travelling-blogger

comments

The Caribbean is known for its magnificent beaches.

But with the recession, the waves of good fortune that generally lap its shores became crashing breakers as the financial storm blew harder.

Anguilla suffered more than most.

Just perfect: Anguilla plays host to a selection of beautiful retreats, including the lovely Malliouhana Resort

It is not the easiest island to get to, and it is not cheap, so the visitors drained away. Investment soaked away into the sand, leaving developments marooned, some half-built, on the beaches.

But though Anguilla lost its mojo for a while, there is no doubt it is still a special place - certainly to judge by some of the visitors who have stuck by it, including Paul McCartney, Denzel Washington , Liam Neeson and Kelly Osbourne.

Of course beaches themselves are not affected by recession.

And after 25 years of research - exhaustive research, you understand - lying prone on towels and loungers, counting grains of sand, I'd say that Anguilla has the finest beaches and sea in the Caribbean.

You can get the idea with an early morning walk on a near-deserted strand. A gentle stroll?

Not in Anguilla.

In places the sand along the mile-and-a-half stretch of Meads Bay is so deep that walking becomes aerobic exercise.

And the waves there are mesmerisingly beautiful - they swell into glassy green, their vertical faces marbling momentarily as they catch the sun, and then furl and crash.

On top of the bluff at one end of Meads Bay is Malliouhana, one of the Caribbean's loveliest hotels, which will re-open next month under the flag of Auberge Resorts from California.

At the other end sits the outsize Viceroy (with an unfeasible 300 rooms on an island just 16 miles long), which has attracted an LA crowd, and sometimes offers good deals.

Star quality: Anguilla has played host to stars such as Beyonce (left) and Jay-Z, and Denzel Washington (right)

For something more sympathetic and self-contained, there's Carimar, or the lovely Meads Bay Cottages.

On the south coast, Cap Juluca, set on the heart-stoppingly pretty Maunday's Bay, and Cuisinart on Rendezvous Bay, roll on. And that's not to forget Anguilla's villas, some of the finest in the islands.

After breaking the mould in the mid-1990s as the island's first 'supervilla', Cerulean has returned completely restored.

The spectacular Villa Kishti, a geometric abstraction in glass and white concrete, which opened to acclaim last year, is opening two more villas on Meads Bay soon.

The restaurateurs have also stuck at it, working hard through difficult times. Anguilla's restaurants are excellent - well, it is British territory with mainly American visitors - but throw in some French chefs, and excellent produce brought via nearby St Martin, and you have excellent cuisine.

Look out for Hibernia, Blanchards, Veya and Dolce Vita.

On the beach at Meads Bay, Blanchards has opened its Beach Shack for simple meals, and French-inspired Jacala offers an elegant and lazy lunch.

Anguilla is much lower-key than nearby St Barts, but don't let that put you off.

You might still bump into Beyoncé and Jay-Z…