A few days ago, I decided to adventure to the east end of Anguilla and explore the beach at Island Harbour. The town of Island Harbour is on the Atlantic side of Anguilla.
Island Harbour is about a 20-minute drive from The Forest. Unlike Sandy Ground where the road drops steeply from a ridge, the approach to Island Harbour is pretty flat and you are skirting the beach almost immediately.
I parked on the sand by a beach bar which was closed, as were the other beach bars. My timing could be better! As fits its name, Island Harbour was full of boats.
The first thing I noticed was the cute little island in the harbour. Scilly Cay appears to be very stereotypically tropical with huts and palm trees. Scilly Cay is privately owned so reservations need to be made to visit it. For more info on Scilly Cay, click here.
Out past the east end of Anguilla is Scrub Island. Unlike Scilly Cay, which is tiny, Scrub Island is about 3 square miles in area. It is primarily a wildlife sanctuary that is popular with hikers. The best way to get to Scrub Island is by charter boat such as the tours offered by Anguilla’s Rum and Reel Charters.
Visiting Scilly Cay or Scrub Island are both pricey options, so I will stay on Anguilla proper for my adventures. However, there are plenty of people who visit Anguilla who can well-afford such excursions. I heard that Bill Gates was visiting this week with his yacht and helicopter. I did see a black helicopter traveling overhead a few days ago. There are several large private jets parked off to the side at the airport.
As I was taking a picture of a coconut palm, I saw a chicken family: rooster, hen, and several almost-grown chicks. I tried to get a photo of the family, but when they heard me, they went scurrying off into the high grass. The chickens are allowed to run free, as are most of the animals.
Side note: when I was here 5 decades ago, the only place I remember looking like a typical tropical beach was Island Harbour. But palms now seem to be at most of the beaches.
I love how colorful the boats are in Anguilla.
After my enjoyable beach walk, I drove back to The Forest. I forgot to turn off my GPS voice directions. The voice spent the entire drive trying to get me to turn around and go back to Island Harbour!
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