Boat Trips in Anguilla: Cays, Access and Planning

Boat trips in Anguilla divide into three kinds: short shuttles to the inshore cays of Sandy Island, Scilly Cay and Little Bay, half-day and full-day trips to Prickly Pear and the outer cays such as Dog Island, and private charters for sailing, fishing or a day in St Barts or St Martin. Boats leave from Sandy Ground on the north coast, Island Harbour in the east and Blowing Point in the south, and everything is weather dependent. Most of the cays lie inside marine parks, where mooring and anchoring are regulated. This guide explains the choices and how to plan them.

Boat trips in Anguilla: the cays and how long they take

• Sandy Island: a sandbar with palms and a restaurant, ten minutes by shuttle boat from Sandy Ground according to the tourist board. The restaurant takes bookings online and by phone. Suits a long lunch and a swim; it is small and busy on cruise-ship and weekend days.
• Prickly Pear Cays: two uninhabited islets about 20 minutes by boat from Sandy Ground, with a beach, snorkelling, seabirds and, in season, a beach restaurant. Suits a full day; there is little shade and the crossing can be lively.
• Scilly Cay: a tiny island three minutes from the Island Harbour wharf, known for lobster lunches, rum punch and live music on its opening days. Suits a leisurely afternoon; confirm which days it opens.
• Little Bay: a cliff-backed cove and marine park on the north coast, reached by boat from Crocus Bay. Suits snorkellers; no facilities.
• Dog Island: a remote cay and important bird area with more than 100,000 pairs of sooty terns, reached only with a local tour operator. Suits birdwatchers and experienced snorkellers; long crossing, no facilities, and landing should respect the nesting colony.
• Scrub Island and Sombrero: Scrub Island lies about 20 minutes from Island Harbour with turtles and rays in its lagoon; Sombrero is a 90-minute crossing to a lighthouse rock. Both are for calm days and keen naturalists.

Departure points

Sandy Ground is the main base: the Sandy Island shuttle and the Prickly Pear boats leave from the beach, and most day-charter operators keep their boats in Road Bay. Island Harbour serves Scilly Cay and the eastern cays from its wharf. Blowing Point, the ferry port, is where charters to St Martin and St Barts usually start, and where the airport boats from St Maarten arrive. Crocus Bay, beside Sandy Ground, is the launch point for Little Bay.

Choose the departure point closest to your base for the short trips and accept a drive for the longer ones. From the West End, Sandy Ground is about 15 minutes; from Shoal Bay East, Island Harbour is a few minutes along the coast.

Day sails, fishing and private charters

The tourist board describes day boats and sailing charters as readily available, and operators such as Calypso Charters offer private boats and custom day trips to the out islands, St Maarten and St Barts. A private charter suits groups and families who want their own schedule and a mix of snorkelling, lunch and beach time; the cost is high compared with the shared shuttles. Sport-fishing trips run from Sandy Ground and Island Harbour; ask the operator where it fishes in relation to the marine parks.

Boat racing is Anguilla’s national sport. If you are on the island for the Anguilla Regatta in May or the Summer Festival races in July and August, watching the traditional wooden boats from a spectator vessel is a boat trip in its own right; check the seasonal guide for dates.

Verifying an operator

Anguilla’s boat operators range from established charter companies with offices and websites to individuals with a boat on the beach. Before booking, look for a named company, a physical base, a working phone number and evidence of a current licence and insurance. Ask how many passengers the boat carries and whether life jackets are provided for children. For diving, the UK Foreign Office warns that operators may have limited resources and that there are no facilities for treating decompression sickness on the island, so inspect equipment and confirm oxygen is carried. Our guide on safety in Anguilla covers the sea in more depth.

Weather dependence

All boat trips in Anguilla are at the mercy of wind and swell. Winter northerly swells can close the north coast, including Sandy Ground departures and Little Bay, for days at a time, while the south coast stays calm. Summer is generally flatter but brings the hurricane season from June to November. Operators cancel late, so book cay trips early in your stay to leave room to rebook, and have a beach-day alternative ready from our guide to Anguilla’s beaches.

Marine park rules

The Anguilla National Trust records that six marine parks were established in 1993: Dog Island, Prickly Pear, Little Bay, Shoal Bay-Island Harbour, Sandy Island and Sombrero. The published Marine Parks Regulations require a permit for mooring or anchoring and prohibit those activities between 7pm and 6am. Confirm permitted access and mooring arrangements with your operator before travelling. The Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources’ 2015–2025 management plan, updated in May 2017, describes Little Bay as a no-anchoring area with moorings. Confirm current arrangements with your operator before visiting.

Detailed rules on fishing, collecting and water sports inside the parks are administered by the Department, and the published texts do not set them out in a form written for visitors. A licensed operator with a base on the island will know which stops have moorings and which do not, and taking shells, coral or anything else from a park is the kind of thing a responsible captain will not allow.

If a boatman drops anchor on the reef at Little Bay, that is a reason to choose someone else next time.

Planning summary

Book Sandy Island and Scilly Cay for easy lunches, give Prickly Pear a full day when the sea is calm, treat Dog Island and Sombrero as expeditions, and reserve private charters for groups. Verify the operator, watch the forecast, respect the park rules and go early in the week so a cancellation can be rescheduled. Handled that way, boat trips in Anguilla will be the days you remember.