Maundays Bay
Best for. Couples and quiet seekers who want a near perfect white crescent on the western tip, calm clear water for a still swim, and the option of dining beside the sand at Cap Juluca.
Best spot. A morning swim in the glassy calm water of the crescent, a snorkel toward the rocky ends, and a long lunch at Cap Shack or a sunset table at the resort behind the beach.
Know this. The beach is public like all Anguilla sand, but it is fronted by Cap Juluca, so the loungers are for guests; come to swim and walk, or to dine, and bring your own kit otherwise.
Maundays Bay is the picture of quiet Caribbean luxury, a short, near perfect crescent of soft white sand on the western tip of Anguilla, wrapped around water so calm and clear it barely seems to move. Behind the sand stand the whitewashed Moorish domes of Cap Juluca, the resort that has defined this bay for decades, and the result is a beach that feels hushed and exclusive even though, like every beach on the island, it is legally public. For a still swim, a slow snorkel toward the rocks and a sense of having found the calm edge of things, few beaches anywhere do it better.
The honest read is about access and expectation. The sand is public and you are free to walk it and swim, but the loungers, umbrellas and service belong to Cap Juluca, so this is not a beach to roll up to expecting a rented daybed unless you are a resort guest or dining there. There are no public facilities, no beach bar shack and no shade beyond what you bring, which keeps it serene but means you should arrive self sufficient. It is calm, beautiful and quiet rather than lively, and that is precisely the point of coming.
Use it for stillness or for a meal. Come early or late for a glassy swim in the sheltered water and a gentle snorkel toward the rocky ends where the fish gather, treading lightly and taking nothing. If you want to settle in for the day, the way to do it is over a table, a barefoot lunch at the resort's Cap Shack or a longer dinner at one of its restaurants, which buys you the comfort and the setting. For more space and a livelier bar a short hop away, neighbouring Cove Bay and its famous beach bar trade the polish for a barefoot afternoon.
Clubs near this beach
Maundays Bay is defined by a single resort rather than a bar scene, so the club layer here is Cap Juluca's restaurants over the sand, with a barefoot bar at neighbouring Cove Bay.
Photo: Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla via GoogleCap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel
The resort that owns the rhythm of Maundays Bay, its whitewashed Moorish domes set right behind the sand. Its restaurants open to non guests for a meal that buys you the setting, from the barefoot Cap Shack on the beach to the Italian Cip's by Cipriani and the Peruvian Uchu. This is dining and service rather than a daybed club, so book a table ahead, especially in the peak, and we will gladly help arrange it.
Cove Bay and Smokey's
A short drive around from Maundays Bay, the more open Cove Bay is home to one of the island's best loved barefoot beach bars, the kind of relaxed grill and rum spot with live music at weekends that Maundays Bay does not have. It is the easy, sociable counterpoint for an afternoon, on a long quiet beach with room to spread out. Opening days ease in the low season, so it is worth a quick check ahead.
The western tip, by car
Maundays Bay lies on the western tip of Anguilla, around twenty minutes by car from the airport and the Blowing Point ferry, beyond Meads Bay along the west coast road. A hire car or taxi brings you toward Cap Juluca, and there is public access to the beach even though the resort fronts it. If you are coming to dine, the resort will direct you; if you are coming to swim, look for the public access and park considerately.
Because there are no public facilities on the sand, come prepared with water, sun cover and anything you need for the day, unless you plan to settle in over a meal at the resort. The calm clear water rewards an early or late swim when the bay is quietest, and the rocky ends are the place for a gentle snorkel. There are no lifeguards, so read the water and watch children, tread lightly on the reef, and carry your litter out so this serene beach stays that way.
Photo: Nigel Khan via GoogleNot ready to book?
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Common questions about Maundays Bay
Can the public visit Maundays Bay?
Yes. Every beach in Anguilla is public by law, including Maundays Bay, so you are free to walk the sand and swim even though the bay is fronted by Cap Juluca. What is not public is the resort's service, so the loungers, umbrellas and beach service are for guests and diners rather than walk up visitors. Come to swim and walk, or book a table at the resort, and bring your own kit if you simply want a spot on the sand.
Is Maundays Bay part of Cap Juluca?
The beach is public, but Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, sits right behind it and defines the bay. Its whitewashed domes back the sand and its restaurants and loungers serve the beach, which gives Maundays Bay its hushed, exclusive feel. You do not have to be a guest to visit the public sand, but to settle in with service you would dine at the resort. It is calm and beautiful rather than lively, with no public bar of its own.
Is Maundays Bay good for swimming and snorkelling?
Yes, on a typical day it is among the best on the island for a calm swim. The water on this sheltered western tip is glassy and clear, and the rocky headlands at each end of the crescent hold the best snorkelling on a settled morning. There are no lifeguards, so read the water, watch children and treat the calm conditions as typical rather than guaranteed. Protect the reef by standing on sand rather than coral.
Where can you eat at Maundays Bay?
Dining here means Cap Juluca, whose restaurants open to non guests and range from the barefoot Cap Shack on the beach to the Italian Cip's by Cipriani and the Peruvian Uchu. There is no separate beach bar shack on Maundays Bay itself, so a table at the resort is how you settle in for the day. Book ahead, especially in the December to April peak. For a casual barefoot bar, neighbouring Cove Bay has a well loved one a short drive away.
Maundays Bay or Meads Bay?
They sit near each other on the west coast but offer different days. Maundays Bay is the quiet, exclusive crescent below Cap Juluca, calm and still and best for a peaceful swim or a resort meal. Meads Bay is the softer, more sociable dining beach, lined with low resorts and the island's best restaurants and famous for its sunsets. Choose Maundays for serenity and Meads for dining and atmosphere, or pair them across one west coast day.
