were on our own private island. Of course we spent most of our time with family and friends but we did have several moments during our trip where we got to sneak away for some one on one time. We walked the beach every day and sometimes late at night too. It was so peaceful and serene.
Our very first night at the resort we had a wonderful meal at Italia, which is a restaurant on property. As you may assume, it was an Italian restaurant and the food was delicious! One of the things I love most about
CuisinArt is the Hydroponic Farm that they have on property. They grow much of their own produce and throughout our stay, many of the meal options that I selected included fresh fruits and vegetables from their farm. We were even greeted with a bowl of small tomatoes when we arrived and they were some of the best tomatoes I have ever had!
CuisinArt also has the most beautiful spa...27,000 feet of spa space...it is huge and they offer so many incredible services. I didn't have time to take advantage of the spa while on property but next time I will! I went on a tour and was so impressed with the spa facility so this will be top on my list when we return.
One of my other favorite meals was just a short walk down the beach to the Sunshine Shack! Talk about authentic island food. They make the BEST jerk chicken and jerk ribs. Peter and I were one of only 3 couples having lunch so it was such a genuine authentic experience. We set at a picnic table in the sand and ate our meal served on a paper plate while we looked out at the ocean. I love spots like this and we will absolutely return, probably a few times, when we visit Anguilla again. One day we plan to take Reins and Addison with us and show them where we signed their names on the ceiling of the Sunshine Shack!
Beyond relaxing on the beach/by the pool, eating delicious food, taking advantage of every miami vice we could find, and spending time with our family and friends, we didn't have much time for anything else. Our time was short but we enjoyed every moment that we were there!
I wanted to also share a couple of tips with you all. Traveling to Anguilla, depending on where you are traveling from, takes about a full day. From Nashville to Miami, Miami to St. Maarten, St. Maarten to Anguilla (by boat), taxi to resort, etc...it takes a good bit of time. We teased that we were on planes, trains, and automobiles (minus the train, add in a boat). If you every visit Anguilla, I highly recommend using
FunTime Charters to get from St. Maarten to Anguilla. The transfer was smooth, seamless, and the staff was very friendly. It is about a 30 minute boat right (on a speed boat) and it times it can be very choppy, so hold on tight!
You should also know that it is an expensive island to visit. Well worth the money but it is expensive. From the boat ride over, to the hotel room and nightly taxes, to the cost of food, to the tax you pay per person to leave the island, etc. you will need to plan accordingly and go into your trip knowing that you will be spending a good bit of money. You will also need to always double check your bills...they do add tip into each bill (they call it a surcharge) but essentially, it is the tip. We were caught off guard a couple of times when the staff told us that it wasn't the tip when in fact it was so just check everything. We knew that we would be spending a good bit of money going in so it wasn't a surprise to us but I could see how some may be thrown off by how much you end up spending. Plan ahead and save enough money so you can truly relax and enjoy your time while there!
Overall, I highly recommend visiting Anguilla and staying at the
CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa! We are already trying to plan our next trip back. I think next time we may island hop a bit...there is just so much to see and do!
Where will you be traveling to this summer?!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by...I hope you have a wonderful day!
