major hotel recap: belmond cap juluca
The island of Anguilla – otherwise known as my personal favorite Caribbean Island! It’s a bold claim to make, I know. Anguilla has the exclusivity of a private island without the complete seclusion of a private island. This combination is what makes Anguilla so magical. You can enjoy local dining, rent a make for beach hopping, sip a cocktail oceanfront, or simply relax on some of the world’s best beaches at top 5* resorts. Let’s dive into all things Anguilla, specifically Belmond Cap Juluca, one of our favorite hotels on the island.
Getting Here
You will first get yourself to St. Maarten (SXM). There are puddle jumpers from Puerto Rico and St. Barths, a direct flight from Miami, and a 25-minute boat ride from St. Maarten. While getting to Anguilla might seem challenging compared to other Caribbean islands, the trek is worthwhile. And, it somewhat protects the peace of the island!
Location
Belmond Cap Juluca is located on Maundays Bay, a protected area with the calmest waters and softest white sand. Anguilla was hit hard by hurricane Irma in 2017 and has spent the last few years rebuilding. Belmond, one of our favorite hotel brands, took over the Cap Juluca property, completed renovations, and created one of the most stunning hotel products that exists on the Caribbean market.
The Rooms
The rooms are located within individual casitas that stretch down the bay. Each casita holds anywhere from 1-4 rooms, all ocean facing and ocean front. Whether you’re on the first or second floor of your accommodations, you’re just a few steps from the beach. Pro tip: if you’re okay with some fresh island air, leave a screen door or window open so you can fall asleep to the sound of a natural sound machine: the ocean!
Similar to Belmond La Samanna, the beach attendants get used to your vacation habits and have your chairs ready to go by the second morning. Your chairs are also equipped with a Yeti cooler for keeping waters and rum punches cold. When you’re ready for lunch, grab a bite to eat at the Cap Shack just down the beach. The Belmond team took a fun van and outfitted it for a food truck on the beach, making it the place for lunch and afternoon cocktails on the island.
The Restaurants
The evenings are particularly magical at Belmond Cap Juluca. Start your night off with learning how to saber champagne at Maundays Club. After a cocktail or two, make your way to a specially reserved table at the water’s edge at Pimm’s restaurant. Pimm’s features Anguillan and Caribbean staples such as lobster, snapper, and jerk chicken. Another favorite of ours is Uchu, a Peruvian inspired, more casual restaurant at the resort. While you might not always consider Peruvian fare on your Caribbean vacation, I can assure you that Uchu isn’t to be missed.
There are so many amazing restaurants around the island as well. While Pimm’s is wonderful – there’s more that lies beyond Cap Juluca! When you book a trip with our team, we’ll be sure to let you in on our top spots.
The Activities
There is a surprising amount to do on the island of Anguilla. You must get out on the water in a boat! Our favorite team at Calypso charters has the best captains and will make your day incredibly fun. You can customize your trip anyway you’d like. We recommend prioritizing snorkeling, a big seafood lunch at one of the offshore cays and of course, rum punches.
To paint more of a picture of my last trip on the island – we started the day snorkeling with sea turtles. From there, we moved to the infamous jumping rock. You know it’s going to be an adventure when the captains say, “hold your feet up so you don’t hit the sea urchins at the bottom”. We ended our day by heading out to the Prickly Pear – a very small cay off the coast that hosts just a beach bar. We filled up our rum punches and dined on lobster, mahi mahi, chicken, rice and beans. It was the best Caribbean meal and one of my favorite days all around.
Belmond Cap Juluca is one of our preferred partners and as such, you will receive daily breakfast, $100 resort credit, upgrade on arrival, early check-in and late check-out.
Have we convinced you yet that Anguilla is one of the best destinations in the Caribbean? We would love to tell you more! Feel free to reach out on our contact form here.
