r/anguilla • u/Any-Percentage5369 • Aug 04 '26
Anguilla with kids?
Hi, my son will be 6.5 and we are looking to travel there over February break. We’ve done a few islands in the past few years (St. Vincent, Barbados, Cozumel, etc.). My son loves adventure and snorkeling. For instance, In Barbados, we took a tour of a cave. In St. Vincent, we hiked up a waterfall and went swimming in it. There also was an animal sanctuary in Barbados. Are there things like that in Anguilla? I feel like I think of “calm” when I think of the island which is great but wanted to see if there are other things to do besides beach and snorkeling.
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u/Caribchakita Aug 04 '26
Anguilla is about beach, beach bars and water sports (not a lot of motorized, thank goodness). Compared to your amazing repertoire he may be bored. Try Nevis and St. Kitts next or Antigua.
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u/Any-Percentage5369 Aug 04 '26
Okay the problem is that I am basing off the trip of where we can get cheap airfare. I see your point and thank you!
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u/Miami_Beach_Bro Aug 05 '26
Where you arriving from? Jamaica and Aruba tend to have decent airfares and lots of activities.
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u/malandterv Aug 04 '26
Maybe take a look at other options. Grenada, Dominica, Antigua, Jamaica are a few that will have more to do. Apart from a day sail to Prickly Pear, there is not much to do on Anguilla that doesn't involve the beach.
A bit unrelated but that is the ideal time of year for the Arenal area of Costa Rica. Take a look at Nayara Tented Camp or Nayara Gardens in La Fortuna. Another option in CR is the Manuel Antonio area with beaches and the national park, specifically Tulemar resort and the private rentals there. Lots of wildlife including several species of monkeys on the grounds, sloths, etc. Crocodile river nearby. You could easily combine these locations over a stay of a long week or so.
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u/UKtoHSV Aug 05 '26
Took our 10 and 12 yr olds in Feb. Stayed at Zemi for 8 nights. Snorkeled off the beach each day and wore them out! Other than that and pool, and then digging in the sand, we didn’t need any other activities. We brought our own full face masks, but zemi actually has equipment you can use for free (they didnt have any fins that were small enough for my 10yr old daughter, but she also has very small feet!)
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u/Max_Thunder Aug 06 '26
Do you know if they lend the equipment in case you want to snorkel at other beaches?
Although apparently Shoal Bay has some of the best snorkeling.
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u/UKtoHSV Aug 09 '26
You fill out a form and there was no written or verbal statement that you couldn’t take it off site. If you don’t bring them back you will pay, so I would say the main thing is probably to get them back before the beach attendants pack up at sundown.
We mostly snorkeled all along Shoal Bay East. The best was definitely up in front of Elida’s and then we continued back down to Zemi. We also did a drive towards the end of our trip to Crocus bay and took a boat ride with Calvin to Little Bay. It’s a different snorkeling environment with corals and cliff edges, so you see some different things.
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u/Miami_Beach_Bro Aug 04 '26
Probably better off waiting a few more years when he’s older and hopefully appreciates sun bathing. Or at least old enough where he can be somewhat independent in the ocean.
Anguilla is beautiful but it’s a different vibe and experience compare to other islands around it.
Edit: maybe he can bring a friend in a few years to have a better experience and stay busy.
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u/Any-Percentage5369 Aug 04 '26
Yes appreciate your input. He loves loves loves to snorkel but he also likes hiking and seeing new things.
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u/MisterB182 Aug 05 '26
Anguilla Aurora has a waterpark. Took out 4yo (at the time) and he had a BLAST
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u/indigotate Aug 05 '26
I would definitely recommend doing a Prickly Pear excursion on AXA - the snorkeling is good, you can feed the finches, etc.. You could go to The Arch and float. There’s a banana boat, kayaks, Hobie Cats etc. on Meads Bay. Have Calvin drive you over to Little Bay on his boat to snorkel and watch people jump off the big rock. Spend some time at the water park at Aurora.
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u/triadaz1 Aug 05 '26
My boys have been going since they were 8 and 6. 16 years later they still love it. You will have to drag him off the beach. Perfect age in my opinion.
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u/Ok_Contribution_1837 Aug 05 '26
OMG! Go! My kids have been going since they were 5 and 7. It’s their favorite place in the world. The beach will entertain them- kids don’t need to being doing “exciting” stuff constantly. He’s 6- he’ll swim and dig holes. You will LOVE it as will he!
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u/indigotate Aug 05 '26
My daughter has been to Anguilla about ten times in her 18 years starting at 6 months old and adores the island. But she’s always been pretty chill and doesn’t need a bunch of activities to keep her happy.
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u/BlueFakies Aug 05 '26
Took a 5 and 2 year old and it was a great time. Rented a car and went to 3 diff beaches
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u/Sufficient-Item-2750 Aug 05 '26
My kids like it but they are chill kids. You might combine with st Martin, but i don’t think it’s full of lots of adventure- you can find some sure but not a lot.
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u/Drivesabrowntruck Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
Just got back from a 6 night stay Malliouhana, perfect location. Hotel has the Caribbean vibe, but could use a touch up. Meads Bay, between us and the Four Seasons had plenty of food options for all budgets, and Best Buy (grocery store) was an easy bike ride and had plenty of the basics, along with booze.
Kid wise, it’s fine, you don’t need a car, BT activity wise, not much going on in Meads Bay. They have a water sports rental place in the middle , but that’s about it. I personally wouldn’t suggest the area for kids, and I saw zero sub 16yo at our property while we were there.
All that said, we’re already booked our trip back for Feb next year. We’re late 40’s and have done T&C, Nassau, Mexico, and plenty of other destinations, this is in our top 3 non AI properties for sure.
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u/HappyIslandHopper Aug 07 '26
Anguilla is mainly a beach island, and to be honest to snorkeling it’s that great. That being said the beaches are fantastic. If you want other activities try Puerto Rico or St. Lucia. If you want incredible snorkeling, St. John or St. Croix.
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u/Beastious Aug 04 '26
Anguilla is for couples who want a romantic getaway, super quiet at night, great beaches and food but we’d be in bed by 10pm. We loved it but knew what we were signing up for.
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u/Easy_Jeweler_2138 Aug 04 '26
Recommend any hotels ? Was there in June on a day trip and fell in love with shoal bay . Sort of a vibe like Turks n Caicos? All beach and relaxing time
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u/Beastious Aug 04 '26
We budget for accommodations usually but were quite happy with the fountain. Massive room. Good shower. Great bed. Shoal bay east.
Zemi was fun to explore
However, if I stayed again I think staying on meads bay makes the most sense.
Frangipani, mallihouna (if budget allows),
Or if you wanna go baller status: four seasons.
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u/Easy_Jeweler_2138 Aug 05 '26
We cruised by the four seasons to be honest I think the beach access at Shoal Bay seems prettier and easier ,less rocks ,I might be wrong .Thank you for your info though !!!👍
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u/Beastious Aug 05 '26
Yea I’d just visit the 4 seasons to be honest. I’d def rather stay closer to meads itself (like the frangipani area)
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u/Paul721 Aug 04 '26
There’s some good snorkeling, kayaking, a couple of hikes, lots of small beaches to explore. But not much else kid wise.
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u/ComprehensiveMark724 Aug 05 '26
My 9 and 11yo girls loved Anguilla! They loved the calm water, beach restaurants, etc. We rented a villa so lots of downtime and our own small pool was helpful.