Anguilla has 33 beaches crammed onto an island you can drive end to end in under an hour. And here’s the thing nobody tells you: the famous ones – Shoal Bay, Meads Bay – are stunning, sure, but they’re also where everyone else goes.
The real magic is in the ones you have to work for.
I’m talking about absolutely empty, picture-perfect coves. Wild beaches surrounded by cliffs. Anguilla may be small, but it has a few of these hidden gems – you just have to know where to look.
So that’s what this is: the hidden beaches (and a few other secret spots) most tourists breeze right past, from the famous-but-worth-it Little Bay to the genuinely secret coves that were my favorites.
Let’s get off the beaten sand.
Note: If you want to see a rundown of all the spots (not just the hidden gems), check out my full ranking of the 13 Best Beaches in Anguilla.
Hidden Beaches in Anguilla – Mapped
Note: The second map is from Offpath, an iOS map app I created showing hidden gems around the world (so of course, it includes most of the spots on this list). Since you’re obviously a traveler that likes finding hidden spots, check it out, it’s super cool. You can also contribute some of your own spots, which would be a massive help!
Hidden Beaches & Coves in Anguilla
Nim’s Nook at Meads Bay
We’re starting off strong here.
Nim’s Nook is an amazing little – well, nook – at the right-most side of Meads Bay.
It’s such an amazing spot that I ranked Nim’s Nook as the very best beach in Anguilla (see here for full rankings).
While Meads Bay is well known and routinely rated as one of the best beaches in the entire world, Nim’s Nook is a section that is generally left very quiet.
It’s tucked behind a row of rocks, so it’s not in plain sight. This allows Nim’s Nook to have everything that makes Meads Bay spectacular, but without all the people.
It is also right at the base of the Malliouhana Resort, a beautiful hotel I would absolutely recommend checking out.
And, the resort also happens to have the only entrance to the next hidden cove on this list.
Turtle Cove
Turtle Cove is located down a staircase from the Malliouhana Resort, so I would definitely recommend visiting it at the same time as Nim’s Nook.
There’s really no trace of Turtle Cove online. I saw it briefly mentioned in a Reddit post and spent a while searching for it. It’s a true hidden beach.
The reality is, it’s pretty easy to access. Go up to the resort and either look for signs or ask an employee, who should probably help you out. Just maybe pretend you’re a guest, just in case.
The cove itself is lovely, and always super quiet. It’s a little more exposed, so the water can sometimes be wavier. But honestly, considering how calm the water in Anguilla generally is, this was kind of a plus for me.
Long Bay Beach
I discovered Long Bay Beach on my very last day in Anguilla.
Long Bay Beach is not the easiest to access, which is what allows it to remain both stunning and completely empty. It’s picture-perfect.
The only two knocks on this beach I can think of are that I’ve seen pictures of it with a lot of seaweed (though I didn’t see too much) and that the walking path is a little brambly and has a bit of garbage thrown around. But path, shmath.
Long Bay Beach can be confused with the beach directly to the left of it, so I’m attaching a map with the exact directions below. Make sure to read the note beneath it as well.
Note: The map above shows directions to Long Bay Beach from the main road. Park at the “B” marker, and then walk down the rocky road to the right. Then take the first left that you see, which will lead you to the beach. Apple Maps shows exact walking directions.
Blolly Ham Bay
Another absolutely empty and stunning spot.
This one is unique on Anguilla. The island is full of beautiful, picture-perfect sandy spots. But Blolly Ham Bay is wild.
It’s located at the western-most point of Anguilla, and there’s a small beach – but the water is rough, and the surrounding coast is full of cliffs and caves.
Which is awesome.
If you’re the adventurous type, head on over to Blolly Ham. Go on Google Maps, and follow the road that leads to the western-most point of the island (Apple Maps doesn’t show the road).
You may have to park at some point on the road if your car is larger (like mine) and struggling to make it on the narrow road. Then just walk the rest.
Little Bay
Little Bay is located on the north coast of the island, an area marked by cliffs and coves instead of long and wide beaches.
Little Bay is the biggest cove in the area and the only one accessible by land. There are many other coves, though, but you would need a boat (more on that later).
There used to be a rope that you could use to shimmy down the cliffs to the beach, but no longer. When I went, we took a short hike out to this rocky outcrop and jumped into the water from there, then swam to the beach.
The difficulty of access makes Little Bay relatively hidden, but it’s definitely the most discovered of the beaches I’ve listed so far. Unlike many of the earlier ones, you’ll come across Little Bay in most guidebooks.
Little Bay also has some of the best snorkeling on the island, so bring your gear! Here’s a snorkeling tour to Little Bay by boat as well, which also makes your access to the beach easier, and provides gear for you. You’ll also be able to see some of the other coves that are only accessible by boat.
Note: There are lots of spots that are reachable only by boat, and I’ll let you know how to go about getting a boat if you’re interested in the next section.
Hidden Spots by Boat
If you really want to go off the beaten path, you’ll want to get on a boat.
Anguilla has some sections of coast that are impossible to navigate by land, as well as some stunning offshore islands.
You can either try and find a way to rent a boat privately, or prepay for a tour – provided it’s in your budget, as boats are not cheap.
There’s a boat tour that I highly recommend if you’re a large group. It‘ll take you to multiple small islands off the coast of Anguilla that have absolutely stunning beaches – particularly the island of Prickly Pear.
It’s for up to 12 people and includes snorkeling, which will be far better than anything you can find on Anguilla itself (this is one of Anguilla’s drawbacks – good snorkeling is hard to find).
You can check it out with the link below.
You can also try hiring a boat yourself! Check out GetMyBoat and Sailo for potential options.
Other Hidden Gems in Anguilla
Anguilla Arch
Anguilla Arch is a natural limestone arch out on the island’s western coast (near Blolly Ham Bay, but not quite as far).
You can walk right out onto it, which makes for a sick photo with the turquoise water framed underneath.
You can drive straight to it. Simply plug it in on Google Maps and navigate there.
There’s a small entrance fee of $5 per person, and $10 to fly a drone. Make sure to bring cash, as they don’t take card. And also note that the arch closes at 6 PM!
Marissa’s Blowhole & Cliff View
The western point of the island has another surprise.
If you take the same road towards Blolly Ham Bay but turn off earlier, you’ll reach a stretch of rocky coastline that has beautiful views of the Blolly Ham cliffs in the distance, as well as another fun surprise.
Plug in ‘Marissa’s Blowhole’ on Google Maps. Park where it shows you, and then walk out onto the rocks for a few minutes. If there are any sort of waves, you should see the blowhole acting up.
Once you’re bored, walk a little further up the rocks (be careful) until you reach the top, where you get a tremendous view of the cliffs leading down to Blolly Ham Bay.
Windward Point
Here’s a spot on the completely opposite side of the island.
Windward Point continues the trend of rugged and unseen scenery in Anguilla (enough of the perfect beaches, right?). It has wild views of the Atlantic and is a great spot for a quick hike. You can see the loop on AllTrails – it should take under an hour to complete.
I would recommend a 4×4 vehicle in order to reach the point itself. You can always park if the road gets too rough for your liking – you’ll just have to walk a while.
