Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla

Belmond operates properties where the setting takes centre stage, and at Cap Juluca, that means a crescent of powdered white sand meeting impossibly turquoise water on Anguilla's southwestern shore. The island itself is a sliver of low-lying limestone in the Leeward Islands, just sixteen miles long, where the rhythm moves slowly and the air smells of salt and hibiscus. West End Village sits quietly at the island's western tip, a scatter of pastel-painted cottages and shaded verandas where locals gather at roadside rum shops and the evening sky turns tangerine over the water.

Maunday's Bay Beach lies just beyond the property, a curve of sand so pristine it appears barely touched. Barnes Bay Beach and Shoal Bay West stretch west and north within easy reach, each offering their own postcard-worthy sweep of coast. Meads Bay, two kilometres east, draws a more social crowd with beachfront restaurants and cabanas. The island's capital, The Valley, sits inland, modest and functional rather than picturesque, but Anguilla's true character reveals itself along the coastline, where the sea is always visible and the pace resists hurry.

Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport sits ten kilometres east, a short drive across flat terrain dotted with scrub and agave. Alternatively, Princess Juliana International Airport in neighbouring Sint Maarten, fourteen kilometres south, offers wider international connections, followed by a ferry crossing or private transfer across the channel.

The island's culinary scene punches above its weight for a destination of its size, though Michelin inspectors have yet to visit Anguilla formally. Instead, the focus here is on beachfront grills serving spiny lobster pulled from traps that morning and conch salad prepared tableside under thatched roofs. Start your mornings at Maunday's Bay Beach, where the water is calm enough to wade out fifty metres before it reaches your chest. Book a tee time at The Course at Cuisinart Golf Resort & Spa, 2.6 kilometres inland, where the greens are groomed tight and the fairways catch the trade winds.

A short drive northeast brings you to Sandy Ground, six kilometres away, where fishing boats bob in the bay and roadside shacks serve johnnycakes and saltfish for breakfast. The island's low profile means cultural landmarks are understated, the history woven into Creole cottages and stone churches rather than grand monuments. For a deeper historical pull, Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park sits across the water in Saint Kitts, 97 kilometres south, a UNESCO-listed bastion of 17th-century British military might built by African enslaved labour. Closer to the property, the pace slows further: beach walks, sunset sails, and the simple pleasure of reading under a sea-grape tree.

Winter and early spring bring the driest, most comfortable months, with highs hovering around 26°C and low humidity that makes midday sun tolerable. The trade winds blow steady from December through March, keeping the air fresh and the beaches breezy. This is peak season, when the island fills with North American and European visitors escaping colder latitudes.

Summer stretches long and warm, with temperatures climbing toward 28°C and occasional afternoon showers that arrive quickly and evaporate just as fast. The light turns sharper, almost white, and the sea glows electric blue. Hurricane season runs officially from June through November, with September and October seeing the heaviest rainfall and the highest risk of storms.

Late autumn can feel sticky and unpredictable, though the island rarely sees direct hits. By mid-December, the air dries out again, and the rhythm returns to its unhurried, sun-soaked baseline. Visit between February and April for the most reliable weather and the fullest sense of Anguilla's easy-going charm.