Anguilla has a reputation problem. People hear "the Caribbean's quiet luxury island" and picture a five-figure hotel bill and a dinner menu with no prices printed on it. There is a version of the island that looks like that — mostly behind the gates of a few resorts on Maundays Bay.
The other version is wide open. Thirty-three public beaches, no cruise ships, no casinos, no towers blocking the sand. The luxury here is space and silence, and most of it costs nothing. You just have to know where the money actually matters.
This guide is for travelers who want the good version: boutique guesthouses instead of mega-resorts, beach shacks instead of tasting menus, and a daily budget that stays under $300 without gutting the fun.
The At-a-Glance Snapshot
- Best time to visit: mid-April to mid-July (dry weather, rates drop 30–40% after Easter) or November. August is Carnival — loud, fun, and the cheapest month of the year.
- Typical daily budget: $220–$320 / €200–€300 per person, covering a boutique guesthouse, a rental car, and two meals out.
- Getting around: rent a small car or a Moke. Taxis charge per person and per bag, and there is no ride-share on the island.
- Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), but US dollars are accepted everywhere. $1 USD ≈ $2.70 XCD.
- Vibe: barefoot and unhurried. Nobody dresses for lunch. Everyone dresses a little for dinner.
1. Shoal Bay East: The $10 Postcard
Shoal Bay East is the beach you've seen in every Anguilla photograph — a long crescent of powder sand with a reef close enough to snorkel from shore. The beach bars along it never got too big for their own good.
Here's what budget travelers get wrong: they assume a beach this famous belongs to a resort. It doesn't. Public access is everywhere, parking is free, and a chair plus umbrella runs $10–$20 for the day at the family-run spots.
- Neighborhood: Northeast coast, 15 minutes from The Valley.
- Cost: free entry; $10–$20 / ~$11–$22 USD for chair and umbrella; snorkel rental around $10.
- Best time: 8–10am for an empty beach, or after 3pm once day-trippers from St. Martin head home.
- Getting there: 20 minutes by rental car from Blowing Point; park behind the main bar cluster.
Insider tip: Walk 300 feet east of the busiest bar before renting a chair. Same sand, half the people, and a much easier entry to the reef.
2. Meads Bay and the Boutique Hotel Play
Meads Bay is where Anguilla's boutique scene makes the most sense. You get a mile of swimmable beach, a handful of small hotels that top out around 60 rooms, and a walkable strip of restaurants so you don't need a car at night.
Book a small property instead of a resort. Frangipani Beach Resort and Carimar Beach Club sit right on the sand, and Anacaona Boutique Hotel is the value pick — usually $180–$280 a night in shoulder season, with a pool and a five-minute walk to dinner.
- Neighborhood: West End, between Long Bay and Barnes Bay.
- Cost: rooms $180–$500 / ~$200–$550 USD per night in shoulder season; beach access free.
- Best time: April through July for rates; sunset for the swim, since the bay faces west.
- Getting there: 10 minutes from the Blowing Point ferry on the main road; most hotels have parking.
Insider tip: Book direct and ask about the week between April 15 and May 15. Same weather as high season, meaningfully lower rates, and no minimum-night traps.
3. Sandy Ground: Rum Punch, Boat Races, and the Sandy Island Ferry
Sandy Ground, also called Road Bay, is the island's harbor and its living room. Fishing boats on one side, a string of bars on the sand on the other, and the only strip of restaurants that stays lively when the rest of Anguilla has gone quiet.
This is where the budget math works hardest. Elvis' Beach Bar is a thatch-roof institution with live music and rum punch around $8. Johnno's next door has been pouring since the 1980s. The little boat out to Sandy Island — a sandbar with one restaurant on it — leaves from the dock for about $10 round trip.
- Neighborhood: Road Bay, west coast, 5 minutes from the Blowing Point ferry terminal.
- Cost: rum punch $8–$12 / ~$9–$13 USD; Sandy Island boat $10 round trip.
- Best time: late afternoon into evening, especially during a boat race or a live music night.
- Getting there: walkable if you're staying nearby; otherwise 10 minutes by rental car.
Insider tip: Sandy Island's kitchen is good but expensive — $40–$60 a head. Take the 11am boat over for a drink and a swim, then eat lunch back on shore for a third of the price.
4. Little Bay: Cliff Jumps and a $10 Boat Ride
Little Bay is a pocket cove tucked under a limestone cliff on the north coast, reachable only by boat or by scrambling down a rope. There's a mooring buoy, a sliver of beach, and a cliff jump that looks insane from the water and is really about 20 feet.
The budget route: drive to Crocus Bay, find the small boat at the dock, and pay a few dollars each way for a two-minute ride. Kayaks are also available for $20–$25 an hour if you'd rather paddle.
- Neighborhood: North coast, between Crocus Bay and Limestone Bay.
- Cost: boat $5–$10 each way / ~$5–$11 USD; kayak rental $20–$25 per hour.
- Best time: morning, before the north swell builds and the snorkel tours arrive.
- Getting there: park at Crocus Bay and ask at the dock — the boat runs whenever someone wants to go.
Insider tip: Bring water shoes and check the north swell forecast before you commit to the jump. Locals skip it on rough days, and so should you.
5. Rendezvous Bay: Garvey's Sunshine Shack and the Dune Preserve
Rendezvous Bay is a two-mile sweep of sand with the best view of St. Martin across the water, and it holds two very different beach bars. Garvey's Sunshine Shack is picnic tables, grilled lobster, and rum punch at lunch. The Dune Preserve next door is Bankie Banx's driftwood music venue — part bar, part sculpture, entirely its own thing.
Both are casual about dress codes and easy on the wallet. Lunch at Garvey's runs $20–$35 with a drink; drinks at the Dune are $8–$12. That's the whole budget for a very good afternoon.
- Neighborhood: South coast, west of Sandy Ground, 12 minutes from Blowing Point.
- Cost: free beach; lunch $20–$35 / ~$22–$39 USD; drinks $8–$12.
- Best time: 11am–3pm for lunch and swimming; sunset for music at the Dune.
- Getting there: rental car only — no bus service, and taxis are scarce after dark.
Insider tip: Garvey's often closes on Mondays, and the Dune shuts early on weeknights in low season. Call before you drive across the island — this is the one place visitors get burned.
6. The Valley and West End: Crafts, a 1765 House, and Real Boutiques
The Valley is the capital and small enough to walk in 20 minutes. Wallblake House, a restored 1765 plantation house, is the oldest building on the island and opens for short tours a few mornings a week for around $5. It isn't a polished attraction — it's a real old building with real history and usually one person on duty.
For actual boutique shopping, head to Cheddie's Carving Studio in the West End, where a local carver works in island stone and wood. A small piece starts around $30 and browsing is free. The Devonish Art Gallery on the coast road carries local painting and photography, most of it priced for people who don't own a yacht.
- Neighborhood: Wallblake House sits in The Valley near the airport; Cheddie's is in the West End.
- Cost: Wallblake tour ~$5 / ~$5.50 USD; studio visits free; carvings from $30.
- Best time: weekday mornings — the house keeps limited hours and closes on weekends.
- Getting there: both sit on the main road, about 10 minutes apart by car.
Insider tip: Cash talks in the studios. A friendly question about price on a piece over $100 usually gets you 10% off and a story about where the stone came from.
Where to Eat and Drink Nearby
Blanchards Beach Shack — Meads Bay
The casual, toes-in-the-sand sibling of the famous Blanchards next door. Order the fish tacos and a cracked coconut, and sit at the picnic tables facing the water. Lunch lands around $15–$25 / ~$16–$28 USD, which is the best value fine-kitchen cooking on the island.
Ken's BBQ — Sandy Ground
A roadside grill turning out ribs and chicken with rice, peas, and johnny cakes for $12–$16 / ~$13–$18 USD. It's a takeaway window rather than a restaurant, so grab your plate and eat it on the sand. Go before 2pm; when the ribs are gone, they're gone.
Tasty's — The Valley
Beloved for johnny cakes and saltfish, and the closest thing Anguilla has to a national breakfast. Expect $8–$15 / ~$9–$17 USD for a plate that keeps you full past lunch. Cash is easier here than card.
Practical Logistics and Budget Tips
Getting there without overspending
The public ferry from Marigot, St. Martin to Blowing Point takes about 25 minutes and costs roughly $20–$25 USD one way plus port fees, running hourly through the day. Fly into St. Maarten, taxi to Marigot (around $20–$25), and you've saved the cost of a connecting flight. Small planes into Anguilla's own airport run $80–$150 if you'd rather skip the boat.
Transport on the island
Rent a car for $45–$70 a day — you'll need a temporary Anguilla license, issued at the rental desk for around $25. Taxis are metered per person and per bag, which quietly doubles your transport budget on a two-week trip. Buses exist from The Valley but are infrequent and won't get you to most beaches.
Money-saving habits that actually work
- Eat your big meal at lunch. Many upscale kitchens serve the same dishes at nearly half the dinner price.
- Skip hotel breakfast — $30–$40 per person for eggs. Stock up at Best Buy supermarket in The Valley and eat on your balcony.
- Rates include a 10% service charge plus government accommodation tax, so budget above the quoted room price.
- Many smaller places close on Sundays. Plan your big beach day around it.
What to skip
Don't build a trip around Scilly Cay — it has had long unexplained closures and you'll waste a morning finding out. Skip the $90 resort sunset cruise in favor of a $10 Sandy Island boat ride, and be skeptical of any "island tour" that charges per person for a route you can drive yourself in three hours.
One honest heads-up: August through October is hurricane season. Rates bottom out and the island empties, but buy travel insurance and keep your plans flexible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Anguilla expensive to visit?
It can be, but it doesn't have to be. A couple can travel comfortably for $350–$450 a day total by choosing a boutique guesthouse, renting a car, and eating their main meal at lunch.
What's the cheapest way to get to Anguilla?
Fly into St. Maarten and take the public ferry from Marigot to Blowing Point, which runs about $20–$25 USD one way. It's slower than a connecting flight but saves real money for two or more people.
Do you need a car in Anguilla?
Practically, yes. Beaches and restaurants are spread across the island and taxis are priced per person, so a rental at $45–$70 a day usually pays for itself. You'll need a temporary local driving permit, issued at the rental counter.
When is the best time to visit Anguilla on a budget?
Mid-April to mid-July and the month of November give you good weather with rates 30–40% below the Christmas peak. August is the cheapest month of all thanks to Carnival and the start of hurricane season.
