Anguilla

Northernmost of the Lesser Antilles, Anguilla is east of Puerto Rico and a 20-minute - often bumpy - ferry ride southwest from St. Martin. There is not a lot to do on this flat, eel-shaped isle. That is its charm. It is about transparent waters and sand shorelines so soft that they feel like flour. Anguilla's capital, The Valley, is just a few shops, a courthouse, a jail and the University of the West Indies which has one teacher who teaches one class. Laid-back ambiance attracts celebrities and the well-heeled to luxury resorts and posh villas, although moderate accommodations are available. Watersport shops, open-air bars and restaurants ...

Northernmost of the Lesser Antilles, Anguilla is east of Puerto Rico and a 20-minute - often bumpy - ferry ride southwest from St. Martin. There is not a lot to do on this flat, eel-shaped isle. That is its charm. It is about transparent waters and sand shorelines so soft that they feel like flour. Anguilla's capital, The Valley, is just a few shops, a courthouse, a jail and the University of the West Indies which has one teacher who teaches one class. Laid-back ambiance attracts celebrities and the well-heeled to luxury resorts and posh villas, although moderate accommodations are available. Watersport shops, open-air bars and restaurants line the powdery, coral sand of Shoal Bay. Sandy Ground beach has more of the same but is more developed. Brightly colored fishing boats dot the shore of Island Harbour, where launches ferry guests to Scilly Cay for a lunch of succulent lobster and Eudoxie Wallace's friendly chatter. Enjoy fine cuisine at the Moroccan-styled Cap Juluca and top off the evening with local reggae, steel drums and calypso music.

About the Expert

Roberta Sotonoff is coauthor of Eyewitness Top 10 Chicago and has contributed to many other guidebooks, including Fodor's Chicago, Fodor's Caribbean, Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call, and Thomas Cook Traveller's USA.