Final Day in Anguilla

Gwen's Reggae Grill.

Sunday marked my very last full day in Anguilla so I knew that two primary things would take place: 1) beach time and 2) deciding which restaurant we would hit up for our final night of dining on the island. Within an hour of waking up, we were sitting comfortably under a palapa, soaking up the last bit of Anguillan sunshine.

The Roti Hut — as authentic as it gets!

With lunchtime rolling around, we headed down to Gwen’s Reggae Grill to catch some live music and check out the famous Shoal Bay East. We had planned on grabbing lunch at Gwen’s but made a pit stop at the Roti Hut while en route. Just driving by the Roti Hut, you can tell that it’s a very local joint. It’s not touristy in the slightest; in fact, I don’t even know that they have real menus that they hand out. The rotis are great though (we both had shrimp), their hot sauce is delicious (which is saying something since I don’t like spicy stuff) and the price couldn’t really be any better. Two rotis, three beers and a water later, we racked up a bill that was under $30; about half of what it could have been at a more touristy joint.

Boat Shoes strolling on the beach.

Afterwards, we packed up and headed to Shoal Bay East so I could take a gander and what’s been named the best beach in the Caribbean. The beach is gorgeous. Like Meads Bay, the sands are incredibly white and the water is a teal-y blue that is hard to really imagine. The area is clearly more developed than what we’d experienced at Meads Bay though — lots of shops, eateries and stands right on the beach; it definitely has its pros and cons but it’s undeniably pretty. After a quick walk along the beach, we headed over to Gwen’s for the afternoon.

Local band at Gwen's.

If I had to put a little Caribbean shack together, it would probably be much like this: a location on the beach, spacious area outside to eat lunch, a live band playing on stage and hammocks scattered around for lounging. I’m a sucker for any place with a hammock. I posted up on a hammock for a bit and enjoyed the musical musings of a local scratch band for a while before we packed up and took the party back to Meads Bay.

Livin the dream.

Views from the hammock. :)

Boat Shoes & Fam nabbing a CD from Mr. Rudeboy.

We had narrowed down our dinner options to two main choices for the evening: Sandbar, which was my original choice, or Oliver’s, a place on the beach that had been getting stellar reviews from Boat Shoes’ family and friends. With Sandbar closed on Sundays our decision was a much easier one. We made reservations at Oliver’s and popped in at around 745P for our last dinner on the island. After eating there, I couldn’t have been happier with our decision. Not only is the food amazing (try their stingray appetizer!), but the service is incredibly personal and totally unbeatable. Oliver came around to greet us, explain the menu and help us with our orders. If I were to make a list of places that I’d have to visit again, Oliver’s would definitely be on it! If desserts aren’t my thing, coconut desserts really aren’t my thing. Still, Oliver’s managed to surprise me with their homemade creation: grandma’s coconut pie; a dessert that definitely makes me like coconut. Afterwards, we jetted back to the hotel to finish up our last night in Anguilla. It was definitely an amazing weekend and I couldn’t have had a better partner in crime to spend it with. So sad to leave the island, but I can honestly say that we had the most eventful, fun-filled week ever. Provided I passed all of the requisite screening processes, I’m definitely looking forward to our next rendezvous on the island!

Lots of love from Anguilla,