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ANGUILLA
Anguilla is an island growing in real estate opportunities, and the agents at Caribbean Real Estate Showcase will provide you the service and professionalism to ensure your real estate ventures here are successful. Whether investing in rental villas, purchasing modest vacation villas, or acquiring luxury villas, our real estate agents can showcase the rich culture and expanding economy that make Anguilla an up and coming Caribbean destination. Caribbean Real Estate Showcase will show you Anguilla's natural beauty, proximity to other Caribbean attractions, and untapped potential across real estate properties of every description. Whether snorkeling from your beach villas, shopping for local artwork to decorate your vacation/rental villas, or simply enjoying the tranquility of your luxury villas along one of the island's striking beaches, Anguilla is a true Caribbean paradise that presents wonderful real estate opportunities. Come visit Anguilla, and let the Caribbean Real Estate Showcase agents make your Caribbean dreams a reality.
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Overview
The island of Anguilla is the northernmost island in the Lesser Antilles. It lies just five miles north of St. Martin/Sint Maarten. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to its north and east and by the Caribbean Sea to its west and south. It is located some 150 miles due east of Puerto Rico at 18 degrees north latitude and 63 degrees west longitude.
Anguilla is 35 square miles. It is 16 miles long and has 61 kilometers of coastline. The island is known for a number of islets or cays, such as Sandy Island on the west side; Sombrero Island to the northwest, where Anguilla's lighthouse stands; and Scrub Island to the northeast.
Anguilla offers beautiful beaches, fine dining, unique shopping, and great water sports, including excellent diving, boat racing, and swimming with dolphins.
History
Arawak Indian groups first inhabited Anguilla nearly 4,000 years ago. They called the island "Malliouhana," meaning arrow-shaped. Englishmen from nearby St. Kitts first settled Anguilla in 1650, where they began to raise corn and tobacco. A raid by Indians from a neighboring island wiped out much of the settlement in 1656. By the seventeenth century the island had adopted sugar as its principal crop, turning in the process to slave labor. Over the eighteenth century, there was periodic warfare between the English at Anguilla and the French at St. Martin to the south.
At the time slavery the British Parliament abolished slavery in 1834, less than 2,000 people lived on Anguilla. Around this same time, Britain pressed Anguilla into a union with St. Kitts and Nevis, allowing the island to elect one delegate to the House of Assembly at St. Kitts. Many Anguillans resisted this union.
This St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguillan union became part of the Federation of the West Indies in 1958, which collapsed only four years later. In 1967 the Anguillan Revolution began. Anguillans today celebrate May 30, 1967 as Anguilla Day, the day the island finally forced the Royal St. Kitts Police Force to leave Anguilla. In 1980 Anguilla became a Dependent Territory of Britain with some degree of political autonomy.
Government
Anguilla is a dependent territory of Britain. It has a unicameral House of Assembly with 11 total seats where members serve five-year terms. Anguilla's capital is The Valley. Government offices, banks, a post office, hospital, police station, and markets are located here.
Economy
Anguilla's economy is based on a mixture of tourism, financial services and banking, fishing, boat building, and other activities.
Money
The legal currency on Anguilla is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, but like many Caribbean islands, the U.S. dollar is widely accepted. The lack of an income or corporate tax make Anguilla an attractive place for offshore banking.
Demographics
Anguilla's population is approximately 12,000. Houses and residents are scattered widely throughout the island in small village communities, with the capital The Valley the only real center of commercial activity.
Language
English is the official language of Anguilla.
Climate and Weather
Like its neighbor St. Martin/Sint Maarten, Anguilla enjoys a typical tropical climate with an average temperature of 80 degrees. Precipitation is relatively light, averaging about 35 inches each year. Trade winds coming in from the northeast help cool the island. Its highest point is Crocus Hill 65 m. Anguilla is known for its many beautiful coral and limestone formations.
Recreation
33 glistening, powder white-sand beaches make Anguilla a true Caribbean paradise. All together, there are some 12 miles of beaches on the island. Shoal Bay West, Anguilla's most famous beach, features a secluded setting and excellent swimming and snorkeling. At Rendezvous Bay visitors will find Anguilla's longest strip of beach alongside the Rendezvous Bay Hotel & Villas and the CuisenArt Resort & Spa. From Rendezvous Bay beachgoers can take in stunning views of the mountains at St. Maarten to the south. Cove Bay, Maundays Bay, and Savannah Bay, known for its boogie boarding and body surfing, are other popular beaches.
Besides its beautiful beaches, Anguilla also offers excellent snorkeling and diving. Glass-bottom boat tours, dolphin swims, sea tours, and boat cruising are popular as well. Windsurfing, skiing, paddleboating, and sailing are available. Deep-sea fishing for tuna, marlin, wahoo, and swordfish is another popular sport.
Landside activities include hiking, biking, and horseback riding. A new 18-hole championship golf course by renowned golfer Greg Norman is schedule to open in the fall of 2006. An 18-hole miniature golf course is located on the road to CuisinArt in South Hill.
The 136 different species of birds on Anguilla can be found commonly in the islands only wetlands areas, its salt ponds. Historic tours of old buildings, churches, salt ponds, and Arawak Indian culture are available, as are a number of art galleries which feature fine local artwork.
Ferries run daily from Blowing Point on the south to Marigot at St. Martin as well as Princess Julianna Airport in Sint Maarten.
Shopping, Dining, Night Life
In recent years, a number of new shops have been opened and older shops renovated in the Historic District and The Valley. Shoppers can find jewelry, fine wine, cigars, local artwork, and many other gifts and collectibles. Popular spots include the Devonish Gallery, Eldorado Shopping Mall, Bartletts Collections, Savannah Gallery, and Micasa.
Whether your taste buds want Caribbean or French, Mediterranean or Creole, Anguilla's more than 70 restaurants, beachside bistros, and roadside grills offer something for everyone. The wine cellars at Malliouhana Hotel & Spa and Koal Keel Restaurant are two of the biggest in the region.
Forest Bay on the southeast side of the island offers amazing waterfront dining. The colorful Palm Grove bistro at Junks Hole Bay serves up fresh seafood and island drinks. The historic fishing village of Island Harbor is home to several delicious restaurants as well.
Road Bay or Sandy Ground village is the center of Anguilla's nightlife. Music of all types, including reggae, jazz, calypso, and soca, can be found on Anguilla. Dancing, karaoke, and taking in Caribbean libations are popular compliments to the island's rich musical traditions.
Cultural and Historical Sites
The Anguilla National Trust Heritage Tour takes visitors through The Valley and to the East End of the island, making stops at historic Fort Hill and several notable bird watching sites. The Old Salt Factory and Pumphouse reveals the history of this once thriving industry. The Wallblake House offers a view of plantation life. A self-guided tour of the Old Valley takes visitors to some of Anguilla's most historical buildings. Miss Marjorie Hodge's Homestead, a famous frame building; the Warden's Place, where British agents once resided; the ruins of the old Court House at Crocus Hill; and St. Gerard's Catholic Church are notable landmarks.
Festivals and Events
Anguilla Day is celebrated every May 30. Constitution day celebrations take place August 11. Music festivals, boat races and sailing regattas, including the annual Anguilla Regatta at Road Bay, and other events occur throughout the year.
Radio
HBR Heart Beat Radio 107.5
Links
Anguilla Guide
http://www.anguillaguide.com/
Official site of Anguilla Tourism Board
http://www.anguilla-vacation.com/index.htm
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Caribbean Real Estate Showcase is a division of Caribbean Villa Owners Association 877-248-2862 804-693-5216 804-693-4856 | |||||||||
Disclaimer
Caribbean Real Estate Showcase, Dunham Young Inc. its owner, executives and employees act in good faith in the promotion of this web site but are in no way responsible to either property participants or potential customers or real estate purchasers for any loss of any kind howsoever caused. Continued use of this website indicates acceptance of this condition. Property purchasers should exercise caution and use independent legal advice when entering real estate transactions of any kind.
