LOVE Anguilla

One night I came upon a Travel and Leisure with a cover that said, simply: ‘Most Beautiful Beaches in the World’. Anguilla was featured prominently and the lead picture was of Shoal Bay East – a long and nearly empty sweep of white sand with a
min read
Share this article

When I was in my-mid 20s and single, one of the ways I entertained myself, in those pre-internet days, was to browse magazine stands. I’d walk into a store, page through the magazines that seemed most alluring and buy a couple of them to take home and read.

One night I came upon a Travel and Leisure with a cover that said, simply: ‘Most Beautiful Beaches in the World’. Anguilla was featured prominently and the lead picture was of Shoal Bay East – a long and nearly empty sweep of white sand with a few palm trees at the far end.

Picture of Shoal Bay East taken by J Austin Pro

I remember thinking at that moment: I’m going there some day. I just need the right girl to take with me, someone who loves the beach as much as I do – and someone, I’m sure I hoped, who would look ravishing in a bikini as we walked on that powdery sand. I did find her, and we got married. She already had a child, and then very quickly, we had one together and then another. So it took us several years before we got to Anguilla.

Mike and Ann, long time visitors to Anguilla, photo by J Austin Pro

I can’t say that Anguilla ‘saved’ our marriage. But it enhanced it and shaped it. We started visiting when our kids were still young, when home life was busy, our careers were demanding and money was tight.

We left the kids behind and well tended. Anguilla was where we reminded ourselves why we had gotten married in the first place — why we were “at this game,” as we liked to say.

Photo of Katouche Bay taken by J. Austin Pro

We could only stay for five or six days in the beginning, though one year we did steal a little more time by sending word back home that we needed to stay on island one more day to hear our favourite band at the Pumphouse, the dearly departed juke joint that perished in hurricane Irma.

We spent many late hours there and prided ourselves on always being the last tourists amid the post-midnight crowd of Anguillians. We have stayed mostly on Meads Bay, at Carimar, but we always rent a car and over time have gotten to every corner of the island. Yes, it’s small, but you’d be surprised how much there is to see.

What we discovered early on, and what delighted us, was that with a little effort and some good water shoes, we could make our way to a beach that was literally deserted, where our footprints might be the only ones from that day – or even that week.

I always tell people: If you want to visit Anguilla, it helps if you like to walk – the soft sand on my feet feels like physical therapy – and it also is good if you like to read. Most importantly, I think you have to dig the person you’re with, to use a phrase from the magazine-rack days. My person is Ann Gerhart, above.

When we first started visiting, we would meet these ‘old’ people who said they had been coming for 20 or 30 years, and we would think: how strange. Why would you keep coming back to the same place? But that is us now. We’ve been visiting for a quarter-century, often more than once a year. The officers at immigration, when they look at our passports, always say, ‘welcome home’.

In an ever-noisier world, we crave Anguilla’s sense of peace, and the togetherness we always find for ourselves here. We treasure its civility. We walk the same familiar beaches but always discover something new. And, yes, she still looks ravishing in a two-piece.

Ann Sokolove looking great in a her two piece.
Article tagged as:
Written by:
Michael Sokolove

Michael Sokolove is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and the author or co-author of ten books.

Related

10 things that show Anguilla is serious about sustainability

Anguilla aims to become the most sustainable island in the

Vanessa Explains the Top 5 Beaches to Visit with Kids in Anguilla

My summer memories in Anguilla are flooded with days that

Retreat AXA

Trudy Nixon talks to Sara and J.W. – the two Bostonians

Tonya & Brandon Rhodes Living The Dream

Brandon and Tonya Rhodes from Pennsylvania have been coming

You May Also Like

Armel Harrigan

Armel Harrigan is famous. She has fans all over the world and regularly receives invitations to vacation in America and Europe.

Where friends are family

Anguilla is an island not just known for its pristine beaches and turquoise waters, but for its unique sense of community and the strong bonds that exist among its residents. These bonds are, of course, due in part to a shared history.
Written by

Anguilla at Heart

Blue Sea Anguilla is passionate about Anguilla and make it their business to show guests the very best the island has to offer.

Two Brilliant Anguillian Owned Beachfront Restaurants

For fine beachfront dining with a local flavour – try Ocean Echo or DaVida.