The island of Anguilla

The Caribbean is a supremely popular tourist destination, which is not surprising considering the beautiful waters and the fantastic island paradises on offer in the area. Whilst countries such as Cuba boast deep cultural and political significance, many other islands offer more traditional forms of tourism. Indeed, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and the Dominican Republic are among the finest tourist destinations in the world, with each boasting superb weather, scenery and entertainment. Furthermore, the island of Anguilla, which is a British overseas territory located in the Northern Caribbean, is a popular and beautiful spot for tourists.

Anguilla features approximately 35 square miles of stunning landscapes, golden sandy beaches, unspoilt coastal waters and a largely warm and friendly population. Tourism is Anguilla's main industry, with offshore banking and insurance running a close second and third respectively. The weather experienced in Anguilla is perhaps not as hot as that enjoyed by its southern neighbours in the Caribbean, although the average daily mean temperature is at least 26 degrees centigrade during the winter and up to 30 degrees centigrade in the summer. Coupled with moderate precipitation throughout the year, Anguilla boasts some of the finest annual weather in the Caribbean and is, therefore, a popular destination for tourists during the off season.

There are many activities on offer in Anguilla for tourists to enjoy. Aside from the glorious weather and stunning natural landscapes, the island features a range of activities including boating, water sports, scubadiving, snorkelling, golf, tennis and many more. In respect to scubadiving, which is among the most popular activities in Anguilla because the area boasts crystal clear turquoise waters, there are a number of key sites: Anguillita, Authors Deep, Crystal Reef, Dog Island, Frenchman`s Reef, Grouper Bowl, Little Bay, Paintcan Reef, Prickley Pear, Sand Canyon, Sandy Deep and Stoney Ground Marine Park. Moreover, the Step at Little Scrub diving site features a dramatic ledge dive under which angelfish, nurse sharks, great barracudas, rays and jewfish can be found in depths of up to 90 feet!

The wrecks of the M.V. `Ida Maria`, which was sunk during Hurricane Klaus, M.V. `Oosterdiep` and M.V. `Sarah`, provide perfect environments for hard and soft corals. Furthermore, the marine life present around these wrecks is truly exquisite, with southern stingrays, trunkfish and reef sharks lurking among the ruins. Of course, Anguilla is just as good on shore as it is beneath the water, although somewhere in between is usually best with beaches such as Blowing Point, Captain`s Bay, Cove Bay and Dropsey Bay providing exceptional swimming and sunbathing opportunities.

Travelling to Anguilla is generally straightforward if heading from Europe, as the most direct air routes operate via Paris and land at St. Martin, which is not all that far away from Anguilla. It is generally possible to book cheap holidays without compromising on luxury as there are a host of five star hotels available in the area, such as the Malliouhana, Cap Juluca and CuisinArt Resort and Spa.

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