Fat Cat is a gourmet take-out place with baked half-chickens, a freezer full of dinner entrees, plus freshly made cookies, pies, cakes, salads, soups, etc.  If you are having a party, they can cater the entire thing.

Great take out sandwiches and salads (try the potato salad).  They can make up picnic baskets for beach exploring.

Open Mon-Sat. 10am-6pm

Telephone:  1-264-497-2307

Directions: They are located in a stand alone building right in front of the Albert Lake grocery-very convenient.

Merchant Markets carry a large selection of meat, vegetables, and many gourmet food items – the restaurants on the island purchase their produce from this store. You must purchase in box quantities, great for large groups or extended stays.

Telephone: 497-5533.

Directions: From the airport, turn left at Digicell, down two blocks turn left onto gravel road you will find merchants market.

Beer, Ting, Coke, a variety of liquors, and bottled water are available at Tropical Wholesale at reasonable prices.

Telephone:  497-4315.

Directions:  From the airport, stay to your left and go straight until the main intersection.  Turn right into The Quarter and follow this road for several miles and two jogs until you see the tall radio tower on the left.  Now look for Tropical Flower on the left.  If you reach the roundabout, you went too far.    From the Villa, left to the end.  Turn left and stay left for about three miles to the roundabout. Stay to your left past the roundabout one half mile.  Tropical on your right.

Albert has opened a new marketplace down the street from his original store.  Quite a large place.  Good liquor and wine selection also.

Directions: From the airport, turn left, go straight past Island Car Rental and National Bank.  Go straight through the main intersection of Anguilla, where there is often a traffic light that often works.  You will find Albert’s on the left in about 200 yards. Right from villa left at end of road, stay left at round about-continue 3 miles, 1/2 mile past stop light.

JC Proctors is a well stocked U.S. type supermarket where you’ll find many familiar items. JC’s also stocks liquor and has a good frozen food selection. There is a small deli with whole roasted chickens that are very tasty.

Directions: 1/4 mile past Albert Lakes. At stop light, turn left, Proctors on the left 1/2 mile down.

Ashley and Sons is similar to IGA, but carries more ethnic specialty items (Spanish, Jewish, East Indian, etc.), as well as a wide variety of seaonings and spices and specialty items (seasame seed oil, hot mustard, stuffed olives). Sometimes they sell Avon Skin So Soft bath oil, which is good for discouraging mosquitoes.

Direction: From the villa to the valley turn right on the strip ( where food shacks are ) two blocks to Ashley.

This is one of our favorite stores! Quite a large, well stocked store with a variety of fresh produce, excellent meats, deli selections, bakery and liquor.

Directions: Follow directions for Tropical Wholesale where Best Buy will be a ¼ mile further on the right.

Great dive instructor,good with novice and experienced alike.- Douglas Carty 264-235-8438.We and our diving guest have always been extremely satisfied with his service.

St. Martin is Anguilla’s closest neighbor and knowing the ferry system is key to enjoying its great food, jet airport and chic shopping.  The Anguilla ferry terminal is in the village of Blowing Point. You turn south toward St. Martin off the main South Hill road at the traffic light by Connors Rental Car.  The terminal is at the end of the road-park your car anywhere you can find a place.

Enter the Departure Lounge and pay your US$5 departure tax.   This is not your fare, just the tax.  Sign the manifest clipboard (don’t forget to take your passport with you-this is a trip to another country) and wait until the immigration officer picks it up and starts checking people off at the door.  If you need help, there are usually baggage porters on both sides—tip about $1 per bag.

The ferries vary, but are small, none take vehicles, and all protect you from the weather.  The crossing is about 20 to 30 minutes each way and ferries run every half hour during the daylight.  They collect the US$15 fare on board ($20 after 5pm).  The ferry deposits you on the waterfront in Marigot, the French side.  You show your passport (usually no forms to complete) and you are in France!  To return you pay the French a $5 tax and $15 or $20 for the ferry.  There is a landing card to fill out for Anguilla.  Don’t miss the last ferry at 7PM. 1/2 to 3/4 hour.

As you step off the ferry, the tourist office is just to the left, the public market is in front of you.

Marigot is one of the best things about St Martin, so you could easily limit your visit to this town.  Narrow streets, cute old buildings, restaurant-lined harbor, good shopping, great pastries, and wonderful, inexpensive French food.  Marigot is like visiting France, but many people speak English.  Go early at 8AM or 9AM, shop and walk, have a pastry and coffee at a bakery, browse some more, select a nice place for lunch (many stores close for lunch anyway), and return home to Anguilla after lunch.  Remember, St. Martin feels more humid and hot, has more crime, so be careful, and is closed on Sunday and Saturday after lunch.

There is Marigot Street on the web.  On it, you arrive from Anguilla at location C-3.  As the map shows, Marigot is only about 4 blocks deep.  Starting at Rue de Republique you walk at most 6 blocks to the Port La Royale, the harbor.   If you want to catch a mini-bus to Phillipsburg, you walk up Rue de Republique to Rue de Holande and wave down a minibus that says Phillipsburg.

Off the eastern tip of Anguilla is uninhabited Scrub Island, about 3 miles square and fun to visit.  On the leeward side is a beautiful white sand beach with very calm waters.  It is the only one in Anguilla that faces completely away from the prevailing winds and seas (since Anguilla runs east-west and the winds come from the east).  The interior of Scrub consists of rolling low hills, soft and green more like Scotland than Anguilla.  The only inhabitants are wild goats that grow fat in the rainy season and skinny in the dry season (they get water then by eating the pear cactus on the island).

If you want to take a hike, there are ruined walls (they look like an enclosure for animals), an abandoned airstrip with crashed airplane, and a small derelict resort.  Catch a ride over on Mike’s or Harry’s or Junior’s boat from Shoal Bay or Island Harbour.  But take some cold drinks with you, because there aren’t any bars on Scrub Island.

You may not believe it, but Anguilla has a jungle.  You enter a path from the beach, skirting the edge of a spooky swamp through dead grey trees (victims of Luis), and then enter lush greenery.  As the plants close overhead, cutting off the sun, you notice the cool shade and the birds.  Regular Anguillian plants that you expect to find at 6” to 24” high are now 6’ to 12’ high.  I won’t spoil the surprise by telling all the details of this hike—only suggest you wear good runners or hiking boots, be prepared to climb a hill, and take a flashlight.

To experience the jungle, go to Katouche Bay (between Crocus Bay and Road Bay/Sandy Ground on the north side).  From The Valley, go up Coronation Blvd to Crocus Hill.  Turn left at Lloyd’s Hotel (the old Cottage Hospital is on the right).  Follow the paved road until it ends, then continue on the main dirt road to Masara Resort.  Drive through the resort, down a steep one-lane road to the beach and park.  Walk down to the beach; go left about 40 yards and turn left away from the beach.  You should find a path that skirts the right edge of a large pond.  Good Luck.  Anguilla has many more hidden delights.

San Juan to Anguilla Capeair

Flights from the U.S. to St. Martin are plentiful
(US Air, United, American, Continental, Delta, Spirit)

Options for getting to Anguilla:

• Public Ferry- leaves every 45 minutes from the French side
  (about a 15-20 minute taxi ride from the airport) and arrives in Anguilla in 25 minutes.
• Scheduled private boat charters that leave throughout the day from a dock right across the street from the airport. More costly but you are in Anguilla that much sooner.
  – GB Express 888-223-3779 U.S., customerservices@gbferries.com
  – Funtime Charters 264-497-6511, funtimescharters.com
  – Calypso Charters 264-584-8505, info@calypsocharters.com
• Private plane charter that meets you as you arrive at the airport. You go through immigration and collect your bags for an eight minute flight to Anguilla.
  – Anguilla Air Express 264-498-5922, anguillaservices.com
  – TransAnguilla 264-497-8690, transanguilla.com