Visiting Anguilla

Sy-tucanon
Philip Fearnhead
Sat 25 Jan 2014 22:14
Saturday 25th January 2014: Position
18:11.97N 063:05.55W
Yesterday we walked the couple of miles to the main town of The
Valley. Although this is the capital of the island, it is reached along
roads without pavements and has little of real interest to a tourist.
Nonetheless, the people we met were welcoming and friendly, including an office
worker who invited us inside to escape the rain and a coloured Berkshire lady
who now has a restaurant in The Valley.
The beach at Road Bay is a delightful curve of fine sand, with the small
and aptly named Sandy Island, containing just a few palm trees and a beach bar,
about a mile out. Road Bay provides a safe anchorage with good holding,
but high cruising charges mean that few boats venture beyond Road Bay: A
cruising license (essential to anchor anywhere other than Road Bay) would have
cost $71/day plus a further small charge to visit one of the several marine
reserves.
Local people complain about this since it means that little is spent by
yachtsmen outside Road Bay, and we also heard complaints that the London
Parliament is a bit too enthusiastic about imposing environmental restrictions
and charges. This is a shame as the island certainly has excellent marine
resources and would doubtless become a popular destination if charges were more
moderate. It appears that the balance is not yet right
The main tourist route appears to be the ferry boat from Marigot on
neighbouring St Martin. The government appears to want to develop its
tourist industry and has approved a number of resorts, particularly on the east
coast facing St Martin.
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