Barely 35 square miles in size, and rising to a highest point of just over two hundred feet, Anguilla has an interior that is dry, dusty and covered in scrubby vegetation. However, this fact is largely ignored by an increasing stream of visitors who beat their way here for the glorious turquoise waters and truly stunning beaches. Some of these, particularly Rendezvous Bay in the southwest and Shoal Bay in the northeast, are among the finest in the Caribbean.

Long ignored by tourists, tiny Anguilla has benefited from careful study of the planning mistakes that have badly damaged neighbours like St Martin/St Maarten , where runaway development has led to rising crime and serious social problems. By contrast, Anguilla has eschewed large-scale tourist complexes, successfully aiming for top-quality, high-end development with relatively limited impact on the island's scarce resources. As a result, the island feels very safe, welcoming and relaxed. If you're happy with beach wandering, watersports and plenty of good restaurants, Anguilla is hard to beat.

Like other Caribbean islands Anguilla is a year-round destination; however, the best time to visit is between mid-December and mid-April when rainfall is low and the heat is tempered by cooling trade winds