Useful Information

Anguilla

Useful Information

Getting Around

Anguilla is small, but there's no public bus service on the island, and taxi service is pricey. There are car rental companies near the airport or we can arrange it for you in advance. Day trippers can negotiate a flat fee with a taxi driver at the ferry terminal. In Anguilla, you drive on the left, though virtually all rental cars have left-hand drive, which can be disorienting. Visitors intending to drive need to buy an inexpensive temporary Anguillian driver's license for US$20.00 , which is issued on the spot by car rental companies and is valid for three months. The roads are generally well maintained and relatively wide by Caribbean standards. Be cautious of stray goats that occasionally bolt onto the road. Most roads on Anguilla are not marked with names or numbers, although hotel and restaurant signs point the way to many beaches.

Anguilla's Wallblake Airport, on the southern fringe of the Valley, is small and modern. Taxis are readily available at the airport, but if you're travelling light you can easily negotiate the short walk into town. Some taxi drivers will take you on a guided tour of the island for a flat fee. Bicycles and scooters (not recommended) can be rented in The Valley.

When to travel

High season runs from Christmas (or mid-December) to mid-April. Ulra-high season runs the week or two around Christmas and New Year (when the prices can double), Easter plus the last two weeks of February. The average annual temperature is 80°F (27°C), but the hottest weather occurs between May and October. However, even in summer there is always a gentle breeze cooling you on the sizzling beach. Plus, in the low season, which is from April to November, often the weather is perfect with little rain plus a much calmer sea, perfect for snorkeling and diving. in addition, you can stay at least double as long for the same money.

In our twenty years living on Anguilla, we never experienced a regular rainy season. Sometimes it rained a lot in November, another year the same month was perfect and it rained over Christmas. Anyway, you should probably choose your vacation time more on the weather at home (snowstorms...) and what you want to spend (certainly a plus in summer). Some places shut entirely in September.

Weather

For most of the year you can't complain about Anguilla's breezy Caribbean conditions; the average annual temperature is 27°C (81°F) and it never strays too far from that. The hottest weather comes during hurricane season from September to October (officially June 1st to October 31st). The average annual rainfall is 35in (89cm), with the majority of that falling between August to November.

Banks & Currency Exchange

Prices in hotels and tourist restaurants are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. Prices in groceries and local restaurants are often in EC$. ATMs dispense American and Eastern Caribbean dollars. Credit cards are not always accepted; Some restaurants add a charge if you pay with a credit card.

Though the legal tender here is the Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar, U.S. dollars are widely accepted. (You'll often get change in EC dollars, though.) The exchange rate between U.S. and EC dollars is set at EC$2.68 to the U.S. dollar. Be sure to carry lots of small bills; at this time, no US$100 bills are accepted (only at the bank).

Business Hours

Banks are open Monday through Thursday from 8 to 3 and Friday 8 to 5. Most shops are open from 10 to 5 on weekdays only. Most commercial establishments are closed weekends, although some shops and most groceries are open for Saturdays and a few hours on Sunday morning, but call first, or adopt the island way of doing things: if it's not open when you stop by, try again

Holidays

Public holidays are New Year's Day, Easter (varies; Mar. or Apr.), Easter Monday (the day after Easter), Labour Day (1st Thurs. in May), Anguilla Day (last Fri. in May), Whitmonday (7th Mon. after Easter), Queen's Birthday (in June), August Monday (1st Mon. in Aug.), Easter Thursday and Friday (same week like August Monday), Separation Day (Dec. 19), Christmas Day, Boxing Day (Dec. 26). If a holiday falls on a weekend, it will be celebrated the weekday after.

Departure Tax

There is a departure Tax of US$ 20.00 for departing at the airport or ferry. No charge for children under 12. If you visit St. Martin on a daytrip, the tax will be only US$ 5.00 (plus US$ 3.00 to return from Marigot).